Abstract

The concept of ummah occupies a central place in Muslim self-understanding, yet it has long been the subject of intense debate. Two competing visions have emerged in Islamic scholarly discourse: an exclusive ummah defined by religious faith and bounded by belief, and an inclusive ummah encompassing Muslims and non-Muslims within shared civic and political communities. These visions have traditionally been treated as irreconcilable, generating division and, at their extremes, contributing to exclusivist ideologies with serious consequences for social cohesion. 

This seminar presents Dr Muhammad Haniff Hassan’s intervention into this debate, drawing on his recent publication in SRP’s Interreligious Relations series entitled “Ummah in the Qur’an: Reconciling Exclusive and Inclusive Visions of Ummah”. Through a systematic thematic analysis of ummah across the Qur’an, complemented by classical Islamic jurisprudence and Social Identity Theory, Dr Haniff offers a fresh theological perspective on whether these two visions are truly as contradictory as they appear – and what the answer might mean for Muslims navigating questions of identity, belonging, and citizenship in plural societies today. The seminar will be of interest to scholars, students, practitioners, and policymakers working at the intersection of religious thought and interreligious relations. 

About The Speaker

Dr Muhammad Haniff Bin Hassan is a Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where he also earned his PhD in Strategic Studies. He graduated with honours in Syariah and Civil Law from the Faculty of Islamic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and currently serves as a member of the Syariah Appeal Board under the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS). 

A prolific author, he has to date written more than 30 single-author and co-authored book titles and pamphlets. Some of his books are: Ummah in the Qur’an via Thematic Tafsir: Reconciling Exclusive and Inclusive Visions of Ummah (in Malay, 2025), Countering Islamic State Ideology: Voices of Singapore Religious Scholars (co-edited with Rohan Gunaratna, 2021), Civil Disobedience in Islam: A Contemporary Debate (2017), The Father of Jihad: ‘Abd Allah Azzam’s Jihad Ideas and Implications on National Security (2014), and Unlicensed to Kill: Countering Imam Samudra’s Justification for the Bali Bombing (2006).