AL-AMĪN (FAIṢALĀBĀD)

01 What is the aim of Al-Amīn (Faiṣalābād)?

Al-Amīn (Faiṣalābād) is a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to high-quality research in Islamic studies and related fields. The journal promotes rigorous academic inquiry and original scholarship in areas including Qur’anic studies, Ḥadīth, Islamic jurisprudence, Islamic thought, theology, Islamic history, ethics, culture and other relevant areas of Islamic sciences.

02 What types of manuscripts does the journal accept?

The journal primarily accepts original research articles and scholarly review articles relevant to its scope. Submissions must demonstrate academic originality, scholarly quality, appropriate documentation and compliance with the journal's editorial and ethical requirements.

03 How can I submit a manuscript?

Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) online submission platform. Authors should register an account, complete their profile and follow the submission steps provided by the system. Before submission, authors should carefully review the Author Guidelines and Sample Paper.

04 What peer-review process does the journal follow?

Al-Amīn follows a double-blind peer-review process. The identities of authors and reviewers remain confidential during the review process. Each eligible manuscript is normally evaluated by at least two independent expert reviewers with appropriate subject expertise.

05 How long does the publication process take?

Publication time varies according to editorial screening, reviewer availability, revisions and the final editorial decision. The journal does not guarantee a fixed publication period. The average time from submission to publication is approximately 21 weeks, including peer review and revisions.

06 What is the plagiarism and AI-use policy?

Submitted manuscripts will be screened for plagiarism, inappropriate text similarity, duplication and other forms of academic misconduct. Authors remain responsible for originality, accuracy and integrity. Where AI tools are used in a manner requiring disclosure, appropriate disclosure must be provided. AI tools cannot be listed as authors.

07 Is Al-Amīn an open-access journal?

Yes. Al-Amīn provides open access to its published articles. Articles are freely accessible online without subscription or paywall restrictions.

08 Does the journal charge submission or publication fees?

No. Al-Amīn does not charge authors submission fees or article processing charges (APCs). The journal operates on a no-fee open-access basis.

09 Can authors suggest reviewers?

Authors may provide information about potential reviewers when requested. However, the final selection of reviewers remains the responsibility of the editorial team.

10 Do authors need ORCID IDs?

Authors are strongly encouraged to provide ORCID IDs for accurate researcher identification, attribution and indexing.

11 In which languages can manuscripts be submitted?

Al-Amīn previously accepted scholarly manuscripts in Urdu, English, and Arabic. To ensure greater consistency in editorial processing, peer review, indexing, and international dissemination, the journal now accepts manuscripts exclusively in English.

12 Can an article be corrected after publication?

Yes. Where a significant error is identified after publication, the journal may publish an appropriate correction, clarification or post-publication notice, depending on the nature of the issue.

13 Can author names or authorship be changed?

Authorship and author details should be finalized before publication. Any proposed change must be formally requested and supported by appropriate documentation and agreement from all affected authors. Post-publication authorship changes are considered only in exceptional circumstances.

14 What is the journal's retraction policy?

A published article may be retracted where reliable evidence demonstrates serious problems such as research misconduct, plagiarism, fabrication, falsification or major ethical violations. Retraction decisions are handled according to the journal's publication ethics and retraction procedures.

15 Can I submit the manuscript to another journal at the same time?

No. Simultaneous submission is strictly prohibited. A manuscript submitted to Al-Amīn must not be under active consideration by another journal.

16 How can I contact the editorial office?

Authors may contact the editorial office through the official email address provided on the journal website. Correspondence should include the manuscript title, manuscript ID where applicable, and the nature of the enquiry.

17 What are the authorship and contribution requirements?

All listed authors must have made a genuine and substantial contribution to the research and manuscript. Authors are encouraged to clearly identify individual contributions and may use the CRediT taxonomy where applicable.

18 How should I format my manuscript?

Authors should carefully follow the journal's Author Guidelines and Sample Paper. The Sample Paper provides a practical model for manuscript structure, formatting, headings, citations and references.

19 Can authors reuse figures, tables or other published material?

Authors must obtain the necessary permission for copyrighted material they do not own and provide appropriate acknowledgement and citation. Reused material must not be presented as original work.

20 Does the journal accept supplementary materials?

Where appropriate, authors may provide supplementary scholarly materials supporting the published research, subject to editorial approval.

21 What ethical requirements apply to submitted research?

Authors must comply with all applicable research-ethics requirements relevant to their study. Where ethical approval, institutional permission, informed consent, archival authorization or other requirements apply, appropriate evidence or statements should be provided.

22 How should references and citations be formatted?

Al-Amīn has updated its manuscript formatting and reference style to ensure greater consistency, readability, and editorial quality. Authors are requested to follow the latest formatting and reference requirements when preparing and submitting manuscripts. The Sample Paper provided in the Author Guidelines should be used as the primary model for the structure, layout, headings, tables, figures, citations, references, and overall presentation of the manuscript. Authors must follow the journal's prescribed Harvard referencing style. All sources cited should be accurately included in the reference list. DOI information should be included where available.

23 Are image manipulations permitted?

Visual materials must not be manipulated in a manner that changes or misrepresents their meaning or evidentiary value. Any necessary technical adjustments should preserve the integrity and authenticity of the material.

24 Must authors disclose conflicts of interest?

Yes. Authors must disclose financial, professional, personal, institutional or other conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research or publication.

25 Should datasets, software or digital resources be cited?

Yes. Authors should appropriately acknowledge and cite databases, software, digital resources, archival sources, datasets and other scholarly resources that materially contributed to the research.

26 Can a conference paper be submitted?

A manuscript already published in full elsewhere should not be submitted as an original article. If substantial new scholarly material has been developed from an earlier conference contribution, authors must disclose the earlier version to the editorial office.

27 How does the journal handle complaints and appeals?

Al-Amīn maintains a formal Complaints and Appeals Policy. Complaints and appeals are reviewed fairly and transparently. Authors may appeal an editorial decision where reasonable grounds and relevant evidence exist.

28 How are allegations of research misconduct handled?

Allegations involving plagiarism, fabrication, falsification, authorship misconduct, duplicate publication, unethical practices or citation manipulation are taken seriously. The journal may conduct a preliminary assessment and, where necessary, a formal investigation. Appropriate action is taken according to the findings and applicable editorial policies.

29 Does the journal have a data-sharing policy?

Authors are encouraged to make relevant supporting research materials available where appropriate and where doing so does not violate copyright, confidentiality, privacy or ethical requirements.

30 How does the journal handle copyright and intellectual property?

Authors retain copyright in their published work subject to the journal's publication and licensing terms. Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, permitting reuse, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction provided appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and source.

31 Can I withdraw my manuscript after submission?

Authors may request withdrawal of a manuscript before formal acceptance by submitting a written request to the editorial office with a valid reason. Once published, an article cannot normally be withdrawn and may instead be subject to an appropriate post-publication action where justified.

32 Can authors know who the reviewers are?

No. Al-Amīn follows a double-blind peer-review process. Authors are not informed of reviewer identities, and reviewers are not informed of author identities.

33 How are reviewers selected for a manuscript?

Reviewers are selected by the editorial team according to the subject, scope and scholarly requirements of the manuscript. The editorial team considers subject expertise, academic qualifications, research experience, publication record, relevant scholarly knowledge, availability and potential conflicts of interest. The journal seeks independent and suitably qualified reviewers to ensure a fair, rigorous and impartial evaluation of submitted manuscripts.