Submissions

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Submission Preparation Checklist

As part of the submission process, authors are required to check off their submission's compliance with all of the following items, and submissions may be returned to authors that do not adhere to these guidelines.
  • The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
  • The submission file is in Microsoft Word or PDF document file format as per the template VTIR Template
  • The text is single-spaced; uses a 10-point font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
  • In the "Upload supplementary file" you need to nominate three potential referees from outside your own University and from whom you are independent. In each case, we ask for the name, institution, country, web page, and email address of the potential referee.
  • VTIR is an open-access journal with publishing fees of Rs. 35000
    for an accepted paper (20% discounts for students)(see https://vfast.org/journals/index.php/VTIR/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 for details). This
    manuscript, if accepted, will be published under an open access Creative
    Commons CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), and I
    agree to pay the Article Processing Charges as described in the journal
    webpage.

Author Guidelines

  • VFAST Transactions on Islamic Research (VTIR)

    Author Guidelines, Manuscript Preparation, Citation & Reference Policy

    (Revised Official Policy – English-Only Submission Framework)

    1. Journal Identity and Scope

    VFAST Transactions on Islamic Research (VTIR) is a peer-reviewed academic journal committed to publishing high-quality scholarly research in the broad field of Islamic Studies. The journal welcomes original research that contributes to classical, contemporary, theoretical, empirical, legal, ethical, educational, social, historical, or interdisciplinary discussions related to Islam and Muslim societies.

    Areas of Interest Include (but are not limited to):

    • Qur’anic Studies

    • Tafsīr and ʿUlūm al-Qur’ān

    • Hadith and Sunnah Studies

    • Fiqh and Uṣūl al-Fiqh

    • Islamic Law and Jurisprudence

    • Islamic History and Civilization

    • Comparative Religion

    • Islamic Philosophy and Theology

    • Sufism and Spirituality

    • Islamic Economics and Finance

    • Islamic Education

    • Contemporary Muslim Societies

    • Islamic Ethics, Governance, and Civilization

    2. Official Language Policy (Revised)

    Effective New Policy:

    VTIR now accepts manuscripts in English only.

    Permitted Exceptions:

    The following may appear in original Arabic script:

    • Qur’anic verses

    • Hadith texts

    • Classical Arabic source excerpts (only where academically necessary)

    Mandatory Rule:

    All explanations, interpretations, analysis, discussion, abstracts, titles, keywords, tables, figures, and references must be in English.

    Discontinued:

    • Full Arabic manuscripts

    • Full Urdu manuscripts

    Translation Requirement:

    Any Arabic quotation beyond primary citation must be accompanied by accurate English translation.

    3. Manuscript Categories

    VTIR accepts:

    • Original Research Articles

    • Review Articles

    • Theoretical Papers

    • Comparative Studies

    • Case-Based Islamic Analysis

    • Book Reviews (Editorial Invitation Preferred)

    4. Manuscript Length

    • Research Articles: 6,000–10,000 words

    • Review Articles: 4,000–8,000 words

    • Book Reviews: 1,000–2,000 words

    5. Manuscript Structure

    Required Order:

    1. Title

    2. Author Name(s)

    3. Institutional Affiliation

    4. Email Address

    5. ORCID (recommended)

    6. Abstract (200–250 words)

    7. Keywords (4–6)

    8. Introduction

    9. Literature Review

    10. Methodology / Analytical Framework

    11. Discussion / Analysis

    12. Conclusion

    13. Footnotes

    14. References / Bibliography

    6. Formatting Requirements

    • Font: Times New Roman

    • Main Text Size: 12 pt

    • Footnotes: 10 pt

    • Line Spacing: 1.5

    • Margins: 1 inch all sides

    • Alignment: Justified

    • Page Numbers: Bottom center

    7. Citation Style Policy (Official VTIR Style)

    Primary Style:

    Numbered Footnotes (Chicago Notes Style adapted for Islamic Studies)

    General Rule:

    • Citation numbers appear in-text sequentially

    • Full reference appears in footnote

    • Shortened citation used after first mention

    • Final bibliography required

    8. Qur’anic Citation Guidelines

    Standard Format:

    Al-Qur’an, Surah Number: Verse Number

    Example in Text:

    Allah says: “Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing” (Al-Qur’an, 29:45).

    Footnote:

    1. Al-Qur’an, 29:45.

    Multiple Verses:

    1. Al-Qur’an, 2:30–39.

    Repeated Citation:

    1. Al-Qur’an, 29:45.

    Rule:

    Qur’anic references remain standardized; no full bibliographic entry required each time.

    9. Hadith Citation Guidelines

    First Citation (Full):

    Author, Collection Title, Book/Chapter, Hadith Number.

    Example:

    1. Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Waḥy, Hadith no. 1.

    Subsequent Citation:

    1. al-Bukhārī, Hadith no. 1.

    Muslim Example:

    1. Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Īmān, Hadith no. 8.

    10. Classical Islamic Sources

    First Citation:

    1. Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn (Cairo: Dār al-Maʿrifah, 2005), 2:45.

    Subsequent:

    1. al-Ghazālī, Iḥyāʾ, 2:47.

    11. Modern Academic Books

    Example:

    1. Wael B. Hallaq, An Introduction to Islamic Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 45.

    12. Journal Articles

    Example:

    1. Sherman A. Jackson, “Islamic Law and Society in Contemporary Context,” Journal of Islamic Studies 12, no. 2 (2024): 145–167.

    13. Websites

    Example:

    1. Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, “Author Guidelines,” accessed May 15, 2026.

    14. Bibliography Format

    Book:

    Hallaq, Wael B. An Introduction to Islamic Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.

    Hadith:

    al-Bukhārī, Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl. Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī.

    Qur’an:

    The Qur’an.

    15. Arabic and Transliteration Policy

    VTIR follows a consistent scholarly transliteration system for Arabic terms:

    • Sharīʿah

    • Sunnah

    • Fiqh

    • ʿUlamāʾ

    Rule:

    Once transliteration style is chosen, consistency is mandatory.

    16. Ethical Policies

    Authors must ensure:

    • Original unpublished work

    • No simultaneous submission

    • Proper citation

    • AI-use disclosure if applicable

    • Plagiarism within journal-approved threshold

    • Conflict of interest declaration

    17. Peer Review

    • Double-blind peer review

    • Editorial screening

    • Scope verification

    • Citation compliance check

    • Ethical compliance review

    18. Tables, Figures, and Arabic Text

    • Tables and figures must be numbered

    • Captions in English only

    • Arabic images/text require translation or explanation

    19. Submission Checklist

    Before submission, authors must confirm:

    • English-only manuscript

    • Structured abstract

    • Keywords

    • Footnotes formatted correctly

    • Qur’an/Hadith citations compliant

    • Bibliography included

    • Plagiarism check completed

    20. Editorial Priority

    VTIR prioritizes manuscripts that:

    • Demonstrate scholarly rigor

    • Use authentic Islamic primary sources

    • Engage contemporary discourse

    • Follow international academic writing standards

    21. Model Citation Quick Guide

    Qur’an:

    Al-Qur’an, 2:255.

    Hadith:

    al-Bukhārī, Hadith no. 54.

    Book:

    Wael B. Hallaq, An Introduction to Islamic Law, 45.

    Journal:

    Sherman A. Jackson, “Islamic Law,” 145.

    22. Final Editorial Note

    VTIR aims to integrate the authenticity of traditional Islamic scholarship with internationally recognized academic publishing standards, enabling broader scholarly visibility while preserving the methodological integrity of Islamic research.

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-By) that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).

                                      

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution  License CC BY

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