Author Guidelines

Author Guidelines 

APA 7th Edition (2020)
Research must demonstrate novelty, originality, and objectivity.
Maximum 3 authors per submission.
Word counts: Articles: 5,000–7,000 words + abstract (200–250 words). Book reviews: 1,500–4,000 words. Conference reports: 1,000–2,500 words.

Manuscript Formatting

  • Software: Microsoft Word (.docx)

  • Arabic text: Traditional Arabic font, 18 pt (body), single spacing, justified

  • English/Latin text: Times New Roman, 12 pt

  • Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) all sides

  • Page numbers: Top right, starting from title page

  • Structure: Title | Abstract | Keywords | Introduction | Literature Review | Methodology | Results | Discussion | Conclusion | References | Appendices

Quranic verses: ﴾  بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيْم ﴿ [Al-Fatiha: 1], Ornamental Qur’anic Brackets
Hadith: «أُعْطِيْتُ جَوامِعَ الكَلِمِ» (Al-Bukhari, 1988, vol. 2, p. 85)
Vocalization: Only for Quran, hadith, poetry, or clarification

Abstracts: Arabic, English & Malay (150–300 words each), identical meaning. Include: purpose, methods, results, implications.
Keywords: minimum 5 per language [italicized]

APA 7th In-Text Citations 
Parenthetical or narrative. Include volume/page for classical works and quotes.

  • One author: (Smith, 2020) or Smith (2020) found...

  • Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2020)

  • Three+ authors: (Smith et al., 2020)

  • Direct quote: (Smith, 2020, p. 45)

  • Classical Arabic: (Al-Zarkashi, n.d., vol. 2, p. 214)

  • Multiple sources: (Al-Zarkashi, n.d.; Smith, 2020)

  • Bahasa Melayu: (Abdullah, 2019, hlm. 30) | Abdullah (2019) menyatakan...

References (Alphabetical, Hanging Indent 1.27cm)
ALL Arabic sources in Arabic and Roman transliteration. Double-space. DOI preferred.

Books Modern: Al-Freihat et al. (2024). Electronic commerce contracts... https://doi.org/10.33102/mjsl.vol12no2.565
Classical: Al-Zarkashi, M. b. A. (n.d.). Al-Burhan... (Vol. 2, 2nd ed.). Dar al-Ma'rifah.
Hadith: Al-Bukhari, M. b. I. (1988). Al-Jami' al-Sahih (3rd ed.). Dar Ihya' al-Turath al-'Arabi.
Journal Articles Abu al-'Awn, U., & Wyhya, I. (2020). ... Majallat Jami'at al-Imarat..., (84), 455–513.
Conference Papers Eletrei, M. F., & Suleiman, H. (2022). ... AL-MAQASID..., 3(2), 32–48. https://doi.org/10.55265/almaqasid.v3i2.37
Websites Abu Amsha, K. (2019, October 10). ... Al-Jazeera - Learn Arabic. https://example.com

Abbreviations: n.d. (no date), n.p. (no publisher), Vol. (volume), p. (page), pp. (pages)

Copyright & Image Permissions 

Authors are fully responsible for ensuring that all materials included in their manuscripts—such as images, figures, tables, charts, photographs, illustrations, and other visual content—do not infringe upon any copyright or intellectual property rights.

  • All images and figures must be original, properly cited, or used with explicit written permission from the copyright holder.

  • If an image is reproduced or adapted from another source, the source and permission status must be clearly stated.

  • Images obtained from online sources must comply with the relevant license (e.g., Creative Commons).

  • The journal reserves the right to request proof of permission or to require the removal of any copyrighted material prior to publication.

Failure to comply with copyright requirements may result in rejection of the manuscript or removal of the copyrighted material at any stage of the publication process.

Submission Requirements

Submission via OJS only:

  • Main manuscript file (anonymous, no author information)

  • Separate author details file

File naming:
ArticleTitle_LeadAuthor.docx

Editorial rights:
The editorial board reserves the right to reject or return manuscripts that do not comply with these guidelines, including copyright and ethical requirements.

For matters not covered above, authors must refer to the APA 7th Publication Manual (2020).