Formerly under the rubric of the Islamic Legal Studies Program, we now announce a revamped Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School and the opening of applications for Visiting and Senior Fellowships. Applications are due Feb 1, 2019. Please direct questions to shariasource@law.harvard.edu. Apply to the Visiting Fellowship. Apply to the Senior Fellowship.
Recent Scholarship: Special Journal Issue on Khulʿ
The latest issue of Brill's Islamic Law and Society explores khulʿ practices in the modern world. Khulʿ is a type of Islamic divorce procedure. Although it usually refers to a type of divorce initiated by the wife, the articles below highlight many regional differences, including in the role of the husband and the role of … Continue reading Recent Scholarship: Special Journal Issue on Khulʿ
Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal: Jan 11th
This week’s issue of the Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal includes: "Is Islam Incompatible with European Identity?" by Wojciech Brzozowski This article examines "whether following the rules of Islam in everyday life (e.g. wearing of religious clothing and symbols, respecting gender equality, exercising parental rights) can be reconciled with the Western … Continue reading Islamic Law & Law of the Muslim World eJournal: Jan 11th
Islamic Law in “Plain English”
As a reminder, the SHARIAsource Portal contains helpful resources that explain various aspects of Islamic law in "plain English," including: Lexicon Ijtihād: the direct interpretation of scripture Ḥadīth: Prophetic traditions Scholarship Reviews Mohammad Fadel on the Function of the "Interest Ban" in Islamic Finance Clark Lombardi on Sharīʿa as a Source of Legislation
Recent Scholarship: Jackson on Gender in Islamic Studies
In the most recent issue of the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, SHARIAsource Senior Scholar Sherman Jackson wrote about the responsibilities of male scholars in acknowledging the perspectives and experiences of Muslim women: "The Alchemy of Domination, 2.0?" Excerpt: In her critical essay, “The Omnipresent Male Scholar,” Professor Kecia Ali sets out to call … Continue reading Recent Scholarship: Jackson on Gender in Islamic Studies
Abou El Fadl on Sexual Violence in Islamic Law
SHARIAsource Senior Scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl recently gave a lecture (available on YouTube here) regarding the prohibition of torture in Islam, which he explained is not derived from modern international law, but rather from the Qurʾān and ḥadīth. In particular, Abou El Fadl pushed back against the misconception that, under Islamic criminal law, victims … Continue reading Abou El Fadl on Sexual Violence in Islamic Law
Recent Scholarship: Early Shīʽism and Islamic Intellectual History
Here is a round up of recent books on Islamic studies published by Gorgias Press: Fâtima, Daughter of Muḥammad by Christopher Paul Clohessy "But from the shadows of history and the pages of ancient Arabic texts emerges the picture of a startling and distinctive woman who, far from living on the peripheries of Islam’s beginnings, … Continue reading Recent Scholarship: Early Shīʽism and Islamic Intellectual History
European Court of Human Rights Rules Against Forcing Greek Muslim Minority to Follow Islamic Law
Last week, the European Court of Human Rights (which examines alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights) handed down its long-anticipated decision in Molla Sali v. Greece, a case about Islamic legal pluralism in Europe and the rights of religious minorities. Stay tuned to the SHARIAsourceBlog for a roundtable discussion on this … Continue reading European Court of Human Rights Rules Against Forcing Greek Muslim Minority to Follow Islamic Law
Recent Scholarship: Fadel on Islamic Self-Government
SHARIAsource Senior Scholar Mohammad Fadel has written an article in the most recent issue of the Journal of Islamic Ethics (available open-access here), discussing how states can incorporate sharīʿa into their legislative systems in a way consistent with our modern-day ideals of democracy and peace: “Political Legitimacy, Democracy and Islamic Law: The Place of Self‐Government … Continue reading Recent Scholarship: Fadel on Islamic Self-Government
In the News: Ḥalāl Food
A few weeks ago, Germany's Interior Ministry apologized after serving pork at a conference on Islam in Berlin. Most of the attendees at the conference were apparently Muslim, and under Islamic law, pork is not considered permissible (ḥalāl) to eat. Like other aspects of Islamic law, there are some differences among Islamic legal scholars (and … Continue reading In the News: Ḥalāl Food
Islamic Law Scholars’ Round Up: Dec 17th
SHARIAsource Senior Scholar Asifa Quraishi-Landes has been named the Kraemer Middle East Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence at the College of William & Mary for spring 2019. In addition, click here to see SHARIAsource Senior Scholar Anver Emon’s interview on Canada’s CTV News Channel regarding Quebec’s proposed ban on religious symbols (including headscarves) for public servants.