::Roundtable:: Islamic Legal History & Historiography

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Credit: Muslimheritage.com Credit: Muslimheritage.com

In light of recent developments in the field, we convened this Roundtable on Islamic Legal History and Historiography to take stock of myriad changes developments in approaches to the study of Islamic law and legal history. We invited leading and emerging scholars of Islamic law and history to weigh in on their approaches to questions … Continue reading ::Roundtable:: Islamic Legal History & Historiography

Late Ottoman Beiruti Waqfs: Closeness to God (Qurba) and Charity for the Family

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By Nada Moumtaz In my book, God’s Property: Islam, Charity, and the Modern State, I seek to explain the contours of the contemporary waqf revival in Beirut against a longue durée of waqf reform since the mid-nineteenth century, starting with the Ottoman foundation of a Waqf Ministry in 1826 through French Mandatory (1920-1943) and postcolonial … Continue reading Late Ottoman Beiruti Waqfs: Closeness to God (Qurba) and Charity for the Family

COVID-19 and Islamic Law Roundup

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In his recent virtual remarks, King Salman of Saudi Arabia offered well wishes for Ramadan, instructing that pilgrims be given the best possible services as permitted by current coronavirus restrictions. The Turkish government issued stricter coronavirus measures for Ramadan that impose a curfew of 7 pm during weekdays and a lockdown during the weekends, subject … Continue reading COVID-19 and Islamic Law Roundup

Field Guide to Islamic Law Online

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The Field Guide to Islamic Law Online, in the form of a Google document, is a collection of resource links and annotations to SHARIAsource and other Harvard resources, global online digital resources, and a robust “Digital Islamic Law Collection.” We recently added exciting resources to this list: Area Studies India "offers several collections previously only … Continue reading Field Guide to Islamic Law Online

Islam and Data Science Roundup

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As Ramadan approaches, countries have turned to data generated by astronomers and local moon sighters to determine the exact beginning of the holy month. S&P's 2021 edition of Islamic Finance Outlook discusses financial data to asses how Islamic financial markets have performed in a year that continues to be impacted by the pandemic.

Weekend Scholarship Roundup

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In Transformations of Tradition: Islamic Law in Colonial Modernity (Oxford University Press, 2021), Junaid Quadri (University of Illinois at Chicago), explores the various ways in which Islamic law was interpreted in innovative ways to accommodate new technologies and modernity, with a focus on a towering 20th century figure, Egyptian scholar Bakhit al-Muti'i, who all the … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup

Calling All Waqf Haters

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By Nada Moumtaz Waqf (Islamic endowment), and its study, cannot leave a scholar of Islam unmoved, it would seem. For those not working on waqf, its complex legal technicalities instigate dread and “boredom of the heart.” Its accounting documents and the economic history they tell evoke the dryness of “counting beans,” as a colleague once … Continue reading Calling All Waqf Haters

Welcome to our April Guest Blogger: Nada Moumtaz

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It is our pleasure to welcome Nada Moumtaz as our April guest blog editor. Nada Moumtaz is Assistant Professor in the Department for the Study of Religion and in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto. Her research stands at the intersection of Islamic legal studies, the anthropology of Islam, studies … Continue reading Welcome to our April Guest Blogger: Nada Moumtaz

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

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A California Court of Appeals refused to apply Iranian law in a case involving a plaintiff whose work in Iran exposed him to high levels of asbestos, reasoning that Iranian law reflects religious ideology instead of economic interest. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board issued a statement urging Muslims in India to adhere to Islamic … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup

COVID-19 and Islamic Law Roundup

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Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced in a statement that only "immunized people" will be allowed to perform the umrah (year-round pilgrimage) and the hajj (pilgrimage). Egypt announced that only designated mosques will be open during Ramadan for the additional Ramadan prayer (ṣalāt al-tarāwīḥ), not to exceed half an hour.

Field Guide to Islamic Law Online

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Image of yellow text with red background, which reads "A Field Guide to Digital Islamic Law Resources"

The Field Guide to Islamic Law Online, in the form of a Google document, is a collection of resource links and annotations to SHARIAsource and other Harvard resources, global online digital resources, and a robust “Digital Islamic Law Collection.” We recently added exciting resources to this list: Koç University Manuscripts is a digitized collection of … Continue reading Field Guide to Islamic Law Online