ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- “Repeated testimonies and data show that depriving women of inheritance remains an entrenched social pattern in Syria, fed by a mix of family pressure and informal traditions, despite clear legal frameworks that guarantee these rights.”
- “Islamic finance and its long-term contribution to sustainable development were the focus of debate at the 8th international conference…at the University of Tipasa under the theme ‘Towards sustainable Islamic finance in Algeria: a vision aligned with the objectives of Sharia and global impact.'”
- “Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice and Chairman of the National Committee for International Humanitarian Law (NCIHL), Saeed bin Abdullah Al Suwaidi outlined the State of Qatar‘s most prominent efforts in promoting international humanitarian law and the challenges associated with its implementation.”
- “Yami Gautam spent four months learning the Quran as part of her preparation for Haq, director Suparn S Varma revealed. He also shared that the team spent nearly a year and a half researching Islamic law to ensure the film remained authentic.”
- “Islamic finance covers roughly $2.8 trillion in assets worldwide, yet only a sliver of sustainable loans today are sharia-compliant. But Datuk Shahril Azuar Jimin, Maybank’s chief sustainability officer, thinks that gap should be easy to fill.”
- “The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, affiliated with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening scientific and intellectual cooperation in the fields of civilizational dialogue, coexistence, and countering hate speech and extremism.”
CASES AND FATWĀS
- In Iran, “Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, a senior Shia source of emulation, has issued a religious ruling addressing the concerns of believers regarding this year’s Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. The ruling comes in response to queries from his followers about the obligation to perform the pilgrimage under prevailing circumstances.”
- “The Hukum Kanun Pahang was a comprehensive legal code that governed the state, regulated trade, defined justice, and set limits on royal authority. [Despite this fact,] most Malaysians believe that constitutional governance arrived with colonial rule.” For more content and context on Islamic law in Malaysia, consult our Editor-in-Chief Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Legislation and Regulation of Islamic Law in Malaysia” and its appended resource roundup.
- “Fiqh rulings on women’s share in inheritance have been unevenly enforced in Pakistan….Some recent provisions on legal interpretation have raised fresh intellectual and normative controversies. Notably these include the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s ruling of September 23, 2021, which holds that a woman must publicly assert her right to inheritance during her lifetime and that her heirs cannot claim it after her death.”
- “Under Estonian law, the religious slaughter of animals, for instance in the case of halal meat, is permitted only in official slaughterhouses, and even then under veterinary supervision.”
- “‘I want the offender to provide for my family for life,”‘said the widow of a man killed in a drink-driving crash [in Malaysia], as she called for harsher penalties against such offences…[and a] formal diyat mechanism under Islamic law to support families in similar situations.”
- In the Maldives, the Minister of Homeland Security said that “press freedom does not extend to publishing unverified claims that could harm a person’s reputation. He referred to three constitutional provisions. Article 27 protects freedom of expression within the tenets of Islam. Article 28 guarantees media freedom. Article 33 protects every individual’s right to a good name.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
PIL & Harvard Opportunities:
- Award: Alwaleed Bin Talal Doctoral Dissertation Prize, May 15, 2026
Global Events:
- Workshop: The Law and Humanities Workshop for Junior Scholars, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, June 8–9, 2026
- Conference: Association for the Study of Law, Culture, and the Humanities Annual Conference, Chicago, June 17–18, 2026
- Workshop: Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies Graduate Student Workshop, July 25–26, 2026
- Workshop: Archival Abundances and Silences in Islamic Studies, Princeton University, October 2–3, 2026
- Conference: Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, November 21–24, 2026
Global Opportunities:
- Summer School: Philology and Manuscripts from the Muslim World, Leiden University, May 4, 2026
- Call for Participation: Digital Medieval Studies Institute, International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, May 13, 2026
- Award: Global Dissertation Prize, American Society for Legal History, June 1, 2026
- Position Opening: Visiting Assistant Professor of Medieval Middle East, Colby College, July 1, 2026
- Call for Participation: Digital Medieval Studies Institute, International Medieval Congress, Leeds, UK, July 10, 2026
- Award: Gwenn Okruhlik Dissertation Award, Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, July 15, 2026
- Award: Graduate Paper Prize, Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, July 15, 2026
- Award: Student Travel Award, Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies, September 1, 2026