ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- The “National Moonsighting Committee Nigeria shared updated financial thresholds for Muslims in Nigeria, based on Islamic law. These figures, given in Nigerian Naira, cover Zakat Nisab, dowry, theft limits, and blood money (Diyya).”
- In Malaysia, “a complaint about a prayer hall in Ampang illustrates how technical disagreements can escalate into controversial questions about identity….While the police did not clarify, this case allegedly relates to complaints about Islamic practices and also that of disobeying the Sultan of Selangor.” 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.
- “Riding motorcycles has become an act of rebellion among young Iranian women. Until February, women were unable to obtain motorcycle licenses in the country, despite there being no formal ban. Authorities considered women riding motorcycles too exposed and viewed the practice as anti-Islamic.”
- “Amid a debate triggered by Uttar Pradesh [India ]Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath‘s recent remarks on offering namaz in public places, several Muslim clerics have said that Eid-ul-Azha prayers would be offered inside mosques and Eidgahs as in previous years, and, if required, arrangements could be made for multiple prayer shifts.”
- “Paris Baguette announced on May 29 that it has received official halal certification from the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) for all 23 of its stores in Indonesia.”
CASES AND FATWĀS
- In India, the “Madras High Court has held that adoption is not recognised under Islamic law and cannot create inheritance rights under the Shariat and dismissed a partition claim filed by a woman seeking a share in property owned by her late maternal grandmother.”
- “In July 2024, The Gambia came closer than any country in the world to reversing a ban on female genital mutilation….[The repeal bill’s] supporters argued that FGM is Islamic and the ban was a Western imposition.”
- In Egypt, “a newly proposed personal status law has reignited debate across the country. The controversy extends beyond legal provisions to broader questions about the nature of the Egyptian family, the limits of state intervention in regulating relations between men and women, and the role of religion in one of the issues most deeply intertwined with everyday life.”
- “A woman has reportedly orchestrated a sophisticated scheme that led to the alleged embezzlement of Rs 6,000 crore through a fraudulent investment operation. The scheme, which involved promising large returns on investments by using principles drawn from Sharia law, attracted investors across India.”
- “Pakistan’s Federal Shariat Court has declared the legislation decriminalizing attempted suicide is contrary to Islamic principles and has struck it down.”
- “The Department of Religious Affairs of Muslims of Tatarstan in the Volga region in Russia has approved two new documents in an organizational and religious measure to regulate the construction and renovation of mosques and the creation and use of prayer rooms.”
- “The UAE Council For FATWA has clarified the religious requirements for sacrificial animals ahead of Eid Al Adha, detailing the conditions and age criteria that must be met for the ritual sacrifice to be considered valid under Islamic law.”
- “Norway has joined growing international criticism of the Taliban’s newly enacted family law regulation, urging the Taliban to respect international human rights obligations and end discrimination against women.” For more content and context on the recent developments in Afghanistan, consult our Editor-in-Chief Professor Intisar Rabb’s “Resource Roundup: Afghanistan, the Taliban, and Islamic Law.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
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
- Conference: The Institutional Embedding of Shiʿi Imams: Kinship, Caliphs, Courts and Companions (700-900), University of Leiden, January 13–15, 2027
Opportunities:
- Call for Papers: The Institutional Embedding of Shiʿi Imams: Kinship, Caliphs, Courts and Companions (700-900), University of Leiden, June 20, 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