ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS
- “Another natural disaster again exposed Japan’s ill-preparedness in dealing with the needs of foreign workers during emergencies, even in places that increasingly view non-Japanese residents as vital members of the community….’“We were focused primarily on elderly Japanese in preparing special meals, so we had not taken halal food (prepared according to Islamic law) into account.'”
- “Following His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad’s directives that International Ahmadiyya Muslim Lawyers Association be established in every country of the world…the group is now established in 200 countries.”
- In Bangladesh, “The Senate of Jahangirnagar University (JU) is set to consider the constitution of the proposed Institute of Islamic Studies and Theology…The proposed departments are: Al-Quran and Islamic Studies; Al-Hadith and Islamic Studies; Islamic History and Culture; Islamic Law, Fiqh and Jurisprudence; Islamic Philosophy, Ethics and Comparative Religion; and Arabic Language and Literature.”
- A “grave [in Arbin, Syria] was exhumed, the deceased’s body removed, photographed, and then handed over to his family, allegedly due to his past affiliation with or support for a particular faction during the years of conflict…constitut[ing] a grave violation of the sanctity of the dead, an assault on human dignity, and a transgression against Islamic law [and] Syrian law.”
- “The Katara Cultural Village collaborated with the Ministry of Endowments (Awqaf) and Islamic Affairs, alongside IslamOnline, in convening the 30th Katara Tech Forum in Doha [Qatar]. The panel discussion was dedicated to discussing the subject of artificial intelligence in Islamic Sharia provisions.”
- “For decades, Muslims have debated whether bank interest is the riba that is forbidden in Islamic law. However, this might be the wrong question. The real focus should be on understanding the type of loan that Islamic principles prohibit extra charges on.”
CASES AND FATWĀS
- In Malaysia, a “Muslim biological parent’s attempt to invoke federal law to recover their child from the care of two other Muslims has been struck out by the Seremban High Court, which ruled that the matter falls exclusively within the jurisdiction of the shariah court.” 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.
- “Pakistan’s Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared that the publication or broadcast of visual depictions of prophets and other revered religious personalities is impermissible under Islamic law, urging media organisations to avoid such content to preserve the sanctity of sacred figures.” For more content and context on depictions of the Prophet and their permissibility from an Islamic law perspective, consult our “Resource Roundup: Controversy over Depictions of Prophet Muḥammad – Religion and Free Speech” by Editor-in-Chief Intisar Rabb and staff editors.
- “Mufti Taqi Usmani has declared purchasing goods with cryptocurrency ‘impermissible,’ citing research conducted by experts so far which found that cryptocurrency does not qualify as ‘wealth.'”
- “The UAE Council for Fatwa has urged the public to obtain religious rulings only from official national fatwa institutions, warning against relying on websites, social media platforms, anonymous accounts or unlicensed individuals for religious guidance.”
- In India, the “Chhattisgarh Waqf Board is drafting a set of norms that would require all qazis solemnising nikahs in the state to register with the board and seek its clearance before conducting Islamic marriage ceremonies involving a Muslim and a non-Muslim.”
UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Events:
- 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:
- 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