Diya and the Legacy of Empire

By Rabiat Akande The tussle over diya (compensation for unlawful killing) was one over the locus of sovereignty in the colonial state. For colonial officials, the colonial state and, ultimately, … Continue reading Diya and the Legacy of Empire

Siyāsa Authority in the Colonial State

By Rabiat Akande In 1958, as negotiations over Nigeria’s impending independence from the British Empire were underway, the colonial government invited the muftī of Sudan, Sheikh Mohammed Abul Gasim, to … Continue reading Siyāsa Authority in the Colonial State

Islamic Law in the News Roundup

ISLAMIC LAW IN THE NEWS "A United Nations expert [said] that the Taliban's treatment of Afghan women and girls could amount to gender apartheid as their rights continue to be … Continue reading Islamic Law in the News Roundup

Weekend Scholarship Roundup

SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP On Islamic Law In "The Role and Potential of Blockchain Technology in Islamic Finance" (European Business Law Review 33, no. 2 (2022)), Andrew Dahdal, Jon Druby, and Otabek … Continue reading Weekend Scholarship Roundup

State v. Waseem et al. – Waiver of Qiṣāṣ and Taz‘īr in Honor Killing

By Zainab Hashmi This post is part of the Digital Islamic Law Lab (DILL) series, in which a Harvard student analyzes a primary source of Islamic law, previously workshopped in the DIL … Continue reading State v. Waseem et al. – Waiver of Qiṣāṣ and Taz‘īr in Honor Killing

Criminal Law (Amendment): Offences in the Name or Pretext of Honor Act, 2016 Passed by Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of Pakistan

By Zainab Hashmi This post is part of the Digital Islamic Law Lab (DILL) series, in which a Harvard student analyzes a primary source of Islamic law, previously workshopped in the DIL … Continue reading Criminal Law (Amendment): Offences in the Name or Pretext of Honor Act, 2016 Passed by Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) of Pakistan

The “unpardonable” sin of honor killing: A Fatwā

By Zainab Hashmi This post is part of the Digital Islamic Law Lab (DILL) series, in which a Harvard student analyzes a primary source of Islamic law, previously workshopped in the DIL … Continue reading The “unpardonable” sin of honor killing: A Fatwā

Prisons, Abolition and Islamic Legal Discourse

By Adnan Zulfiqar  This post is the fourth and last in a series of four posts on obligation, jihād, revolution and prisons. Over the past several years, there has been … Continue reading Prisons, Abolition and Islamic Legal Discourse

Commentary :: Iran’s New Islamic Penal Code: Have International Criticisms Been Effective for Children and Juvenile Offenders?

Professor Intisar Rabb and Iran editor Marzieh Tofighi Darian analyze changes made to statutes defining juvenile crimes and punishment under Iran's new Islamic Penal Code, passed in 2013. The Code … Continue reading Commentary :: Iran’s New Islamic Penal Code: Have International Criticisms Been Effective for Children and Juvenile Offenders?

Pakistan’s Anti-Rape Laws Bill: Panacea or Posturing?

By Nimra Azmi In March 2015, the Pakistani Senate unanimously passed the Anti-Rape Laws Bill of 2014. (While the Anti-Rape Laws Bill has passed in the upper house, it is … Continue reading Pakistan’s Anti-Rape Laws Bill: Panacea or Posturing?