By Hussain Awan* This essay explores the following research question, analyzed first utilizing a response generated from ChatGPT, and then using the relevant scholarly material: “What is ḥusn wa qubḥ, … Continue reading Revelation, Reason, or Rational Consensus? Divergent Views on Ḥusn wa Qubḥ and Natural Law in Islam
By Salah-Dean Satouri* When Western commentators engage with Islamic law, they frequently focus on its most severe punishments, such as amputation for theft and stoning for adultery.[1] These penalties, known … Continue reading Can the severity of ḥudūd punishments be adjusted to align with modern liberal values?
By John Burden* Primary Source: Rana Yasif, “First Wife’s Consent for Second Marriage Challenged: Petition Challenges Section 9 of Muslim Family Law Ordinance in Shariat Court,” Express Tribune, May 25, … Continue reading Must a Wife’s Consent be Obtained to Contract a Second Marriage? Sharīʿa in Pakistan
By Emma Westhoff* According to the traditional Islamic concept of milk kinship, the act of breastfeeding creates a familial relationship between a woman and the child she is nursing. This … Continue reading Fatwā on Human Milk Banks: The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
By Summar Khan* Introduction Practicing religion in the face of religious persecution is not a new phenomenon for Muslims. In the early days of Islam, new Muslims were often subject … Continue reading How Muslims Have Altered their Religious Practices in the Face of Oppression
By Robert Shepard* Introduction The prohibition of ribā (ربا(, or usury, is one of the most critical principles shaping financial transactions in Muslim-majority countries. Rooted in Qurʾānic injunctions and classical … Continue reading Navigating the Prohibition of Ribā in the Modern Islamic World
By John Burden* During the ninth and tenth centuries, four eponymous schools of Islamic jurisprudence (madhāhib, s. madhhab) emerged as leaders in the Sunnī world: the Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfiʿī and … Continue reading What Made the Founders of the Four Major Islamic Madhāhib so Influential?
By Emma Westhoff* My research question addressed whether coffee has ever been considered an intoxicant (khamr) in Islamic jurisprudence and thus prohibited for consumption by Muslims. I began by addressing … Continue reading Coffee as an Intoxicant in Islamic Law
For the month of January, we will be publishing a series of essays written by students from the Fall 2024 “Islamic Law Lab” course at Harvard Law School, convened by … Continue reading Islamic Law and ChatGPT: Student Essays from the Islamic Law Lab
By Muhammad al-Marakeby Recently, Youshaa Patel, in his seminal study on tashabbuh (imitation), critiqued academics for overlooking the importance of embodied practices in shaping Muslim religiosity. He argues that contemporary … Continue reading Defining Femininity between Local and Global Islam: A Manuscript on Henna Application for Men
