Defining Femininity between Local and Global Islam: A Manuscript on Henna Application for Men

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

Is Independent Legal Reasoning Incompatible with Following Earlier Jurists? Rethinking the Claim of Jurists’ Disloyalty to Taqlīd

By Muhammad al-Marakeby This essay aims to explore the concepts of taqlīd (following the legal opinions of earlier jurists) and ijtihād (independent legal reasoning) during the Ottoman period. Although numerous … Continue reading Is Independent Legal Reasoning Incompatible with Following Earlier Jurists? Rethinking the Claim of Jurists’ Disloyalty to Taqlīd

Men Can Be Excluded, Women Cannot: Family Endowments and the Preferential Treatment of Women in Khalīl’s Mukhtaṣar

By Muhammad al-Marakeby The use and validity of family endowments (waqf ahlī) have been a contentious issue since the nineteenth century. Many argue that family endowment was often used as … Continue reading Men Can Be Excluded, Women Cannot: Family Endowments and the Preferential Treatment of Women in Khalīl’s Mukhtaṣar

“Egypt is Empty of Rulers”: The Development of Jamāʿat al-Muslimīn Theory Among Later Mālikīs

By Muhammad al-Marakeby The literature on the history of Islamic political theory generally supports a narrative of submission and allegiance to rulers, even if they have seized power by force. … Continue reading “Egypt is Empty of Rulers”: The Development of Jamāʿat al-Muslimīn Theory Among Later Mālikīs