Sharia

Topic: Sharia

Child in a Koran school in Tripoli, Libya (photo: Getty Images/AFP/MAHMUD TURKIA)

Rationality in Islamic theology

Muslims – believers caught between reason and revelation

How readers approach the Koran and Islam's prophetic tradition determines their understanding of these sources. Textual interpretation depends on your perspective: rational and liberal – or dogmatic. A new collection of essays on rationality in Islamic theology focuses on the sheer scope to be found in early Islam. By Musa BagracMore

Mouhanad Khorchideʹs "Godʹs Revelation in the Word of Men": A Koran for the 21st century President Sisi, the Grand Imam and Al-Azhar: Egypt’s eternal conundrum – reforming religious thought Interview with Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid: "I am a witness to the changes in Islam"Enlightenment in the Islamic world: Refuting the 'westernisation' narrative

Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Cairo (photo: Awad Awad/AFP/Getty Images)

Discourse and our terms of reference

Politics and religion in Islam – one world or two?

A heated debate is raging in the Islamic world about whether the religious and political spheres in Islam are one and the same. Before this matter can be settled, the terms "religion" and "state" have to be clarified, says Syrian writer Morris Ayek. This, he says, is the only way to avoid misunderstandingsMore

Secularism in the Islamic world: Part I – It′s a knotty problem Interview with pioneering Islamic thinker Fehmi Jadaane: What is the essence of Islam, and does it need reforming?Non-fiction: ″Religious criticism around 1900″: Middle Eastern philosophy's take on Islam

Fehmi Jadaane is one of the Arab world's leading intellectuals, philosophers and reform thinkers. He lectures in Islamic philosophy in Jordan, France and Kuwait and has published numerous books on political thought in Islam (photo: screenshot Alaraby TV/YouTube)

Interview with pioneering Islamic thinker Fehmi Jadaane

What is the essence of Islam, and does it need reforming?

Renowned Jordanian Islamic scholar Fehmi Jadaane vehemently objects to the transformation of Islam into an ideology. The religion ends up mired in a political swamp, he says, its message nothing more than an instrument of governance. Interview by Alia Al-RabeoMore

The Prophet and Sharia: Islamic family law reform – a question of interpretation The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Interview with Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im: "We are in the middle of a transformative process"

Islamic reformer Muhammad Rashid Rida and his publication Al-Manar (source: Wikipedia)

Review of Leor Halevi's "Modern Things on Trial"

Bottom-up fatwas – Rashid Rida and laissez-faire Salafism

Leor Halevi’s latest work examines how Muhammad Rashid Rida with his pro-capitalist and open-market fatwas promoted a version of "laissez-faire Salafism" at the turn of the 20th century. Muhammed Nafih Wafy read the bookMore

Islam in the Middle East: The curse of religiosity Islam's internal debate on reform: The battle for interpretational supremacy Islamism in the past and the present: From anti-colonialism to global jihad

Islamists protest the release of Asia Bibi in Pakistan (photo: AFP/Getty Images/A. Hassan)

Human rights in the Islamic world

Battle cry "blasphemy"

Many predominantly Muslim countries have penal laws against "blasphemy", "defamation of religion" and "apostasy". In practice they serve as highly effective weapons to settle personal animosities, family vendettas and land disputes. By Thomas KrapfMore

Abusing blasphemy legislation: Indonesia's slide towards identity politics 'Finally free!' – Asia Bibi on Pakistan prison and life in exile Interview with the Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa: The reinvention of Islam

Palestinian studies the Koran in Khan Younis (photo: dpa/picture-alliance)

The Prophet and Sharia

Islamic family law reform – a question of interpretation

Equality in divorce, a ban on polygamy: reformers of Islamic family law have a clear agenda. They are exploiting the ambiguity of traditional jurisprudence. By Joseph CroitoruMore

Marriage, divorce and inheritance: Who should reform Egypt's personal status law, and how?Women's rights in Morocco: Gender equality on paper only Book review: Zahra Ali's "Islamic Feminisms": Female emancipation based on the spirit of Sharia

Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, grand imam of al-Azhar University (photo: picture-alliance/AP Photo/N. El-Mofty)

Marriage, divorce and inheritance

Who should reform Egypt's personal status law, and how?

"Personal status" is a modern category of Middle Eastern law grounded in Islamic religious teaching. Legislative authorities dip into centuries of religious scholarship to decide which interpretations of Sharia will be enforced by the state. Understandably, how it is done is as important as who does it. By Nathan J. BrownMore

President Sisi and Al-Azhar: Wresting religious authority from the Grand Imam Islam, Al-Azhar and the terrorists′ ideology: If the cap fits Interview with Egyptian activist Nawal El Saadawi: "We are a hundred years behind"

Women belonging to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board protest against the triple talaq or instant divorce bill in 2018 (photo: picture-alliance/Pacific Press/S. Saha)

Instant Islamic divorce in India

Triple talaq ban divides Muslims

Lawmakers have passed a bill to outlaw the centuries-old Muslim practice of instant divorce in India. While conservative Muslim sections slammed the move, liberal groups hailed it. Murali Krishnan reports from New DelhiMore

Islamic divorce law in India: Trouncing triple talaq Islam in India: Triple talaq: Goodbye and good riddance Muslim talaq law in India: Divorce by email

Cover of Monika and Udo Tworuschka's book "Der Islam. Feind oder Freund? 38 Thesen gegen eine Hysterie" (source: Kreuz Verlag)

Islam in Germany

Countering the Islamisation hysteria

Cliches, prejudices and half-truths shape the public image of Islam today. Published in German, "Islam. Friend or foe? 38 theses against hysteria" penned by religious scholars Monika and Udo Tworuschka counters the increasingly hysterical debate with sound argument. Interview by Lucy JamesMore

Germanyʹs Islam debate: The need to meet Islam critics head on The politicisation of Islam scholarship in Europe: Muslims under scrutiny Non-fiction: Ferda Atamanʹs "Iʹm from here. Stop asking!": Less strident, more empathetic, please!

The discussion panel hosted by the ZMO with – from left to right – Bekim Agai, Charlotte Wiedemann, Ulrike Freitag, Mamadou Diawara and Claudia Derichs (photo: Anika Bussemeier)

Germanyʹs Islam debate

The need to meet Islam critics head on

At a recent Berlin event, researchers talked about how to achieve a more nuanced discussion on Islam and Muslims. Were academics more proactive about presenting their empirical findings in the public arena, Rene Wildangel argues, they could play a major role in countering populist disinformationMore

The politicisation of Islam scholarship in Europe: Muslims under scrutiny The Reform Islam debate: Islam doesn′t need a Martin Luther!Reforming Islam: Show me the Sharia

French-Moroccan film director Nabil Ayouch (photo: picture-alliance/dpa)

Nabil Ayouchʹs "Razzia"

Soaked in sorrow

With his new film "Razzia", the French-Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch has once again turned to social criticism. Yet, his multi-perspective narrative about five misfortunate Moroccans never really takes off. By Schayan RiazMore

Nabil Ayouch's film "Much Loved": Sinner or saint?Nabil Ayouch's film ''God's Horses'': Ostracised and forgotten Arab auteur film art: An authentic image of the Arab youth

Psychologist Burkhard Hofmann, author of "Und Gott schuf die Angst: Ein Psychogramm der arabischen Seele", And God created fear: A psychogram of the Arab soul (source: YouTube)

Burkhard Hofmann's "And God created fear"

A psychogram of the Arab soul

In "Und Gott schuf die Angst: Ein Psychogramm der arabischen Seele", psychologist Burkhard Hoffmann draws on his own caseload to present some of the uniquely Arab hang-ups plaguing individuals in the Gulf region, highlighting the urgent need of Islamic societies to recognise the value of psycho-anaylsis. Gunther Orth read the bookMore

Trauma in contemporary Arab literature: Translating oblivion Terrorism and repression in the Arab world: On Islam, anti-terrorism and fascism Tyranny in the Islamic world: Keeping the tribe alive

Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan (photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Accusations against Tariq Ramadan

Yet to be proven

Following allegations of sexual assault, police in France took renowned Islam scholar Tariq Ramadan into custody for questioning last Wednesday. Two women say he raped them. By Bachir AmrouneMore

Tariq Ramadan on the Swiss 'minaret ban': "Islam is a European religion"Interview with Tariq Ramadan: ''We Are Europeans''Tariq Ramadan: Europe's Muslim of choice

A woman stands at a barbed wire fence, in the background on the other side stands a crowd of people (photo: Benjamin Haas/Fotolia)

Islamic debate about human rights

The erroneous 'cultural distinction'

Syrian writer Morris Ayek is critical of those who claim that when it comes to human rights, Islamic countries are "culturally distinct" from the rest of the world. In his opinion, this discourse directly contradicts the universality of Islamic valuesMore

Political discourse in the Arab world: Last ditch democracy Political discourse in the Arab world: Defaming democracy The Arab Spring in historical perspective: Revolutions take time Liberalism in the Arab world: Merely treading water

Reporters wait outside the Supreme Court in New Delhi for the verdict on triple talaq (photo: Reuters)

Islam in India

Triple talaq: Goodbye and good riddance

India′s Supreme Court recently declared the Islamic practice of "instant divorce" to be anti-constitutional. The judges argued that since ″triple talaq″ is not an integral part of the Muslim faith, it is not subject to protection under the principle of religious freedom. Ronald Meinardus reports from New DelhiMore

Muslim talaq law in India: Divorce by email Islamic divorce law in India: Trouncing triple talaq Nearly all India's Muslim women reject "triple talaq" and polygamy

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im (photo: scholarblogs.emory.edu/aannaim)

Interview with Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

"We are in the middle of a transformative process"

Islamic scholar Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, USA, has done extensive research into the ways in which Sharia can be reconciled with the modern secular state. Claudia Mende spoke to him about the different faces of the secular, the separation of state and religion in early Islamic history and why he feels Muslims are in the middle of a reformation processMore

Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im: "The future of Sharia is the secular state"Interview with Islamic studies scholar Armina Omerika: "Muslims need new ways to approach their religious heritage"Qantara dossier: Reform Islam

Topic: Sharia

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