By: Mohammad Hashim Kamali “Compared to other themes of Islamic constitutional law, the subject of fundamental rights and liberties has received little attention in the works of the early ulema. When we look, for example, at Kitab al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah of Abul Hasan al-Mawardi (d. 450 A.H) or Al-Siyasah al-Shar’iyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 A.H) we find that they …
By: Muqtedar Khan Muslims and Christians together constitute over 50 percent of the world. If they lived in peace, we would be halfway to world peace. One small step we can take towards fostering Muslim-Christian harmony is to tell and retell positive stories and abstain from mutual demonisation. I propose to remind both Muslims and …
By: Abed Awad, Esq. As attorneys, we have an obligation to correct the truth about the role of any foreign law in our system. It is always subject to the limits of the Constitution. That is the law of the land. The politicization of this issue is undermining the integrity of our judicial system and …
Negative Connotations Surrounding Sharia Must be Dispelled Read More »
By: Abed Awad, Esq. On Election Day, the Oklahoma voters passed an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that provides that the “Courts shall not look to the legal precepts of other nations or cultures. Specifically, the Court shall not consider International law or Sharia law,” dictates the amendment. This amendment is unconstitutional on its face, …
By: Sherman Jackson “At the most basic level, Shari‘ah is the Muslim universe of ideals. It is the result of their collective effort to understand and apply the Quran and supplementary teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (called Sunna) in order to earn God’s pleasure and secure human welfare in this life and attain human salvation in the life …
By: Asifa Quraishi-Landes “For Muslims, Shari‘ah is the way they believe God wants us to live in the world. One would look to a particular source of understanding of what God wants us to do and would follow that way. Shari‘ah literally means “way” or “street.” Shari‘ah would be the way or the path a Muslim would want …
By: Ahsan Pervez Daredia “We all know the stereotype; a Muslim on an airplane follows an explosion. I know, I know, it’s over-exaggerated, but that’s what we’ve come to know and think in the post 9/11 era. I’ve been on numerous flights in, out, and within Pakistan, but I cannot explain the genuine terror that …
By: Samena Premjee “Being a Muslim today is a constant struggle for many. Being asked to choose between being American and being Muslim is an insult and is not fair. The very foundation that this country was built on is the very same basic principles and foundation that being Muslim has guaranteed for thousands of years. This country …
By: Engy Abdelkader, Esq. “In 2000, Layla and Ahmed were married in an Islamic religious ceremony in Egypt. Layla recently filed for divorce in New Jersey and her husband moved to throw out her complaint alleging that they were never legally married. The New Jersey judge must determine whether there is merit to the husband’s claim. To do …
By: Celene Ayat Lizzio “A September 2011 resolution of the Fiqh Council of North America, a body of esteemed American Muslim religious scholars, takes just this stance. In their statement entitled: “On Being Faithful Muslims and Loyal Americans,” the members of the council strongly affirm that Islamic values and modern, Western, secular, democratic values both …