Roundtable on Knowledge in the Islamic Court
Posted on April 20, 2026On April 16th at 12pm EST, the Roundtable on Knowledge in the Islamic Court was held via Zoom, marking the concluding event in the ISLAMICLAWblog essay series. The discussion brought together scholars to examine how Islamic courts construct and evaluate truth in practice. Key themes included what counts as valid proof in Islamic judicial settings, how judges navigate competing claims, and how evolving technologies reshape evidentiary standards. The conversation also raised broader questions about how Islamic law can be understood when attention is centered on its adjudicative procedures, as well as what defines an “Islamic” court or judge in the first place. Through five case studies, participants reflected on the role of evidence, proof, and legal procedure in shaping judicial reasoning. Focusing primarily on modern and contemporary contexts, the presentations highlighted how rapid social and technological change continues to transform conceptions of proof within Islamic legal systems. Convened […]
ILSS: Sherman Jackson
Posted on April 20, 2026On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, from 12:30–1:30 PM US EST, Professor Sherman Jackson (University of Southern California) gave a talk on his publication The Islamic Secular (Oxford University Press, 2023). […]
ILSS: Ihsan Yilmaz
Posted on April 20, 2026On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 12:30–1:30 PM US EST via Zoom, Professor Ihsan Yilmaz (Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University) discussed his monograph Sharia as Informal […]
In Memorium: Professor Baber Johansen
Posted on April 08, 2026We at the Program in Islamic Law at Harvard Law School mark the passing of Baber Johansen, Professor of Islamic Studies Emeritus at Harvard Divinity School. As HDS recently announced, Prof. […]
ILSS: Sherman Jackson, The Islamic Secular (Oxford University Press, 2023)
Posted on March 30, 2026On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at 12:30-1:30PM US EST, Professor Sherman Jackson (University of Southern California) will give a talk on his publication The Islamic Secular (Oxford University Press, 2023). The basic point […]
Roundtable on Knowledge in the Islamic Court
Posted on March 27, 2026Join us next month on April 16th at 12pm EST via Zoom for the Roundtable on Knowledge in the Islamic Court which will conclude the series of essays on the ISLAMICLAWblog! The Roundtable explores questions such as: […]
ILSS: Sohaira Siddiqui
Posted on March 20, 2026On Tuesday, February 10, 2026, from 12:30–1:30 PM US EST, Professor Sohaira Siddiqui (Georgetown University in Qatar) introduced her latest monograph, Islamic Law on Trial: Contesting Colonial Power in British […]
February Newsletter
Posted on March 20, 2026The Program in Islamic Law’s (PIL) monthly newsletter is out for the month of February! This newsletter takes a look our spring calendar of events, the ongoing Roundtable on Knowledge […]
ILSS: Ihsan Yilmaz, Sharia as Informal Law: Lived Experiences of Young Muslims in Western Societies (Routledge, 2024)
Posted on March 08, 2026On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 12:30-1:30PM US EST via Zoom, Professor Ihsan Yilmaz (Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization, Deakin University) will discuss his monograph Sharia as Informal Law: Lived Experiences of […]
Call for RAs for Professor Intisar Rabb (Spring 2026)
Posted on January 27, 2026Professor Intisar Rabb is seeking Research Assistants for Spring 2026 to support two distinct projects within the Program in Islamic Law. Project 1: Student Editor — Journal of Islamic Law […]