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On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 12:30-1:30PM US EST via Zoom, Youcef L. Soufi (University of Toronto) gave a book talk on The Rise of Critical Islam: 10th-13th Century Legal Debate (Oxford University Press, 2023) as part of our Islamic Law Speaker Series. In this historical study, Soufi excavates an Islamic legal culture of critique from the 10th to 13th centuries. Focusing on the practice of munāẓara (disputation), Soufi explores how and why oral debates became a pervasive and revered part of the intellectual legal landscape of Iraq and Persia. Pushing back against claims that classical Muslim jurists sought to weed out differences of opinion, The Rise of Critical Islam presents a community committed to the openness, fluidity, and continued exploration of the law. In uncovering this classical legal culture, Soufi invites readers to question claims about the promise of secular critique in disciplining religious passions and forging human solidarity. Watch the video today!