Tag: Jurisprudence

The Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence

This course offers a comprehensive study of the principles of jurisprudence, a foundational discipline for all Islamic narrative sciences. Students examine four main areas: Language and Meaning, addressing textual interpretation; Rational Correlations, exploring the role of reason in deriving rulings; Authority, assessing valid sources of law and their evidentiary weight; and Procedural Principles, guiding legal reasoning lacking clear proof. The course combines close reading of a major original text—Arabic proficiency required—and analysis of modern English-language scholarship. Emphasis is placed on historical development, theoretical foundations, and comparative perspectives.

Blasphemy and Apostasy in Islam

Take a front-row seat to the debate on blasphemy and apostasy in Islam: a. Presents a back-and-forth debate between two Shi’a jurists (one conservative, one reformist) that locates the exact points of controversy surrounding apostasy and blasphemy; b. Engages with the broader subjects of religious freedom and human rights, addressing both secular and religious interests; c. Articulates the secular–religious divide and proposes a pluralistic solution, making a case that apostasy and blasphemy are non-existent in the Qur’an; d. Packed with translations of primary sources, including fatwas and interviews.