is traditional fiqh fossilised?

September 18, 2017

Concerning Functional Fatwas & Dysfunctional Muftis

Do fatwas change with place and time; if so, how? Is Islamic fiqh fossilised? Do we require a new fiqh for the 21st century? Are classically-trained muftis fit for purpose in today’s world? Should the ‘ulema be trained in the core philosophical underpinnings of modernity? Does the new maqasid-based fiqh offer a better way forward Continue reading

contemporary concerns, correctives & clarifications, knowledge & learning

do fatwas changer with time and place, do Muslims require a new fiqh for the 21st century?, higher objectives of Islamic law, Is the concept of an ‘Islamic state‘ legitimate?, is traditional fiqh fossilised?, maqasid al-shari‘ah, Muslims and modernity, should Muslims in the West rely on scholars from outside the West?, what is modernity?

About Me

My name is Surkheel Sharif (aka Abu Aaliyah). Born and raised in London, England, I began my more formal, but gradual studies of the Islamic sciences around the late 1980s (just a few years after having quit my degree in Astrophysics). I also gained an MA in Islamic Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 2009.

I’ve translated a few Islamic works from Arabic into English; one of them, a short text on Muslim spirituality, called The Exquisite Pearl (2000). I have also authored a few books, including: More Fish Please & the Earth’s Complaint (2011); Fussing Over the 15th of Sha’ban & the Golden Rule of Differing (2011); A Muslim’s Guide to Modernity (2025); and Salafism Reconsidered (forthcoming)

I am the founder and current Director of the Jawziyyah Institute (est. 1999): a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultivating an Islam true to its time-honoured tradition, relevant to its current context, and of benefit to wider society.

is traditional fiqh fossilised?

Concerning Functional Fatwas & Dysfunctional Muftis