Despite a profusion of literature, efforts to develop Islamic economicsas a discipline have not brought about anticipated results.This paper argues that it is the absence of clarity on what wouldmake economics “Islamic” which impedes the development ofIslamic economics. To fill that absence, this paper proposes threeconditions under which an economics can be considered “Islamic”,and then defines the scope of Islamic economics and its methods.Finally, this paper suggests three implications which, takentogether, entail that developing Islamic economics and buildingits body of knowledge is less complicated than was feared. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islam and Society 37, no. 1-2 (2020):103-122

It is common to assume an inherent conflict between the substanceof the category “religion” and the category “secular.” Givenits putative rejection of the separation between the sacred andthe profane, this conflict is presumed to be all the more solid inIslam. But even assuming Islam’s rejection of the sacred/profanedichotomy, there may be other ways of defining the secular inIslam and of thinking about its relationship with the religion.This is what the present essay sets out to do. By taking Sharia asits point of departure, it looks at the latter’s self-imposed limitsas the boundary between a mode of assessing human acts thatis grounded in concrete revelational sources (and/or their extension)and modes of assessing human acts that are independent ofsuch sources, yet not necessarily outside God’s adjudicative gaze.This non-shar`ī realm, it is argued, is the realm of the “Islamic secular.”It is “secular” inasmuch as it is differentiated from Sharia asthe basis for assessing human acts. It remains “Islamic,” however,and thus “religious,” in its rejection of the notion of proceeding“as if God did not exist.” As I will show, this distinction betweenthe shar`ī and the nonshar`ī has a long pedigree in the Islamiclegal (and theological) tradition. As such, the notion of the Islamicsecular is more of an excavation than an innovation. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 34, no. 2 (2017): 1-31

This paper examines the politics of knowledge production as it relates to Muslim women in western literary traditions and contemporary feminist writing, with a view to understanding the political, ideological, and economic mediations that have historically framed these representations. The meta-narrative of the Muslim woman has shifted from the bold queens of medieval literature to colonial images of the seraglio’s veiled, secluded, and oppressed women. Contemporary feminist writing and popular culture have reproduced the colonial motifs of Muslim women, and these have regained currency in the aftermath of 9/11.Drawing upon the work of Mohja Kahf, this paper begins by mapping the evolution of the Muslim woman archetype in western literary traditions. The paper then examines how some contemporary feminist literature has reproduced in new ways the discursive tropes that have had historical currency in Muslim women’s textual representation. The analysis is attentive to the ways in which the cultural production of knowledge about Muslim women has been implicated historically by the relations of power between the Muslim world and the West. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 19, no. 4 (2002): 1-22

Slavery is one of the most controversial and arresting topics in humanhistory. The question of Islam in relation to slavery has been an issue ofconcern among scholars for a long time. It became a question in which manyOrientalists found a convenient gap to pass through in their attacks againstthe system of governance and justice in Islam. This self-righteous criticismagainst the attitude of Islam towards slavery is part of a long Western traditionof scholarship based on stereotyping, overstating, and selectivity of Islamin particular and the Orient in general. Most of the time, the statements ofthese scholars are presented in a sugar-coated style of language that is moredangerous than if they were presented in a critical, open, and direct language.Thomas Carlyle, Renan, Goldziher, Macdonald, von Grunebaum, Gibb andBernard Lewis are good examples and representatives of this tradition. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 4, no. 1 (1987): 31-50

For forty years, AJIS has been a trusted plat­form for researchers, scholars, and practitioners, serving as a conduit for the exchange of ideas, the dissemination of cutting-edge research, and the cultivation of intellectual dialogue. Many of us found this journal a space for ruminating, discussing, and developing our own narratives on our Islamic heritage and what it means in the contemporary world. Especially compared to anti-Islamic biases in other corners of academia, AJIS is a coming “home.” One constant throughout the past four decades is the journal’s commit­ment to scholarship that documents and explores Islam’s rich religious, intellectual, legal, philosophical, and social heritages. The assumption is that these various perspectives have meaningful things to say about the human condition and our place in the world. Debate, discussion, and disagreement all appear in these pages, but always grounded in an underlying steadfastness that Islam is a faith tradition that is not obso­lete; that Muslims can contribute positively to humanity’s betterment. That said, the journal is not a place of religious homilies. This is an academic journal, with a double-blind peer review process. Articles that are published thus pass muster in the discipline in which they conduct their research. Let us thank the authors who have entrusted us with their groundbreaking research, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and enriching our understanding of critical issues in our disciplines.  Let us thank the journal’s editors, editorial boards, diligent reviewers, and committed staff members who have meticulously upheld the journal’s reputation for excellence, contributing to its sustained success.

The doctrine of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which hasemerged and developed rapidly as a field of study, is a frameworkfor the role of business in society. It sets standards of behavior towhich a company must subscribe in order to impact society ina positive and productive manner while abiding by values thatexclude seeking profit at any cost. Despite the many attempts toconstrue CSR initiatives, it remains open to wide criticism for itsinherent problems via-à-vis justification, conceptual clarity, andpossible inconsistency. These problems are more acute when itcomes to implementing and operationalizing CSR on the ground,especially in a situation that involves trade-offs.This paper offers an instructive understanding of CSR froman Islamic perspective. In particular, the implication of maqasidal-Shari`ah (the Shari`ah’s objectives) and the applicationof maslahah (the public good) to CSR are discussed in detail toshed light on how Islam’s holistic and dynamic perception of CSRtake into consideration reality and ever-changing circumstances.These principles also provide a better framework that managerscan use when faced with potential conflicts arising from thediverse expectations and interests of a corporation’s stakeholders. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 24, no. 1 (2007):25-43

This article examines the idea that Islam’s rejection of popularsovereignty makes it incompatible with democracy. I showinstead that sovereignty (“absolute despotic power,” popular orotherwise) is a sterile, pedantic, abstruse, formalistic, and legalisticconcept, and that democracy should be seen as involving“popular control” rather than “popular sovereignty.” Divinesovereignty would be inconsistent with democracy only if thatmeant unlike in Islam rule by persons claiming to be God orHis infallible representatives. A body of divine law that humanscannot change would be incompatible with democracy only if itwere so comprehensive as to leave no room for political decisions. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 20, no. 3&4(2003): 125-139

Religion is a pervasive and influential phenomenon in the livesof many people. Instances of religious behavior are easily foundin almost all societies and cultures of the world. However, psychologyas a behavioral science has largely ignored the studyof religion and its profound impact on human behavior. Thisarticle attempts to explore the relationship between psychologyand religion and how these two disciplines interact. After a generaloverview of the relationship between the two disciplines,Islamization of psychology is suggested as a way out of the currentimpasse between psychology and religion. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 15, no. 4 (1998):97-116

The Muslim ummah, as a world community, faces many challenges at the threshold of the new century. The fateful event of 9/11 has revealed yet another facet of the problems plaguing Muslim society: the existence of radical, or what some media have labeled “militant,” Muslim groups. Despite the Muslim world’s condemnation of the 9/11 terrorist attack, the United States considered itself the victim and thus launched its “war against terrorism” against the alleged perpetrators: the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Iraq, which was alleged to be building weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and assisting al-Qaeda, became the second target. Iran would have become the immediate third target if the international community had supported the Bush administration’s unilateral declaration of war against Iraq. But it did not, for the allegations could not be proven. *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islamic Societies 22, no. 4 (2005): 133-145

More than any other period, the last hundred years have witnesseda rise in the accessibility of information through books, media,and the internet. This introduced new ways of learning and sharingIslamic knowledge. In this article, I consider how traditionalIslamic knowledge and pedagogical techniques are challenged bythe growing number of lay Muslims participating in religious discussionsthrough print and the internet. I explain why the ʿulamā’perceive self-learning as a threat not only to the ostensibly properunderstanding of religion but also to the redefinition and reinventionof their authority. I observe how print and digital mediacaused a shift away from the necessity of the teacher and facilitatedautodidactic learning and claims to authority. Despite their criticismof self-learning, Traditionalists have embraced the internet inorder to remain relevant and to compete with non-experts. Writing is inferior to speech. For it is like a picture, which can giveno answer to a question, and has only a deceitful likeness of a livingcreature. It has no power of adaptation, but uses the same words forall. It is not a legitimate son of knowledge, but a bastard, and whenan attack is made upon this bastard neither parent nor anyone elseis there to defend it.                                                                                                 —Plato *This article was first published in the American Journal of Islam and Society 37, no. 1-2 (2020):67-101