Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

The Flexibility of Islamic Law – Tesneem Alkiek | 2018 Yaqeen/MAS Academic Conference

Sometimes, as American Muslims, we tend to distance ourselves from “Shar-ee-ah” law. It’s not something we’re too familiar with, and from what we’ve heard, it doesn’t sound too appealing either. In fact, a recent study suggested that Islamic values (aka the teachings of the Shariah) were better represented in Western societies than in Muslim countries. This presentation surveys the role of the Shari’ah as a means of serving and benefiting the people throughout history, before asking the critical question: what went wrong?

Learn more about the historical and political factors that have erroneously reduced the Shari’ah to an irrelevant system of discrimination and punishment, and discover ways of revitalizing the values of the Shari’ah in our own lives.

This session took place at the Yaqeen/MAS Academic Conference at the 2018 MAS-ICNA Convention in Chicago, IL.

Dr. Tesneem Alkiek

Dr. Tesneem Alkiek

Fellow, Director of Expanded Learning | Tesneem obtained her undergraduate degree in Early Christianity and Islamic Studies from the University of Michigan. She went on to complete her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at Georgetown University with a focus on Islamic law. Tesneem currently serves as the Director of Expanded Learning where she works with her team to create curricula and other resources for communities to engage with Yaqeen’s research. She is also a Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Rutgers University-Camden.