‘The Past, Present and Future of Shīʿī Ijtihād’

CALL FOR PAPERS

The 6th annual AMI Contemporary Fiqhī Issues Workshop on;

‘The Past, Present and Future of Shīʿī Ijtihād’

To be held 5^th – 6^th July 2018 at Al-Mahdi Institute

The relatively recent Shīʿī migration to the West, coupled with rapid technological and scientific advancements of the modern world, have led Shia Muslims to experience new jurisprudential (fiqhī) dilemmas and issues, which require close attention of experts that specialise in the practice of deducing sharia regulations (ijtihād).

The 6th annual fiqhī workshop at the Al-Mahdi Institute seeks to facilitate scholarship by directly addressing questions that analyse the developmental aspects of “Shīʿī Ijtihād’. Ijtihād, particularly in the Shīʿī milieu, has been continuously evolving in its function and application since its practice was formalised. The evolution of Shīʿī Ijtihādhas been – and is being – informed by stances towards notions of Shīʿī religious authority. The workshop encourages, and invites, paper proposals that analyse the following:

• The relationship between uṣūl al-fiqh and ijtihād; how historical and reformulist epistemic and ontological shifts within the Shīʿīlegal discourse have impacted its hermeneutical standpoints and how this in turn has affected and continues to affect the practice ijtihād.

• A critical engagement with the development of orthodox Shīʿī notions of religious authority structures and their current status.

• An examination of developments in Ijtihād for Shīʿa Muslims in a western context.

The workshop, therefore, is pleased to host presenters from both traditional seminary and academic backgrounds, presenting from a range of disciplines. As has become an effective format in our previous annual workshops, the Fiqhī debates will be positioned alongside contributions from broader theological, historical and anthropological approaches – thereby enriching a multidisciplinary understanding of contemporary outlooks dealing with The Past, Present and Future of Shīʿī Ijtihād.

Proposals for a single presenter should include the following:

– Contact information, and a brief bio of presenter

– Tentative title

– Abstract(s) (300- 500 word)

The deadline for submission of proposals is 30^th April 2018. Successful applicants will be notified by 7^th May 2018.

Accepted applicants from within the E.U. will be supported for their travel, accommodation and hospitality during the workshop, with a further limited number of travel bursaries available for those applying from outside the E.U.

Proposals and queries should be sent by e-mail to: Muhammed Reza Tajri ( tajrim@almahdi.edu)