Rupture or Continuity in Sharīʿa

(De)Colonizing Sharīʿa? International Conference

Call for Papers

June 9–11, 2027

Centre for Islamic Studies (ISAM), Istanbul, Turkiye

Islamic Law, sharīʿa, is often seen as having been heavily influenced and crucially changed during two major transitional periods: from pre-colonial to colonial rule and from colonial to post-colonial rule, each viewed from different perspectives. The encounter between European colonialism and sharīʿa, which formed the backbone of pre-colonial legal systems, has had a profound impact that persists today. The introduction of modern European-style legal systems, some scholars argue, led to the complete abolition of sharīʿa, marking a break from the pre-colonial, premodern “authentic” Islamic law (Ahmed 2017: 208-229). State-led codification, seen as part of ‘modernization’, supposedly caused law to shift “from jurists’ law to statutory law” (Layish 2004). Leaders of the “rupture camp” (Schacht 1964: 103; Hallaq 2004: 26; Layish 2004: 91-92; Hamoudi 2010) have argued that premodern Islamic jurisprudence lost its multivocality and has become a common theme in scholarship and political debates about Islamic law (Burak 2019: 391). Conversely, advocates of the “continuity camp” view the legal changes seen in Muslim societies as evidence of sharīʿa’s flexibility rather than its demise. They see codification, for example, as a sign of sharīʿa’s vitality and ability to adapt to changing circumstances (Coulson 1964: 148-150; Anderson 1976: 64-65; Shahar 2022: 891; Fierro 2014; Burak 2019: 393). Therefore, the role, position, and form of sharīʿa at the dawn of ‘modernity,’ during colonialism and political independence, still require thorough examination.

This conference seeks papers that critically interrogate notions of rupture, continuity, or beyond to characterize colonial-era sharīʿa. It seeks to gather scholars studying Islamic legal thought, practice, institutions, and beyond across global Islamic legal contexts in their encounter with colonialism, broadly conceived. The question mark of the ERC Project “(De)Colonizing Sharīʿa?” deliberately leaves open the extent of continuity, change, or ruptures that characterized sharīʿa during the colonial and post-colonial periods. The conference will prioritize papers from across global Islamic legal contexts that address these issues, based on archival and primary-source research, within the outlines of the methodological approaches. These topics may include, though not limited to:

• Transformation in courts, political institutions, or other judicial venues during the colonial period, including actors involved.
• Islamic juristic output (e.g., commentaries, treatises, or fatwās) that treat Islamic legal questions in the age of colonialism.
• The role of European colonial administrators, legal scholars, and practitioners in shaping transformations in sharīʿa.
• Developments in canonization, codification, and/or state legislation related to sharīʿa.
• Single or comparative case studies that situate the validity of rupture, continuity, or otherwise as valid notions of Islamic legal change.
• Theoretical questions related to coloniality, decoloniality, or other frameworks for examining law in the Global South through Islamic legal experience.

The conference will be organized by the “(De)Colonizing Sharīʿa?” ERC-Advanced Project in collaboration with the ISAM (Centre of Islamic Studies) in Istanbul from June 9–11, 2027. The working language of the conference will be English. The organizers will cover traveling expenses, accommodation, and meals. To apply, please submit an abstract of 300 words maximum via this online form. The deadline for submissions is June 20th, 2026. Please address any questions or concerns to: kubra.nugay@uni-erfurt.de