what we do
Building upon the foundations of the rich and nuanced Islamic jurisprudential tradition, we apply God's timeless moral imperatives to our current world to advance human knowledge, challenge the status quo, and set a new standard for beauty, reasonableness and goodness in the world.
Advance Human Knowledge
The Islamic tradition once inspired Muslims to be at the forefront of human discovery and knowledge. Today, Muslims have been left behind in virtually all global conversations and play no role in the moral leadership of our times. By returning to the foundational virtues of the Islamic tradition, we seek to rekindle the spirit of exploration, renew the commitment to knowledge, and represent a moral message that inspires the world.
Challenge the Status Quo
As part of a dynamic and evolving tradition, Islamic jurisprudence must produce meaningful, relevant and beautifully appropriate prescriptions for each time, place and context it affects. We do not believe that God intended to confine Muslims or humanity to Islam's seventh century origins or meanings for all ages to come. We believe it is a collective duty to reinvestigate and apply the moral trajectory of the Islamic message to modern problems confronting humanity today to elicit the most compelling and virtuous approaches.
Set A New Standard
Islamic intellectual contributions must challenge, engage and inspire the other intellectual traditions of our times, religious or secular. It is not good enough only to speak to other Muslims. As an academic-based institution, our output must both meet and exceed the highest global standards of scholarship, and as importantly, offer authentic insights true to the humanistic values of the faith we represent.
who we are
Under the guidance of Islamic scholar and jurist, Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, we are a team of dedicated academics, professionals and volunteers that are passionate about the beauty of the Islamic tradition. For more about Dr. Abou El Fadl and his written and spoken scholarship, visit www.searchforbeauty.org
November 2021
reclaiming truth through intellectual activism
"...To win this very real war that has done inestimable damage to so many Muslims and to the truth of the Islamic faith, it is absolutely imperative that moderates declare a counter-jihad against the puritan heresy. This is not a call for the shedding of blood; it is a call for matching the zeal of puritans through unrelenting intellectual activism. This is a counter-jihad to reclaim the truth about the Islamic faith and win the hearts and minds of Muslims and non-Muslims all around the world..."
- Khaled Abou El Fadl
What Usuli Means
SHARING THE LOVE
We are so grateful to receive beautiful messages and pictures from our friends around the world! This heartwarming picture features a reading group in Australia that has been discussing Dr. Abou El Fadl's book, Reasoning with God: Reclaiming Shari'ah in the Modern Age.
Meet our Mascot, Henrí
"Islamic discourses on the nature, and function of dogs are representative of a range of tensions regarding the roles of history, mythology, rationality, and modernity in Islam. In fact, the debates surrounding the avowed impurity of dogs, and the lawfulness of possessing or living with these animals were one of the main issues symbolizing the challenging dynamic between the revealed religious law, and the state of creation or nature. In addition, certain aspects of these debates pertained to the power dynamics of patriarchy, and more generally, the construction of social attitudes towards marginal elements in society...”
- Khaled Abou El Fadl