Iqbal Akhtar

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Surrender and the Mystical Path: A Conversation on Submission in Islam and Sufism

This interview examines the concept of surrender as it is understood within the Islamic and Sufi ... more This interview examines the concept of surrender as it is understood within the Islamic and Sufi traditions, framed around the theological observation that the word Islam itself denotes submission to God. Iqbal Akhtar distinguishes two complementary orientations within the tradition: a legal-observant path centered on fidelity to divine law—prayer, fasting, and ritual practice—and a mystical (Sufi) path oriented toward the experiential dissolution of the ego into God. He traces the early emergence of Sufism among the saints of Iraq and situates it within the post-prophetic routinization of charisma and the foundational Sunni–Shia question of authority, arguing that Sufism is best understood as an orientation that cuts across sectarian lines rather than a separate sect. Surrender, on this account, is realized less through ascetic self-denial than through the disciplined remembrance of God (dhikr), the melodic recitation of the Qur’an, gratitude, and service to others, culminating in fleeting states of ecstatic union and, ultimately, in self-annihilation (fanāʾ). Akhtar contrasts the Islamic affirmation of attachment to family and community as a ground of spiritual realization with the renunciatory logics of Hindu and Buddhist asceticism, reframes suffering as a divine test that deepens devotion rather than an end in itself, and affirms a robust place for divine grace and prophetic intercession alongside human works. He closes by addressing distorted Western perceptions of Islam, commending the call to prayer and Qur’anic recitation as accessible openings onto the tradition’s contemplative depth.

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Grieving Against the Grain: Shiʻi Ashura Mourning and the Disenfranchisement of Lamentation in American Culture

In Shiʻi Islam, mourning is not a response to loss but a mode of spiritual formation. The annual ... more In Shiʻi Islam, mourning is not a response to loss but a mode of spiritual formation. The annual commemoration of Imam Husayn's martyrdom at Karbala (680 CE) during Muharram-through majalis (mourning assemblies), matam (rhythmic lamentation), and public processionsconstitutes what Schubel (1993) identifies as a "root paradigm" through which communal identity and piety are generated, not merely expressed. Weeping for Husayn carries soteriological weight: Ayoub (1978) demonstrates that the faithful's lamentation enables participation in divine grace through the intercession of the martyred Imam. Azadari is thus not historical commemoration but ongoing redemptive practice. This paper examines how Shiʻi mourning traditions confront a dominant American cultural framework-shaped by Protestant sensibilities and capitalist productivity-that privatizes grief, pathologizes its prolongation, and demands rapid emotional resolution. Ariès (1981) traces the Western sequestration of death from public life, while Harris (2010) argues that capitalist social structures actively oppress the bereaved by imposing temporal constraints on mourning. Drawing on fieldwork among Shiʻi communities in South Florida-principally the Islamic Jaffaria Association (IJA) in Hialeah Gardens and the Ershad Center in South Miami-I analyze how practitioners navigate between religiously mandated public lamentation and American normative grief frameworks. Extending Doka's (1989) concept of "disenfranchised grief" beyond unrecognized relationships to encompass disenfranchised modes of mourning, I argue that Ashura observances-communal, embodied, cyclical, and deliberately public-are structurally marginalized by a culture that treats grief as a private problem to be resolved rather than a communal practice to be sustained.

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BEYOND INSULARITY: REIMAGINING PLURALISM AND INTERFAITH LITERACY IN ISLAMIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Full-time Sunni Islamic schools in the United States have grown from a handful of institutions in... more Full-time Sunni Islamic schools in the United States have grown from a handful of institutions in the 1970s to roughly 320 schools serving an estimated 40,000 K–12 students, yet the pedagogical question of how these schools prepare Muslim youth for substantive engagement across religious difference remains under-examined. Drawing on a qualitative multi-method study of twelve full-time Sunni Islamic schools across five U.S. metropolitan regions—Greater Chicago, the New York City metropolitan area, the Washington–Baltimore corridor, the Houston–Dallas axis, and Southern California—this article reports findings from a directed content analysis of widely used Islamic studies textbooks and curricular guides, twenty-four semi-structured interviews with educators and curriculum coordinators, and structured classroom observations. Findings document a comparative deficit: teaching about non-Muslim religions remains predominantly heresiographical and supersessionist, framed defensively against perceived doctrinal threats rather than as occasions for taʿāruf (mutual recognition, Q 49:13). Educators report acute preparedness gaps in comparative religion. A persistent tension between identity fortification and pluralistic civic engagement structures curricular decision-making, though local "bright spots" demonstrate the feasibility of pluralism-fostering pedagogy. Drawing on the Qurʾanic ethic of taʿāruf, the Ṣaḥīfat al-Madīna, the classical milal wa-niḥal tradition, and contemporary covenantal-pluralism scholarship, the article recommends curricular reform, teacher professional development, supplementary materials, and interfaith partnerships rooted in indigenous Islamic intellectual resources rather than imported from secular multicultural frameworks.

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Mithaq al taaruf

The *Mīthāq al-Taʿāruf* is a Muslim declaration on faith, covenantal pluralism, and the common go... more The *Mīthāq al-Taʿāruf* is a Muslim declaration on faith, covenantal pluralism, and the common good that draws on the Covenant of Medina, the Hijra to Abyssinia, and major contemporary Muslim statements to articulate an Islamic case for religious pluralism, universal human dignity, and interreligious partnership. Across thirteen articles, the declaration affirms shared Abrahamic origins, categorically rejects antisemitism and terrorism, repudiates Muslim supremacism, upholds the salvific possibility for people of other faiths, and frames refugee protection as a binding religious obligation rooted in Quranic ethics. Modeled on landmark documents like *Nostra Aetate* and *A Common Word Between Us and You*, the declaration calls on Muslims to approach Jews, Christians, and all of humanity not as targets for conversion but as partners in a shared moral project, grounded in the Quranic imperative to "know one another" (Q 49:13) and to "race toward all that is good" (Q 2:148).

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The Haggadat al-Mīthāq (The Haggadah of the Covenant)

The Haggadat al-Mīthāq (The Haggadah of the Covenant) is an interfaith liturgical supplement desi... more The Haggadat al-Mīthāq (The Haggadah of the Covenant) is an interfaith liturgical supplement designed for use at joint Muslim-Jewish Passover seder gatherings, interfaith dialogue circles, and academic settings. Prepared by Iqbal Akhtar of Florida International University, Miami Interfaith, and The East-West Foundation, the text places Torah and Qur'anic accounts of the Exodus narrative side by side across six key moments of the seder: Urchatz (ritual washing), Karpas (spring greens), Maggid (the telling), Maror (bitter herbs), Kos Eliyahu/Ilyas (the Cup of Elijah), and Hallel (praise). Rather than replacing the traditional haggadah, the supplement enriches it by illuminating shared Semitic linguistic roots, parallel scriptural passages, and complementary theological architectures — including the Sinai covenant (brit), the Qur'anic Primordial Covenant (Mīthāq al-Alast), and the Charter of Medina — through the framework of covenantal pluralism. The text culminates in an adapted Nirtzah that holds the competing loves Jews and Muslims bear for Jerusalem without forcing resolution, closing instead with a shared aspiration: "Next year in justice and peace. Next year together."

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A Theological Case for American Foreign Policy Restraint

The catastrophic failures of American military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan-costing $8 t... more The catastrophic failures of American military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan-costing $8 trillion and contributing to an estimated 4.5 million deaths-demand a fundamental reconsideration of United States foreign policy from theological and ethical perspectives (Crawford et al., 2024). This essay argues that American foreign policy must embrace restraint over interventionism, returning to an understanding of national purpose rooted in moral example rather than military dominance. Drawing upon the historic peace churches, theological critiques of hubris, and interfaith wisdom traditions, a less militaristic interventionist approach represents not weakness but moral clarity appropriate to an increasingly multipolar world facing interconnected crises of climate, economics, and political legitimacy.

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Government of Afghanistan Republic from Revolution to Collapse: A Realist Perspective on Political Dominance

American Journal of Law and Political Science, Nov 28, 2023

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan&#39;s g... more Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the collapse of the Republic of Afghanistan&#39;s government, and to identify the main factors contributing to its collapse. By analyzing a variety of political and historical factors, the research seeks to find the underlying causes of the collapse of the government. Methods: This research used a qualitative research design, including document and articles analysis. The sources of data included books, academic articles, and reports. The data was analyzed using a realist framework to identify the underlying causes of the collapse of the Government of the Republic of Afghanistan. Result: The collapse of the Government of the Republic of Afghanistan between 1973 and 2021 was mainly due to the lack of inclusive and stable administrations representing national interests; external interference, media propagandas, internal conflicts and economic instability have contributed to the collapse. Lessons learned include the need for political engagement, regional collaboration, economic development and international support to prevent future collapses and promote a sustainable and inclusive model of government in Afghanistan. Conclusion: This study offers recommendations for future governance in Afghanistan, taking into account the complex situation. Recommendation: In order to ensure Afghanistan&#39;s future stability and prosperity, it is essential that inclusion, representation and political stability are given priority. This includes actively involving marginalized groups and communities in the decision-making process and supporting an inclusive political environment.

A Statement of Muslim Solidarity with the Jewish Community Against Antisemitism and All Forms of Hatred

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Review of: "Social-Cultural Anthropology in the Oldest Department of Anthropology in India: Writing History or the Suppression of Records?

3 The Evolution of Khōjā Political Power: Religious Citizenship

The Khōjā of Tanzania, Discontinuities of a Postcolonial Religious Identity is a multidisciplinar... more The Khōjā of Tanzania, Discontinuities of a Postcolonial Religious Identity is a multidisciplinary diachronic study of the historical development of Khōjā religious identity in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam over two centuries, from an Indic Hindu-Muslim caste (jnāti) to an Afro-Asian Muslim community (jamātī) towards a Near Eastern imaged Islamic nation (ummatī).

The Narrative Prayers (Kahani) of the African Khoja1

Narrative culture, Oct 1, 2014

Development of Islamic Feminism in Iran Under the Influence of Reformist Discourse

Islamic feminism in Iran is defined as the radical rethinking of religious and sacred texts from ... more Islamic feminism in Iran is defined as the radical rethinking of religious and sacred texts from a feminist perspective. This research aims to show how Islamic feminism developed in Iran and discuss the philosophical and epistemological foundations of different discourses influencing that movement. This study utilizes documentary research methods. It shows that central to the development of Islamic feminism is the development of the reformist movement in Iran. Reformists believe that employing justice in Islamic laws requires a novel hermeneutic interpretation of sacred texts that account for absolute equality in men's and women's rights. However, traditional and neo-traditional jurists present different interpretations of the notion of justice regarding gender relations. They believe that since men and women have existential and inborn differences, they hold separate rights and duties, especially regarding their social and family roles. Accordingly, two kinds of law are needed to regulate their lives. Using reformist theories, Muslim feminists in Iran have challenged the traditional interpretation of sacred texts and called for women's rights as equal to men's in the Islamic constitution.

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Bead Bai

Journal of The Indian Ocean Region, Aug 5, 2015

Teena Purohit,The Aga Khan Case: Religion and Identity in Colonial India

South Asia-journal of South Asian Studies, Dec 1, 2013

capitalism. Lamia Karim engages with the contradictory reception of Taslima Nasreen’s writings in... more capitalism. Lamia Karim engages with the contradictory reception of Taslima Nasreen’s writings in India; while some celebrate the author as providing a feminist consciousness for society, others dismiss her as a blasphemer. The book offers two significant critiques of contemporary feminist politics. With a view to the future of women’s struggles in South Asia, several articles denounce narrow Eurocentric constructions of feminism. Ratna Kapur critiques the Indian obsession with colonial liberal projects, equality and rights and asks for the development of a consciously post-colonial Indian feminism. Mrinalini Sinha unpacks the epistemic violence of Eurocentric constructions of gender that insist on a clear binary between men and women. Universal claims raised by specific feminist projects undermine the diversity of gender experiences and feminist assertions in South Asia. A second critique concerns the growing professionalisation of emancipation movements. Feminist entanglements with global polices and funding priorities negatively impact upon the diversity of struggles; there is selective support for those movements that suit international donors or address middle-class sensibilities. This book provides a thoughtful critical introduction to contemporary feminist struggles in South Asia. It will be of interest to scholars, students and activists.

Shi’Ism in America

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 2017

The Gujarati archive in Tanzania

History Compass, Jul 2, 2022

Прикази, научна критика и полемика

5 Khōjā Religious Texts: The Dōʾāōnō Majmūʾō

$Research paper thumbnail of The Narrative Prayers (\u27kahanī\u27) of the African Khōjā$

The Narrative Prayers (\u27kahanī\u27) of the African Khōjā

From the late eighteenth to the end of the twentieth century, the kahanī, a narrative genre of In... more From the late eighteenth to the end of the twentieth century, the kahanī, a narrative genre of Indic Shi’i Muslim oral literature, was integral to East African Khōjā female spirituality. The narrative prayers endowed Khōjā women with an exclusive form of spiritual authority with which to act on behalf of the community through private rituals and public provision of the communal sacrament. The analysis of the kahanī of the sixth Imam (najharē sādik) exemplifies the structure of these narratives and provides insight into how they were understood in praxis, that is, in their performance within the Khōjā community of contemporary Dar es Salaam. The kahanī genre is an instructive example of how women, in the “periphery” of Muslim civilization, envisioned, localized, and related to the saints of the Near East while retaining the Indic legends and narrative structures of their indigenous heritage

South Asian Muslims in East Africa

Iqbal Akhtar

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