Episode 013 - Usama Hasan, evolution of fiqh from a binary worldview to lands of citizenship

This week’s podcast episode features a discussion between Imam Sheikh Dr Usama Hasan and Ali Salman about the modern notion of “lands of citizenship” within Islamic legal framework.

Islamic jurisprudence, or fiqh, is often used to argue a binary world-view- Dar al-Islam or Dar al-kufr, divided between Muslims and Non-Muslims, or kafir. Citing the historical development of fiqh, Imam Usama Hasan shows a third way existed, Dar murakkab (composite land). He discusses the modern notion of “lands of citizenship” within Islamic legal framework thus replacing the medieval binary framework.

During the discussion, he sketched out a diagram to simplify and illustrate his points and you can download the diagram in our show notes.

(Imam Sheikh Dr) Usama Hasan is Head of Islamic Studies at Quilliam and was a founding advisor to the organisation in 2008. Usama also attends Quilliam’s board as a non-Executive staff member. As a teenager Usama became a radical salafi activist and, whilst still a Cambridge undergraduate, briefly took part (1990-1) in the ‘Jihad’ against Communist forces in Afghanistan. However following the 7/7 bombings in London, Usama took it upon himself to start campaigning against extremism and for religious reform within Muslim circles. Usama has written for The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph and for the BBC Online Magazine. 

Islam and Liberty Podcast presents a lively discussion on topical issues around Islam, Society and Economy led by leading experts. The general orientation is towards intellectual dimensions of the relationship between Islam and liberty with focus on religious, civil, political and economic liberties as understood in the Islamic discourse.