The Fiqh of Minorities

Fiqh of Minorities is a relatively new branch of Islamic law that emerged in the 1990s to address the unique needs of Muslims living in the West. Pioneered by scholars such as Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī (d. 2022) and Ṭāha Jābir al-Alwānī (d. 2016), Fiqh of Minorities attempts to articulate a religious discourse tailored to Muslims in the West, taking into consideration the interplay between textual rulings and contextual reality (fiqh al-wāqiʿ). Essentially, Fiqh of Minorities represents the efforts of Muslim jurists to normalize the Muslim presence in the West by asserting the general compatibility of the Western context with Islamic principles and the adaptability of sharīʿa rulings to modern circumstances. This chapter provides a brief overview of the history and development of Fiqh of Minorities, highlighting essential features of the legal methodology developed in this context. It also sheds light on the main topics and discussions characterizing Fiqh of Minorities since its inception. The chapter situates Fiqh of Minorities within the global Islamic discourse on ijtihād and renewal.