FROM TEXT TO SPACE: TRANSLATING QUR’ANIC, PROPHETIC, AND JURISPRUDENTIAL PRINCIPLES INTO CONTEMPORARY MUSLIM HOUSING

Abstract

This thesis investigates how Islamic teachings derived from the Qur’an, the Prophetic Sunnah, and classical jurisprudence can inform contemporary housing design in Qatar. It argues that domestic architecture in Islamic societies is not merely a response to climatic or functional needs but reflects an ethical framework concerned with privacy, family structure, spatial hierarchy, and harmony with the natural environment. In Qatar, where intensive urban growth intersects with the issues of cultural identity, the preservation of family life has become a national agenda, expressed in the Qatar National Vision 2030 and reaffirmed in the 2024 “Year of the Family.” The study adopts a qualitative research methodology that combines textual analysis of Islamic sources with a comparative examination of selected contemporary housing projects. Qur’anic verses, Prophetic hadith, and jurisprudential discussions related to domestic life, privacy, and social conduct are analyzed to extract architectural principles. These principles are then used as an analytical framework to examine contemporary case studies and assess how they are translated into spatial configurations within the built environment. The study ultimately proposes a design framework for contemporary Islamic housing that integrates privacy, cultural continuity, and the needs of modern lifestyles. By translating Islamic principles into spatial design strategies, the research aims to contribute to housing approaches that support family stability, cultural identity, and sustainable, livable residential environments in Qatar.

Date of Award	2026
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	HBKU College of Islamic Studies