Dr. Jasser Auda is a leading scholar in the contemporary Maqasid (Objectives of Islamic Law) school of thought. He has a multidisciplinary academic background, has been a member of several Islamic scholarly councils, and has contributed to the establishment of various educational and da’wah institutions across different countries. He worked as a professor, lecturer, and researcher in numerous universities around the world and has lectured globally on Islam, its law and objectives. Additionally, he has authored numerous books and research papers, many of which have been translated into many languages. Since 1440 AH / 2019 CE, he has been working on an eight-volume Tafsir/Commentary of the Qur’an titled Tafsir Maqasidi (Objectives-Based Exegesis), of which he published 6 volumes in an experimental edition in 2025.
(1) The Maqāṣidī Tafsīr: Uncovering Systems from the purposes of Ayahs and Surahs
Dr. Jasser Auda began writing this tafsīr in 1440 AH / 2019 CE with the overarching goal of: “a contemporary derivation of a network of Quranic maqasidi/purposive systems, contributing to the reconstruction of hegemonic systems towards achieving the purposes of the Quran”.
(2) Books Authored
Dr. Jasser Auda has written 25 books in Arabic and English, some of which have been translated into dozens of languages. Notable titles include:
1. Al-Tafsir Al-Maqasidi, 6 volumes published so far (2 others under preparation), Maqasid Institute for the Study of the Quran (MISQ), 2024.
2. Re-envisioning Islamic Scholarship: Maqasid Methodology as a New Approach. Wales: Caritas, 2021. In Arabic: Al-Manhajiyyah Al-Maqasidiyyah, Istanbul: Dar Al-Maqasid, 2021.
3. Reclaiming the Mosque: The Role of Women in Islam’s House of Worship. Wales: Caritas. Trans. Arabic, Indonesian, Bengali, Malaysian, Tamil, various publishers and reprints.
4. Maqāsid al-Sharī`ah as Philosophy of Islamic Law: A Systems Approach, International Institute of Islamic Thought, London-Washington, several reprints: 2008-14. Translated to Arabic, Bosnian, Italian, Turkish, Malaysian and Indonesian. Various publishers: 2010-15.
5. Maqāsid al-Sharī`ah: A Beginner’s Guide. London: International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), reprints 2008-2016. Translated to: Arabic, Urdu, German, Indonesian, Malaysian, Russian, Azeri, Tamil, Bengali, Turkish, Japanese, Kurdish, Malayalam, French, Bosnian, Italian, Somali, Uzbek, Greek, Spanish, Korean, Thai, Somali, Amharic. Various publishers: 2009-16.
6. Al-Dawlah al-Madaniyya: Nahwa tajawuz al-istibdad wa tahqeeq maqasid al-shariah (Civil State: Towards overcoming authoritarianism & realizing maqasid al-shariah), Al-Shabakah Al-Arabiyah, Beirut, 2015. Translated to: English, Italian, Malayalam, Bengali, & Malaysian 2016-2021 (also abbreviated and published by Tawasul, Rome, under the title: Lessons on Civil Society: Post-Islamism and Post-Secularism, 2020).
7. Naqd Nazariyyat al-naskh (A Critique of the Abrogation Theory). Beirut: Al-Shabakah Al-Arabiyyah, 2014 (translated to English and published by Islamic Foundation, UK, Kube Publishing, 2018).
8. A Journey to God: Reflections on the Hikam of Ibn Ataillah, Wales: Claritas, 2018 (originally: Rihlah ma’a hikam Ibn Ataa-ellah fi daw’ al-kitab wal-sunnah wal-sunan al-ilahiyyah, Cairo: Darul-Hidaiah, 2010. Also translated to: Bosnian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Italian and Urdu, Various publishers: 2011-2015.
9. Khulasat Bidāyat al-Mujtahid libni-Rushd (Averröes’s Premier of the Jurist: Synopsis and Commentary), India: Noor Foundation, 2006, 2007, and Cairo: Al-Shurouq, 2010.
10. Fiqh al-Maqāsid: Inātat al-ahkām al-shar`īah bimaqāsidihā (Teleological Jurisprudence: Basing Islamic Rulings on their Purposes), International Institute of Islamic Thought, Virginia, 2006, 2007, 2008. Translated to: Urdu and Azeri, 2010.
He has also published numerous articles and research papers in various journals, conferences, and Islamic jurisprudential councils.
(3) Public Lectures
Dr. Jasser Auda has delivered lectures on Islam, its legislation, and its objectives in Arabic and English at hundreds of universities, research centers, ministries of Islamic affairs, official fatwa institutions, mosques, and Islamic charitable organizations across more than 60 countries worldwide.
(4) Academic Roles
Dr. Jasser Auda has been a teaching or research faculty at numerous universities, including:
Waterloo, Ryerson, and Carleton Universities in Canada
College of Islamic Studies in Qatar
International Peace College/University in South Africa
Shenandoah University in Virginia and Loyola University in Chicago, USA
Universiti Brunei Darussalam in Brunei
American University of Sharjah in the UAE
University of Bahrain in Bahrain
Alexandria University in Egypt
Islamic University of Novi Pazar in Serbia
Cambridge and Southampton Universities in the UK
European College for Humanities in France
Islamic University of Indonesia in Indonesia
International Islamic University of Malaysia in Malaysia
He has supervised around 50 Masters and PhD theses on diverse topics.
(5) Institutional Contributions
Dr. Jasser Auda was a founding director of several institutions, including:
The Maqāṣid Institute, a network of research centers in various countries
Center for the Philosophy of the Islamic Law at Al-Furqan Foundation in the UK
Center for Islamic Legislation and Ethics in Qatar
The postgraduate program at the International Peace University in South Africa
International University for Renewal in Turkey
Canadian Islamic College in Canada
Canadian Fiqh Council
Journal for Contemporary Maqāṣid Studies within the Maqāṣid Institute
Journal of Contemporary Islamic Studies within Bloomsbury Qatar
He was also a founding member of organizations, including:
International Union for Muslim Scholars
Muslim American Society
Muslim Association of Canada
Islamic Awareness Week
He served as a trustee or advisory board member at institutions, including:
Association of Muslim Social Scientists in the UK
Front Against Islamophobia and Racism in the UK
UK Board of Muslim Scholars
Muslim Arab Youth Association in the USA
Institute for Islamic Thought in Turkey
Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Jurisprudence in Turkey
Australian Fiqh Council
Da’wah Foundation Journal in Malaysia
Global Center for Madani Studies at Universiti Selangor, Malaysia.
(6) Membership in Islamic Jurisprudential Councils
Dr. Jasser Auda is a member of:
European Council for Fatwa and Research
Fiqh Council of North America
Canadian Fiqh Council
Islamic Fiqh Academy of India
He has authored a number fatwas and resolutions for these councils, and contributed to drafting official fatwas and laws related to Islamic jurisprudence in several Muslim countries. He is also a certified Expert of Islamic Law, especially family law, in Canadian courts.
(7) Academic Background
Dr. Jasser Auda memorized the Qur’an and studied ḥadīth, fiqh, and uṣūl in the Study Circles of Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo and under its scholars during the 1970s and 1980s. He holds two doctorates: one in Systems Philosophy from the University of Waterloo, Canada, and another in the Philosophy of Islamic Law from the University of Wales, UK.