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Shura, or mutual consultation, occupies a central place in Islamic governance. The Qur’an (42:38) commends believers who manage their affairs “by mutual consultation,” while Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early caliphs demonstrated its practice in decisions affecting community and state.

However, in many Muslim-majority societies inequality and hierarchy are accepted as natural. In such contexts, dissent is discouraged, and leaders are rarely challenged. This raises the question: can Shura genuinely work in hierarchical societies, or does it risk being reduced to ritualistic legitimacy? In this insightful blog Dr Arif Hassan addresses this question.

Shura (Consultation) and Its Limits under Authoritarian Systems How effective is Shura or Consultation in many Muslim-majority societies with authoritarian systems where dissent is discouraged?

Listen to the full recording of our webinar, "Keeping People Safe during Humanitarian Action," presented by Dr. Amjad Mohamed Saleem (PhD) and modertated by Dr. Mohammed Obaidullah.

Keeping People Safe During Humanitarian Action: An Intersectional Approach In our ever-complex world, humanitarian crises do not affect all equally. Understanding the layered realities of those impacted by disasters and conflicts is...

New piece in the series Gender Equality, Shariah and the Search for Balance is out!

This time we dig into the Health & Survival indicators. On paper, Islam couldn’t be clearer: protecting life is sacred, safeguarding mothers is a duty, harming women is forbidden. Yet when we look at the data across OIC countries, the story is anything but straightforward.

Some Muslim countries now match the world’s best when it comes to maternal health and life expectancy. Others, heartbreakingly, remain among the worst globally. Practices like child marriage and FGM linger not because of religion but because of poverty, politics, and culture.

The Qur’an and Sunnah point one way, performance on the ground often points another. That tension is where the real questions lie—and where the conversation about gender equality in Muslim societies gets really interesting.

Gender Equality in Islam 2: Health and Survival Indicators Reviews indicators that measure gender equality in the domain of health and survival and discusses the same for Islamic countries