Tenth Annual Conference 2025
The Annual Conference on Shi‘i Studies offers an extensive platform for academics and scholars engaged in the study of Shi‘i Islam to present their latest research. This event encourages a dynamic exchange of ideas, facilitating in-depth discussions on Shi‘i thought, practices, and cultural heritage. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the conference aims to advance the academic discourse on Shi’i Studies.
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8:30 – 9:00 AM | Arrival and Registration
Explore the full lineup of sessions
9:00 – 9:10 | Opening remarks
Dr Mohammed Ali Ismail, Director of Research and Publications at The Islamic College
9:10–10:30 | Keynote speech
Professor Tahera Qutbuddin, University of Oxford
10:30–11:45 | Exploring Nahj al-Balāghah (1)
Seminar Room
Oliver Leaman (University of Kentucky, USA), The Nahj and the Qur’an, and What We Should Say about Discrepancies
George Warner (Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK), The Many Contexts of Nahj al-Balāghah
Room F12
Sara Abidi (The Islamic College, UK), Reviewing the Definitions of Intertextuality: The Extent of Influence of Nahj al-Balāghah on Khomeini’s Mystical and Ethical Ideas
Jalal Fairooz (The International University of Islamic Studies in London, UK), Leadership and Justice in Nahj al-Balāghah: A Timeless Framework for Governance
12:00 – 13:00 | Exploring Nahj al-Balāghah (2)
Seminar Room
Imran Aijaz (University of Michigan, USA), A Defence of Some Arguments for the Doctrine of Divine Simplicity (DDS) in the Nahj al-Balāghah
Shabbir Abbas (University of Arizona, USA), Mīrzā Ghālib in Servitude of ʿAlī (Bandagī-yi Bū-Turāb)
Room F12
Shahnaaz Alidina (Independent researcher, Canada), Faith and Neuroscience: The Impact of Spiritual Practices on Character Development based on Letter 31, Nahj al-Balāghah
Amani Saad (The Islamic College, UK), Unveiling the Historical Context of Imam ʿAlī’s Sermons
14:15–15:45 | Jurisprudence and Authority
Seminar Room
Arman Syed (Al-Mahdi Institute, UK), Expansion of the Epistemic Framework of Ijtihad in Imāmī Uṣūl al-Fiqh: A Case for Compassionate Ijtihad
Ali Hussain Al-Hakim (The Islamic College, UK), The State Law and Modern Concepts and Tools Within Islamic Jurisprudence
Zahra Jafari (University of Exeter, UK), Akhbārī Scripturalism Revisited: Qur’an as a Source of Law in al-Shaykh Yūsuf al-Baḥrānī’s Doctrine
14:15–15:45 | Regional Studies
Room F12
Noor Zaidi (University of Maryland, USA), Finding Zaynab in Al-Rashīd
Figen Balamir (Igdir University, Turkey), Being Shi‘i in Turkey
15:45–16:00 | Student Awards
Student awards
16:15–17:45 | Shi’i Scholarship
Seminar Room
Makbul Rahim (Independent researcher, UK), Understanding the Thinking of Akhbārī and Uṣūlī Schools and Recent Trends of Qur’anists and Tafkīkīs
Shuja Zaidi (Independent researcher, UK), Three Metanarrative Approaches to Religious Denialism in the Qur’an: Izutsu, Ṭabāṭabāʾī, and Waldman
Abbas Mirza (The Islamic College, UK), The Quintessential Reality of Practical Mysticism (ʿIrfān ʿAmalī) in Shi‘i Doctrines
16:15–17:45 | Expressions of Faith
Seminar Room
Frank Gelli (Anglican Church, UK), The Muslim Detective
Malakeh Shahi (MetaSchool Berlin, Germany), From Metaverse to Meta Faith
Abdul-Razak Rakhis (Independent researcher, UK), Investigating Islamic (Twelver Imāmite) Spirituality and its Impact on Sports Coaching and its Potential Solution for Existing Shortcomings in this Practice
17:45-18:00 | Closing Address
Dr Isa Jahangir, Principal, The Islamic College, London, UK
