Department of Religious Studies Faculty
Aisha Musa
Ph.D., Harvard University
Assistant Professor.
Islamic Studies, Women in Islam

My training at Harvard focused on early Islamic scriptural history, specifically the relative authority of the Qur’an and Prophetic Traditions (Hadith). My book, Hadith as Scripture: Discussions on the Authority of Prophetic Traditions in Islam (Palgrave, 2008)-explores the development of the doctrine of duality of revelation and issues surrounding the relative authority of the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions (Éadáth), through an examination of early Islamic texts in a variety of genres from the 8^th -14^th centuries CE, and compares the early controversies to their current counterparts.  The question of the relative authority of the Qur'Þn and the Prophetic Traditions is part of usul al-fiqh (roots of jurisprudential methodology).  How early Muslims answered that question has helped to shape Islamic theology and jurisprudence throughout the Muslim world for the past 1200 years.  As part of my work, I produced the first English translation of al-Shafi’i’s Kitab JimÞ’ al ‘ilm, one of the most important early texts dealing with the authority of Prophetic Traditions..  The current resurgence of debates over the authority of Prophetic Traditions relative to the Qur'Þn, make it a contemporary question of both academic interest and personal importance to Muslims. 

My research and teaching interests extend from the early classical period to the present and include translation of classical Arabic texts, Qur’anic interpretation, women’s issues, and modern day reformist and neo-traditionalist movements.

I teach a variety of classes including

• Islamic Faith & Society, which introduces students to the historical development and ideological foundations of Islam, and to the basic beliefs and practices of Muslims from the time of Muhammad to the present. 
• Interpreting the Qur’an: Gender & Jihad, which introduces students to the history, interpretation and translation of the Quran through a close examination of passages relating to issues of gender and jihad from a variety of English translations.
• Women in Islam, which is intended to provide students with a deeper understanding of the position of women in Islam through an examination of the teachings of the Qur'an, looking at both traditional interpretation and the contemporary reinterpretation.  The primary texts for the course will be the Qur'an and current writings by Muslim women. 
•  Hadith: Voice of the Prophet, which is intended to familiarize students with the position and history of Prophetic Traditions (Hadith) in Islam.