Dr Mustafa Baig is Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter and Deputy Lead on Islamic studies research in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. He was formerly Research Fellow on Professor Gleave’s Islamic Reformulations: Belief, Violence, Governance ESRC GULF grant. 

Previously, he has held appointments at Cardiff University and the University of Manchester, where he also completed his PhD thesis. His research interests principally lie in the study of Islamic jurisprudence in non-Muslim contexts, investigating how Islamic jurists—who predominantly addressed Muslims living under Muslim rule—discussed the ‘more exceptional’ cases of Muslims living in non-Muslim lands, and the legal and theological implications involved. As well as examining the classical literature on Muslims in non-Muslim jurisdictions, he is also attentive to following new modern/ist discourses on Muslims in minority contexts. The kernel of his interest relates to the complex arrangement (and sometimes tension between) tradition, authority, development and renewal in Islamic thought.

He is currently co-investigator on the GW4-funded project “British Fatwas and Muftis”, working with Rob Gleave. As well as specific articles, a forthcoming project will be a monograph that examines the construction of traditional jurisprudential (and doctrinal) authority found in specific modern fatwa writing.

Dr Baig spent a number of years studying classical Islamic texts (in a variety of fields) with traditional Muslim scholars and has taught courses (at the University of Manchester and Exeter) in Islamic jurisprudence; Islam in practice; Sufism; women in Islam; the Arab world and the West; Islamic history; Islamic theology and Islamic philosophy. He is also Co-chair of the International Abrahamic Forum, reflecting his interest in Muslim-Christian-Jewish relations

Also see:

Islamic Reformulations

The Centre for the Study of Islam (CSI)

Office hour: Thursday 2-3pm

Biography:

• PhD Middle Eastern Studies (Manchester)
• MA Islamic Studies (Manchester)