Najam Haider

Najam Haider is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University. He holds a PhD from Princeton University (2007), an M.Phil. from Oxford University (2000), and a BA from Dartmouth College (1997). His work bridges classical and modern Muslim worlds, emphasizing colonialism’s impact on Islamic political and religious discourse.

Research interests include early Islamic history, Islamic legal methodology, Shi‘ism, and identity formation. His books The Origins of the Shi‘a (2011) and Shī‘ī Islam (2014) explore ritual, sacred space, and theological frameworks across Shī‘ī branches. Current research examines early Islamic historiography through Late Antique rhetorical traditions.

He has received awards including the Center for the Study of Religion dissertation grant and a Keasbey Fellowship. Teaching focuses on historical transitions in Muslim societies, with courses integrating pre-modern and colonial-era dynamics.