Khalil Abdur-Rashid

Imam Dr. Khalil Abdur-Rashid serves as Lecturer on Muslim Studies at Harvard Divinity School and Public Policy Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He holds the historic position of Harvard University's first full-time University Muslim Chaplain, overseeing all Muslim student life while supervising the Office of the Chaplain staff and serving on Harvard's Board of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life. Based at the Harvard Kennedy School, he bridges theological scholarship with public policy engagement across the university.

Dr. Abdur-Rashid's academic credentials include:

• Doctorate in Liberal Studies and American Islam from Southern Methodist University
• Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy in Islamic Law and Middle East Studies from Columbia University
• Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Georgia State University
• Master's degree in Comparative Islamic Law from Marmara University
• Advanced Islamic seminary doctoral licenses (ijaza) in Islamic Sciences

His research examines Islam's intersection with contemporary democratic societies, focusing on Islamic jurisprudence, gender/race dynamics in religious contexts, and social movement theory. He analyzes historical continuity in Islamic thought while addressing modern challenges of identity, civic engagement, and educational equity through courses like "Islam & the Age of Democracy: Origins, Continuity and Change" (DPI-398).

As University Muslim Chaplain, he mentors Harvard's Muslim student body through spiritual guidance, leadership development, and interfaith initiatives. His grant-funded programming emphasizes community building and ethical formation, though specific funding sources aren't detailed in available materials.

He co-directs Harvard's Muslim Chaplaincy with Ustadha Samia Omar, implementing their three-pillar framework of spiritual transformation, community building, and education & resources. This initiative serves as Harvard's central hub for Muslim life, organizing lectures, mentorship programs, and interfaith dialogues that foster campus-wide religious understanding.