معرفی
Dr. Tajul Islam is a Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of Leeds, where he has been a member of staff since 2009. He also holds a visiting position at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. His academic work bridges traditional Islamic scholarship and critical theory, and he is a co-founder of Critical Muslim Studies (CMS) at Leeds, a framework aimed at centering Muslim subjectivity and decolonizing knowledge production in higher education.
Education:
- BA in Arabic and Islamic Studies — University of Leeds
- PhD in Arab and Islamic Studies — University of Exeter
Dr. Islam’s research encompasses a wide range of fields, including Islamic Theology (kalam), Qur’anic Studies, Hadith, Islamic Law, Islamic Philosophy, Islamism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, racism, Biblical Studies, and Madrasa studies. His teaching emphasizes inclusivity and sensitivity to contemporary issues of identity and prejudice.
His recent publications reflect a strong interdisciplinary trend, combining religious studies with food ethics, digital humanities, and decolonial theory. Key themes include theological minimalism, racial justice in early Islam, Islamic reform, and cross-traditional dialogue. He frequently presents at international conferences and public events on topics such as decolonial imagination, fatwa borrowing, and Muslim identity.
Scientific Contributions and Recognition:
- Co-authored a well-cited article on Hanafi fiqh and British Muslims’ views on cultured meat.
- Published on Qur’anic phonetics and automatic lexis extraction.
- Contributed to encyclopedias on Ibn Mujahid and the Bible’s use in Islamophobic discourse.
- Co-founded the Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies.
Dr. Islam supervises a diverse cohort of PhD students on topics ranging from blasphemy laws and translation studies to female religious authority and Qur’anic coherence. He has successfully guided over 15 doctoral candidates to completion. He is also involved in collaborative research and international academic partnerships, particularly with institutions in Pakistan.
Labs and Research Groups:
- Co-Director, Iqbal Centre for Critical Muslim Studies
- Member of research groups in Arabic Cultural Studies, Conflict, and History
