Zakyi Ibrahim

Zakyi Ibrahim is Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Religious Studies at California State University, Fullerton. An accomplished scholar in Islamic Studies, he specializes in Qur'anic interpretation, Islam in Africa, and Women in Islam, with an interdisciplinary approach that bridges traditional Islamic scholarship and contemporary academic methods.

Dr. Ibrahim earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies and his B.A. from International Islamic University, Malaysia. His academic journey has taken him from teaching positions at the University of Winnipeg and Ithaca College to his current leadership role at CSUF.

His scholarly work demonstrates consistent focus on Qur'anic exegesis, African Islamic thought, and gender issues within Islamic tradition. His 2021 Yale University Press book on Islamic thought in Ghana represents a significant contribution to the field. His research often explores the intersection of classical Islamic scholarship with contemporary social and political issues.

From 2009-2016, Dr. Ibrahim served as editor of the American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, where he contributed numerous editorials addressing critical contemporary issues including Muslim responses to terrorism, women's leadership, and Qur'anic interpretation in modern contexts. His publications span multiple languages including English, Turkish, and Dutch, reflecting his international scholarly reach.

• Islamic Thought in Africa: The Collected Works of Afa Ajura (Yale University Press, 2021)
• Ibn Hazm's Theory of Prophecy of Women (Intellectual Discourse, 2015)
• A Sociopolitical Analysis of the Verses of Peace, Qur'an 8:61-62 (International Journal on World Peace, 2013)

Dr. Ibrahim has presented his research at major international conferences including the Ninth International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society at the University of Granada and the 55th Annual Meeting of the African Studies Association. His community engagement includes public lectures on topics such as 'Leadership of Women from an Islamic Perspective' and 'Peace and Muslims from the Qur'anic Perspective,' demonstrating his commitment to public scholarship and interfaith understanding.

His teaching encompasses all aspects of Islam including Qur'anic studies, History and Development of Islamic Thought, Classical and Contemporary Islam, Women in Islam, Political Islam, Methods of Studying Religion, World Religions, and African and African-American Religions and Spirituality. He is currently working on two major projects: 'Introduction to Islam: A Textbook for American Universities and Colleges' and 'Makers of Contemporary Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa.'