About Us
The Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America (AMJA), is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Section 501(c)(3). It was established in response to the growing need of an Islamic jurisprudence specific to Muslims in the West. Its main goal is to uphold authentic standards using high academic standards, moderate approach and a rejection of extremism.
AMJA’s influence reaches far beyond the walls of mosques and Islamic Centers. Its work strengthens the moral character of society by developing the leadership capacities of Imams (religious leaders). Equipped with continued passion and tenacity to their work, AMJA scholars, experts, and Imams lead the Muslim community into a better understanding of the practice of the religion of Islam in Western societies.
Apart from our renowned scholars, AMJA also caters to the needs of Imams by dedicating an annual Imams Conference that allows them access to one-on-one interaction with scholars, network with other Imams throughout the US and Canada, and be exposed to novel and new research about contemporary fiqhi issues.
AMJA’s library is known for its wide scope of detailed research. AMJA prides itself in the great number of publications on issues of Islamic jurisprudence in areas of sociology, economics, law, and even family matters.
AMJA is fortunate to have a dedicated Board of Directors, Fatwa Committee, Fatwa Advisory Board, and Experts in various fields.
AMJA’s board of directors is compromised of four international scholars who have extensive knowledge and experience in leading Fiqh assemblies in their localities and internationally. Read more!
Part of the uniqueness of AMJA is its full time scholars. They are a group of seven highly experienced scholars who have earned their Doctorate degree in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh).
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What do we want to achieve?
AMJA seeks to become the sound of reason, moderation, and modernity in the United States in representing the Islamic understanding of its jurisprudence. AMJA’s main services issuing Islamic verdicts, prepare Islamic jurisprudential researches and studies in various fields of academia including economics, sociology, and other contemporary issues in the West, and disseminate the findings to Imams (religious leaders) of various Islamic Centers in North America.
Academic Research
For the last 10 years, AMJA has prepared and published tens of publications and academic journals in various fields. Being trained in matters of classical and modern jurisprudence as well as living amongst the Muslim committees in America allows our scholars to better assest the situation and therefore give the proper Islamic verdict in contemporary matters facing Muslims in the West. Some of these contemporary issues are published on our site in the research page .
Imams Conferences
As a minority, navigating your way as an American and as Muslim can be a challenge. Knowing that our Imams are our first line of defense, we dedicated a great deal of our resources to continue educating them in matters of society. We mainly focus on matters of jurisprudence, allowing our Imams to have one-on-one interactions with scholars. The feedback from such workshops has been overwhelmingly positive. Read more here.
Fatwa Services
Muslim communities have naturally relied on local religious scholars to provide guidance, knowledge, and direction. The most knowledgeable scholars form the heart of these communities. As this trend has slowly diminished, a new need has arisen: Muslims need easy access to reliable answers to their questions. Muslims need access to scholars who can provide guidance when confusion arises and knowledge when doubts set in, hence AMJA started its Fatwa Services branch.
Our objective
Through collective fatwa and research, AMJA seeks to become a source of highly relevant, most credible, and easily accessible Islamic guidance, for a growing Muslim population in the Americas, as well as an authentic source of Islamic learning and thought for all peoples of the Americas, contributing thereby to a productive dialogue between them, and enriching human thought and experience.
Code of conduct for issuing or receiving Fatwas
The Fatwa, or the religious ruling or counseling about an Islamic issue that concerns Muslims, is a demonstration for the Islamic legal ruling. Islamic Scholars bear the responsibility of the delivering the message of Allah to the people, Muslims and non-Muslim. They are, as we are told by our beloved prophet, the heirs of prophets and messengers of Allah.
Seeking Fatwa, like any other designated task should be done with sincerity and accuracy. Therefore in the process of issuing or receiving a fatwa, one must realize the following…. read more!
