Integration and minority fiqh: the halāl to harām ratio

Minority Fiqh, (fiqh al-‘aqalliyyāt), has been theorised by Taha Jabir al-Alwani to assist minority Muslims, particularly in a Western setting, to be able to integrate in society, as in the maxim, “integration without assimilation.” This thesis examines how a selection of Muslims in America interprets and practices Islamic jurisprudence and whether there are similarities to the theoretical fiqh al-aqalliyat. Through a qualitative study of Muslims interviewed in Jacksonville, Florida, this thesis examines how Muslims in the community interpret sharī‘ah, and its purposes (maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah) as it directly relates to them and integration. It is discussed and analysed in comparison to the traditional/taqlīd approach as well as fiqh al-aqaliyat in ordet to shed light on similarities and differences.

A two-fold model of integration is assessed, which first incorporates Muslims’ behaviour modification (body), educational efforts (soul), and emotional connection (heart) with the surrounding society. Second, the host society, into which the Muslim-Americans are integrating, is evaluated by acceptance either of ethnicity, cultural traditions and/or religious values of the other. This thesis contributes to the discussion of fiqh al-‘aqalliyyāt to discuss and analyse whether there are similarities found among the respondents practices and views within their context, spanning the gap between al-Alwani’s theory of a fiqh that assists integration and lived experience. Through this process, another model of Muslim integration is proposed of overlapping elements of integration. This also adds to the data involving Muslims of Jacksonville, Florida.