Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

About Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im

Islam and the Secular State hit shelves like a manifesto. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na'im, born in Sudan in 1946, would become one of the world's most influential voices on how Islamic law and modern democracy could coexist. His theory challenged everything conventional thinking had settled on.

An-Na'im studied at the University of Khartoum in his homeland before the pull of deeper theological inquiry took him further. He became an Islamic scholar at a time when the Muslim world faced mounting pressure to choose between tradition and modernity. Sudan's own political turbulence shaped his thinking. He watched his country struggle with how to govern itself.

By the time he settled in the United States, An-Na'im had already begun reshaping how scholars understood Islamic jurisprudence. He became the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. He also holds an associate professorship in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences. His office became a hub for serious intellectual work on Islam and human rights.

His research projects expanded across Africa and the Muslim world. The Fellowship Program in Islam and Human Rights trained a new generation of thinkers. Women and Land in Africa addressed how customary and religious law affected women's property rights. Islamic Family Law became another major focus. Each project pushed the same central question: how could internal cultural transformation happen without abandoning Islamic identity?

An-Na'im teaches courses in international law, comparative law, human rights, and Islamic law. His classroom became famous for unsparing examination of constitutionalism in Islamic and African countries. He served as Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Law and Religion. Scholars across continents cite his work on secularism and Islam and politics.

His current research continues exploring Muslims and the secular state. He studies how human rights could shift from being state-centric to people-centered. An-Na'im's life's work suggests that Islam and secular governance are not enemies locked in eternal conflict. They are forces that can negotiate with each other.