Ovamir Anjum

What’s This Podcast
About?

Dr. Ovamir G. Anjum is a distinguished Pakistani-American scholar specializing in Islamic intellectual history, theology, and political thought. He holds the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Toledo, where he also serves as an associate professor and is affiliated with the Department of History. Dr. Anjum’s academic focus lies at the intersection of Islamic theology, ethics, politics, and law, with a comparative interest in Western thought. His interdisciplinary research combines classical Islamic studies with modern theoretical frameworks, exploring how Islamic thought engages with contemporary issues. His areas of expertise include Islamic philosophy, Sufism, and cultural anthropology. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, Dr. Anjum grew up in Saudi Arabia and the United States. He earned his Ph.D. in Islamic Intellectual History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his dissertation, “Reason and Politics in Medieval Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Moment,” was later published by Cambridge University Press in 2012 as “Politics, Law, and Community in Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Moment.” He also holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, a Master’s in Computer Science, and a Bachelor’s in Nuclear Engineering and Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Anjum’s engagement with Islamic scholarship began early, studying under a diverse range of scholars from South Asian Ḥanafī and Ahl-e-Ḥadīth traditions, as well as scholars from Egypt’s Al-Azhar University and Syria. His Islamic training includes studies in fiqh, usūl al-fiqh, and Qur’anic recitation (qirā’āt). He is the author of several critical works, most notably “Politics, Law, and Community in Islamic Thought: The Taymiyyan Moment,” which explores the connections between siyāsa (politics), sharīʿa (law), and kalām (theology) in classical Islam. His most recent work includes the translation of “Madarij al-Salikin” (Ranks of Divine Seekers) by Ibn al-Qayyim, published by Brill in 2020. This monumental translation is one of the most extensive English translations of a classical Islamic text to date. Dr. Anjum is currently working on a comprehensive survey of Islamic history and a monograph on Islamic political thought. His ongoing research includes examining theoretical developments in Islamic thought following the Arab Uprisings of 2011, focusing on how Islamic law, nation-states, and political transitions interact in the modern world. He is also editing a forthcoming volume tentatively titled “Islam and the Nation State in the Wake of the Arab Uprisings: Traditions, Transitions, and Trajectories.” In addition to his academic roles, Dr. Anjum serves as the Editor-in-Chief at the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, leading the Editorial Review Board in discussions of new submissions, reviews of existing content, topic proposals, and policy recommendations. He is also the founder and Chief Research Officer of the Ummatics Institute, a research organization dedicated to empowering Muslims toward the realization of a unified Islamic civilization. Dr. Anjum’s academic leadership extends beyond teaching and research. He is actively involved in various scholarly communities, presenting his work at international conferences and contributing to academic journals. He has taught at American Islamic institutions of learning, such as AlMaghrib Institute and the American Learning Institute for Muslims (ALIM), and has served as a senior fellow at the Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Through his interdisciplinary approach, combining historical research, theology, and political theory, Dr. Anjum continues to shape the way Islamic intellectual traditions are understood in today’s globalized world. His work advances the study of Islamic law, politics, and spirituality, contributing to mean

Podcast Copyright

Copyright © Muslim Central