Dr Muhammad Abbasi

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Abbasi is an experienced and accomplished academic with expertise in Comparative Corporate Law & Governance, Comparative Family Law, International and Comparative Human Rights Law, Comparative Constitutional Law, Commercial and Organisational Law, Comparative Law and Legal Theory, and Islamic Law & Jurisprudence in Contemporary World. He received his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) in Law from Oxford University, where he conducted extensive research on the formation of Muslim Personal Law, which resulted from the incorporation of Sharia into the Legal System, in British India. Dr. Abbasi also earned his Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from Manchester University, where he focused on Comparative Corporate Law & Governance.

Throughout his career, Dr. Abbasi has held several research positions at prestigious institutions, including the Oxford Department of International Development and the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace & the Rule of Law. He has also held visiting positions at the American University in Cairo and CBL International Oriel College, Oxford University. Dr. Abbasi currently serves as the Associate Editor of the Yearbook of Islamic and Middle Eastern Law and as Editor for Harvard Law School’s SHARIAsource. 

Dr. Abbasi has authored several publications, including books, journal articles, and research papers, on topics related to Family Law, Corporate Theory, Islamic Law, Human Rights, and Constitutional Law. His research has made a significant contribution to the scholarship in his field and has been widely cited. His most notable works include “Family Laws in Pakistan,” (Oxford University Press 2018, 2nd edn 2023) which he co-authored with Prof Dr. SA Cheema, and “Democracy under God: Constitutions, Islam and Human Rights in the Muslim World,” (Cambridge University Press 2023) co-authored with Dr. DI Ahmed. Dr. Abbasi’s research on corporate theory, women’s rights under Islamic law, Islamic constitutionalism, Islamic trust/endowments (awqāf), and Muslim family law in South Asia and the UK is widely cited and has been highly regarded in the academic community. 

Dr. Abbasi is an active and dedicated member of the international scholarly community, consistently engaging in academic conferences and workshops to advance the knowledge and understanding of Islamic law and its application in contemporary legal systems. He presented his paper on the “Impact of Islamization on the Legal System of Pakistan: Is Islam Solution or Problem?” at the IGLP Global Scholars Academy held in Geneva, Switzerland in January 2022. He presented another paper on “Inheritance Rights of Childless Widows under Shia Law” at the Dynamics of Islamic Legal Change conference hosted by the German Technical University in Oman in February 2022. Dr. Abbasi was selected to present at the International Junior Faculty Forum held at Stanford Law School where he presented on “Constitutionalizing Sharia: Incorporation of Islam into the Legal System of Pakistan” in October 2021. He also spoke at the Asia-Pacific Trust Law Conference held at the Melbourne School of Law in December 2021, presenting on “Pakistan’s New Trusts Acts 2020: Adaptation to Regulatory Overkill” and “Constructive Trusts under Muslim Family Law: Acknowledging Women's Rights to Matrimonial Property.” Dr. Abbasi’s academic contributions to the field of Islamic law and jurisprudence also include his participation in the Harvard Law School Institute for Global Law & Policy Conference in Bangkok in January 2019, where he presented on the “Application of Islamic Criminal Laws in Pakistan.” He has also presented on topics such as the coexistence of Sharia and the modern state, Islamic family law, and the judicial Islamisation of property laws in Pakistan at various conferences held in different parts of the world.