Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research

Given the climate of pessimism and fear that reverberates in modern media and politics, it should come as no surprise that a recent global study shows that “pessimism is widespread across the world, particularly in highly developed nations. Merely 6 percent of Americans think the world is improving. This paper covers the tried and true prescription for one to develop and inculcate lasting optimism, directly from its source – the Qur’an and the Sunnah. To download the entire paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

Is Islam pro-life, pro-choice, or both depending on the circumstances? And what implications does the answer to this question have for current political discourse? This essay seeks to offer a comprehensive look at how classical and contemporary Muslim jurists have dealt with the subject in accordance with evolving methods, circumstances, and debates surrounding the topics of contraception and abortion. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

Religious minorities are often depicted as oppressed and vulnerable victims of their Muslim rulers. This portrayal, however, is far from accurate. This brief paper seeks to reorient our understanding of the rights and responsibilities religious minorities possessed under Muslim rule. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

This paper documents the harmful effects of Islamophobic rhetoric on the religious identity and perceptions of Muslim youth in an urban American setting. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

This is the first in three pieces on the question of Islam and slavery. It demonstrates that the very term ‘slavery’ is so ambiguous as to be functionally useless for the purposes of discussing extreme domination and exploitation across history. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

Islam has become a hot topic today in the media and in public discourse, debated amongst politicians and pundits, activists and academics, and lay people of all walks of life. This paper sets the record straight on extremism, islamophobia, and religious violence. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

This paper explores the case for God’s existence in the Quran and Sunnah, supported by logic and sound reasoning. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.

This paper elaborates the dynamics of doubt in the American Muslim community, examining the reasons for Muslims in America losing their belief in Islam. To download a hard copy of the paper or for more information, visit www.YaqeenInstitute.org/Research.