Part 1 of 2: Usuli Institute Q&A with Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, 20 June 2020

1:05 - Grace Song’s introduction 7:15 - Dr. Abou El Fadl’s introduction 25:30 - On men wearing gold I’m aware of the hadith regarding the impermissibility of men wearing gold. Are you aware of the rationale and purpose? In other words, should this hadith be understood literally as gold metal; is it because the gold is valuable? In other words, are platinum and titanium, which are more valuable, permissible simply based on a literal reading? The reason why this is also important is because it affects how a new convert understands how we approach our religion. 55:32 - Follow up questions about zakat & jewelry What about if you pay zakat on the jewelry? Can I pay off any unpaid zakat for my parents? My mother had no money to pay zakat for her jewelry and she couldn’t let go of her jewelry due to financial hardship. But now my mom passed away, can I pay off any zakat that was due on her jewelry? 59:12 - On finance Is it permissible to deposit money in high interest bank accounts for the purpose of collecting interest over time to pay off tuition fees for personal education, children, university education, personal debt or even support academic institutions? There is a long, enduring debate in my local community regarding the permissibility of bank loans to buy a house, start a business or engage in other financial activities. There are different legal opinions on this issue & I find the debate lacking in clarity. If I work in a context in which I help people in the financial sector improve their businesses & some of these companies are not Muslim & deal in interest, is it okay to work in a business where I’m helping these companies as a consultant? 1:23:18 - Dr. Abou El Fadl on the logic of his answers 1:32:08 - On the characteristics of a jurist; on Muslim intellectual life What is the role & function of the Muslim intellectual & the intellectual activism that is needed to revive & contribute to our shared intellectual landscape? What qualifies a person to be a Muslim intellectual? What is the role of the scholar & the intellectual? 2:09:51 - On data & legal opinions The unprecedented advancements in technology have allowed us nowadays to collect data on a societal level. This has allowed researchers & scholars to better understand people’s opinions, attitudes & preferences on a macro-level & how they change over time. Is it a valid methodological approach for a jurist to leverage data, to guide the formulation of his or her legal opinion about a subject related to individuals in society? If so, should this approach be the norm moving forward? 2:22:58 - On social norms My question pertains to social norms & behavior that evolve over time in a society, such as hugging & kissing during greetings. I have an understanding of the subject from a sociological perspective, but not from an Islamic one. How does Islam reconcile social norms governing modern society & the moral acceptance of these norms in Islam?