A Critical Examination of the Theoretical Foundations of Wasaṭī Minority Jurisprudence

Abstract This study critically examines the wasaṭī approach within minority jurisprudence, leveraging insights from prominent Muslim scholars like Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī and Ṭāhā Jābir al-ʿAlwānī. The wasaṭī methodology emerges as a balanced pathway in addressing the religio-legal challenges faced by minority Muslim communities, by navigating between adaptationist and rejectionist viewpoints. By employing the method of revivalist ijtihād, wasaṭī scholars have issued many pioneering legal opinions that aim to integrate Muslim minorities into their respective host societies. However, this study also pinpoints certain limitations in this process. Its narrow concentration on Western contexts has drawn criticisms from traditionalist scholars for overlooking the longstanding experiences of Muslim minorities elsewhere. The study argues for a more inclusive analytical framework to better understand the jurisprudential needs of diverse Muslim minority populations globally. It highlights the necessity of extending research beyond Western contexts.