Master Thesis on Impact of Riba-Based Reasoning on Contemporary Financial Transactions

The Deanship of Graduate Studies at the Islamic University of Minnesota - Main Center, represented by the College of Sharia and Law, Department of Fiqh and Its Principles, held an academic session to discuss the Master’s thesis submitted by researcher Mohammed Abdul-Hamid Ahmed Abu Shourah. The thesis addresses a significant topic in Islamic financial jurisprudence and its applications to contemporary financial transactions.

The thesis, entitled "Reasoning Based on the Absence of Riba and Its Impact on Contemporary Financial Transactions: A Foundational Jurisprudential Study," focuses on examining the jurisprudential and methodological foundations related to the legal causes of riba and their negation. It also explores the implications of such reasoning for classifying and evaluating newly developed financial contracts and products, as well as deriving relevant Islamic rulings for contemporary financial transactions.

The defense was conducted via video conferencing before a specialized academic committee chaired by Professor Dr. Salah Faraj, Head of the Department of Fiqh and Its Principles. The committee included Professor Dr. Jumaa Al-Ashram as supervisor and rapporteur, Professor Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Wardi as the internal examiner, and Associate Professor Dr. Muthanna Imran Issa as the external examiner.

The session featured an academic discussion addressing the thesis’s main themes and methodology. Committee members provided scholarly observations and methodological recommendations that contributed to enriching the research and strengthening its jurisprudential and methodological dimensions, while connecting its subject matter to contemporary economic and financial applications.

At the conclusion of the defense, the committee praised the researcher’s scholarly and foundational efforts and the academic quality of the thesis. The committee emphasized the significance of the study in advancing the application of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence to contemporary financial and economic issues, and wished the researcher continued success in his academic and scholarly journey.