Kecia Ali is an Associate Professor of Religion at Boston University. Her work focuses on Islamic jurisprudence and women in early and modern Islam. Her titles include ‘Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam’ and ‘Sexual Ethics and Islam, Feminist Reflections on Qur’an Hadith and Jurisprudence.’

Ali has rejected what she describes as ‘piecemeal’ feminist approaches – such as that of Professor Azizah al-Hibri - that seek to patch together ‘acceptable rules’ in the Islamic legal tradition.

Instead she has suggested that the construction of marriage by classical jurists is beyond repair and that an entirely new jurisprudence should be drawn up.[1]

This is a radical suggestion and it is difficult to see how it could be realised in practice. This is perhaps an example of how ‘theoretical discussions’ – while useful - may have little or no implications for the lives of women on the ground today.

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[1] Kecia Ali, ‘Progressive Muslims and Islamic Jurisprudence’ (2003)