{"id":9445,"date":"2022-02-07T16:21:29","date_gmt":"2022-02-07T20:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/?post_type=profile&#038;p=9445"},"modified":"2026-04-14T16:17:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T20:17:50","slug":"kecia-ali","status":"publish","type":"profile","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/faculty\/kecia-ali\/","title":{"rendered":"Kecia Ali"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kecia Ali is a scholar of Islam, gender, and ethics. In addition to two open-access edited readers on American Muslim marriage and divorce, her books include<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur\u2019an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence<\/i>\u00a0(2016 [2006]),<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam<\/i>\u00a0(2010),<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>Imam Shafi\u2018i: Scholar and Saint<\/i>\u00a0(2011), and<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>The Lives of Muhammad<\/i>\u00a0(2014), about modern Muslim and non-Muslim biographies of Islam\u2019s prophet. Her most recent book,<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>The Woman Question in Islamic Studies<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>(2024), addresses academic sexism. She has also written about ethics and popular fiction, including in<span>\u00a0<\/span><i>Human in Death: Morality and Mortality in J. D. Robb\u2019s Novels<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>(2017).<\/p>\n<div>Ali directs the Muslim Studies Program at Boston University, where she has been a member of the faculty since 2006. She teaches classes on Islam (Introduction to Islam; Shariah Law; The Qur\u2019an; Women and Gender in Islam), as well as others including Death and Immortality and Writing Religion (a \u201cTopics in Religious Experience\u201d course).<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"\/religion\/files\/2026\/02\/Ali-January-2026-CV.pdf\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/religion\/files\/2026\/02\/Ali-January-2026-CV.pdf\">Current CV<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Books<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/thewomanquestion-409x636.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-11982 size-medium\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" width=\"409\" height=\"636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/thewomanquestion-409x636.png 409w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/thewomanquestion-386x600.png 386w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/thewomanquestion.png 448w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px\" \/><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.keciaali.com\/the-woman-question-in-islamic-studies\">The Woman Question in Islamic Studies<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/open.bu.edu\/ds2\/stream\/?#\/documents\/415756\/page\/1\"><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/tyingtheknot-402x636.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-11980 size-medium\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" width=\"402\" height=\"636\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/tyingtheknot-402x636.png 402w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/tyingtheknot-380x600.png 380w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2022\/02\/tyingtheknot.png 541w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 402px) 100vw, 402px\" \/><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/open.bu.edu\/items\/05970d63-1f05-4895-8935-52ce8aa8b356\">Tying the Knot: A Feminist\/Womanist Guide to Muslim Marriage in America<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/open.bu.edu\/ds2\/stream\/?#\/documents\/415756\/page\/1\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/open.bu.edu\/ds2\/stream\/?#\/documents\/415756\/page\/1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2021\/06\/Half_of_Faith-American_Muslim_Marriage_and_Divorce_in_TwentyFirstCentury_June_2021.pdf.jpg\" alt=\"Cover image for Half of Faith: American Muslim Marriage and Divorce in the Twenty-First Century: A Reader. Edited by Kecia Ali\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-9030\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" width=\"247\" height=\"320\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2144\/42505\">Half of Faith: American Muslim Marriage and Divorce in the Twenty-First Century<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.baylorpress.com\/Book\/503\/Human_in_Death.html\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"108\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2016\/08\/Human-in-Death2-108x150.jpg\" alt=\"Human in Death\" class=\"wp-image-6645 alignleft\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.baylorpress.com\/Book\/503\/Human_in_Death.html\" data-wp-editing=\"1\">Human in Death: Morality and Mortality in J. D. Robb\u2019s Novels<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<br \/>\nBaylor University Press<br \/>\nFebruary 1, 2017<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.baylorpress.com\/Book\/503\/Human_in_Death.html\">Baylor University Press!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sexual-Ethics-Islam-Reflections-Jurisprudence\/dp\/1780743815\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1454532204&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kecia+ali\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"56\" height=\"90\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2016\/02\/Sexual-Ethics.jpg\" alt=\"Sexual Ethics\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-6224\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sexual-Ethics-Islam-Reflections-Jurisprudence\/dp\/1780743815\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1454532204&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kecia+ali\">Sexual Ethics and Islam: Feminist Reflections on Qur\u2019an, Hadith, and Jurisprudence<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<br \/>\nOneworld Publications<br \/>\nFebruary 9, 2016<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Sexual-Ethics-Islam-Reflections-Jurisprudence\/dp\/1780743815\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1454532204&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=kecia+ali\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Guide-Women-Religion-Revised--Z\/dp\/1137485736\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417039757&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=guide+for+women+in+religion+kecia+ali\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"225\" height=\"346\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/A-Guide-for-Women-in-Religion.jpg\" alt=\"A Guide for Women in Religion\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5122\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Guide-Women-Religion-Revised--Z\/dp\/1137485736\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417039757&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=guide+for+women+in+religion+kecia+ali\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A Guide for Women in Religion<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nCo-edited by\u00a0Mary E. Hunt, Monique Moultrie, Kecia Ali<br \/>\nPalgrave Macmillan; Revised edition (November 26, 2014)<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Guide-Women-Religion-Revised--Z\/dp\/1137485736\/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1417039757&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=guide+for+women+in+religion+kecia+ali\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hup.harvard.edu\/catalog.php?isbn=9780674050600\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"109\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/The-Lives-of-Muhammad.jpg\" alt=\"The Lives of Muhammad\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-4708\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.hup.harvard.edu\/catalog.php?isbn=9780674050600\">The Lives of Muhammad<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<br \/>\nHarvard University Press<br \/>\nOctober 2014<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.hup.harvard.edu\/catalog.php?isbn=9780674050600\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harvard University Press<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/A-Jihad-for-Justice-for-Amina-Wadud-2012-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"431\" height=\"647\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2820\" title=\"A Jihad for Justice - for Amina Wadud 2012-1-1\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/A-Jihad-for-Justice-for-Amina-Wadud-2012-1-1.jpg\" alt=\"A Jihad for Justice - for Amina Wadud 2012-1-1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/A-Jihad-for-Justice-for-Amina-Wadud-2012-1-1.jpg 431w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/A-Jihad-for-Justice-for-Amina-Wadud-2012-1-1-423x636.jpg 423w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 67px) 100vw, 67px\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/2144\/24691\">A Jihad for Justice; Honoring the work and life of Amina Wadud<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nEdited by Kecia Ali, Juliane Hammer, and Laury Silvers<br \/>\nebook<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Imam-Shafii-Scholar-Kecia-Ali\/dp\/1851684387\/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1322592201&amp;sr=1-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"183\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-2516\" title=\"Iman Shafi'i\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/Iman-Shafii.jpg\" alt=\"Iman Shafi'i\" style=\"width: 150px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Imam-Shafii-Scholar-Kecia-Ali\/dp\/1851684387\/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1322592201&amp;sr=1-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Imam Shafi\u2019i: Scholar and Saint<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<br \/>\nOneworld Publications<br \/>\nNovember 16, 2011<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Imam-Shafii-Scholar-Kecia-Ali\/dp\/1851684387\/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1322592201&amp;sr=1-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Marriage-Slavery-Early-Islam-Kecia\/dp\/0674050592\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"71\" height=\"108\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-1365\" title=\"Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/2010\/03\/Marriage-and-Slavery-in-Early-Islam.jpg\" alt=\"Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Marriage-Slavery-Early-Islam-Kecia\/dp\/0674050592\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marriage and Slavery in Early Islam<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali<br \/>\nHarvard University Press<br \/>\nOctober 1, 2010<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Marriage-Slavery-Early-Islam-Kecia\/dp\/0674050592\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Islam-Key-Concepts-Routledge-Guides\/dp\/0415396395?tag2=captionbox-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n<img class=\"styled alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/files\/images\/islam_key_concepts.jpg\" style=\"width: 175px; height: 225px;\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Islam-Key-Concepts-Routledge-Guides\/dp\/0415396395?tag2=captionbox-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Islam: The Key Concepts<\/a><\/em><br \/>\nBy Kecia Ali and Oliver Leaman<br \/>\nRoutledge Publications<br \/>\nDecember 30, 2007<br \/>\nBuy it now from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Islam-Key-Concepts-Routledge-Guides\/dp\/0415396395?tag2=captionbox-20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amazon.com<\/a>!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>Courses<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>CAS RN 102 Topics in Religious Experience: Writing Religion<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 106 Death and Immortality<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 214 Islam<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 340\/640 The Quran<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 434\/734\u00a0 Representations of Muhammad<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 345\/645 Islamic Law<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 434\/734 Representations of Muhammad<\/li>\n<li>CAS RN 435\/735 Women, Gender, Islam<a id=\"links\" name=\"links\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jhfc.duke.edu\/disc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/a><\/h2>\n","protected":false},"author":1630,"template":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/9445"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/profile"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1630"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/9445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11984,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/profile\/9445\/revisions\/11984"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/religion\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}