Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Growth and Achievement for IQSA

Reflecting on 2024: A Year of Growth and Achievement for IQSA

As we bid farewell to 2024, the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) celebrates a year of dynamic progress and global engagement. From conferences and publications to new initiatives and partnerships, our community continues to thrive as a hub for Qur’anic scholarship.

Annual Meeting in London: A Global Gathering of Scholars

In 2024, IQSA’s Annual Meeting took place in London, hosted by the prestigious Institute of Ismaili Studies from July 15–18. Over 150 scholars and participants convened at the Aga Khan Centre, a beacon of education, cultural exchange, and insights into Muslim civilizations, located in London’s vibrant King’s Cross.

Highlights of the event included a warm Welcome Address by Professor Zayn Kassam (Director, Institute of Ismaili Studies) and a thought-provoking Keynote delivered by Professor Ahmad al-Jallad (Sofia Chair in Arabic Studies, Ohio State University). Beyond the traditional panels and sessions, attendees enjoyed receptions, mentoring luncheons, the annual business meeting, and guided tours of the Aga Khan Centre, further enriching the experience. The gathering underscored IQSA’s commitment to fostering intellectual exchange and mentorship within the field of Qur’anic studies.

IQSA at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting

IQSA also maintained its presence at the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting in San Diego, California, hosting a series of sessions from November 23–24. These sessions ranged from “Engaging the Qur’an and Tafsir” to a panel discussion on Tehseen Thaver’s Beyond Sectarianism. As we look ahead, we have exciting new plans for 2025. The Call for Papers opens this January—stay tuned for details!

Publications and Open Access Milestones

The ninth volume of the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA) was successfully published under the expert editorial leadership of Sean W. Anthony (JIQSA), Shari Lowin (Review of Qur’anic Research), and Saqib Hussain (Associate Editor). Additionally, De Gruyter made all articles from JIQSA Volume 8 publicly accessible, with select articles from Volume 9 also available as open access. For information on subscriptions and submissions, visit our journal homepage at De Gruyter.

Celebrating Excellence: Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize

We were delighted to award the seventh annual Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize—honoring early-career scholars presenting at IQSA’s Annual Meeting—to Paul Neuenkirchen for his paper, “Fear/Remembrance of God, Prayer, and Constancy as Ways of Fighting Demons Between the Qurʾān and Late Antique Ascetic Writings.” This award not only includes a cash prize but also the opportunity for an expanded, peer-reviewed version of the paper to be published in JIQSA. The 2024–2025 Call for Submissions will open in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Exciting Website Transition

IQSA is thrilled to announce the near-completion of its transition to a new and improved website and membership platform! Members can now join or renew their memberships through our new website. Please note that accounts on the previous platform cannot be transferred, so we encourage all members to set up new accounts. Bookmark beta.iqsaweb.org as the old platform will soon be retired.

Stay Connected

Stay up-to-date with IQSA’s latest developments through our blog, Facebook, Twitter, and our Google Discussion Group. For any questions, please feel free to email us at contactus@iqsaweb.org.

As we close the year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all members, partners, and participants for making 2024 a remarkable year for IQSA. Your contributions fuel our mission to advance the study of the Qur’an and its interpretive traditions.

Here’s to an even brighter 2025!

Call for Papers: IQSA in San Diego 2024

The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for its Annual Meeting to be held in San Diego, California from November 22-25, 2024 in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s online submission system by March 20, 2024.

For the 2024 meeting in San Diego, IQSA will accept papers addressing any aspect of the Qur’anic text. These may explore particular themes in a given surah or aspects of the Qur’an’s conversation with the religious traditions of Late Antiquity, or even discuss methodological concerns when studying the text or highlighting features of physical manuscripts. All topics are welcome.

Please note that all proposals must include:

  • Author name and affiliation
  • Paper title
  • 400 word paper abstract (written in English)

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

  • Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior to acceptance
  • Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their participation in the Annual Meeting

Please also note that:

  • To ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, participants should submit only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting
  • All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy
  • Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through SBL’s online system (users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the “Super Saver” rates which end mid-May)

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to seeing you in San Diego!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2024. All rights reserved.

IQSA Membership for 2022 Now Open!

IQSA Membership for 2022 is open! The International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) is the first learned society dedicated to the study of the Qur’an. We hold conferences around the world and publish cutting-edge research and scholarship. The IQSA community and its partners include scholars, students, publishers, and members of the public.

Membership consists of six categories:

Johanna5(1) Student, Contingent Faculty, Global South or Income Below $30,000 $35
(2) Assistant Professor, Junior or Retired Faculty $75
(3) Associate Professor or Midrange Faculty $100
(4) Full Professor, Senior Faculty or Professional Income $100,000+ $125
(5) Lifetime Member $2,000 (one time installment)
(6) Institutional Membership $400

Exceptions: Scholars from the global south and lower income countries unable to pay membership dues for that year have the option of contacting the executive director for a courtesy waiver.

To become a member, click HERE. Fill out the form and pay the membership fees. After completing the form, you will receive log in information; save that information to be able to log in and access member benefits at anytime. Create a profile for the member directory.

To renew or edit your membership, sign in to your member account, click the “Join IQSA” tab, and select “Edit your member profile” at the bottom of the page.

To stay informed, follow IQSA via www.iqsaweb.org, the weekly Blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Also join the IQSA discussion group by following the instructions below:

Join the IQSA Discussion Group

  1. Sign in to Google Groups. Learn how to join if you do not have a Google Account.
  2. In the box at the top, search for “International Qur’anic Studies Association Discussion Group”
  3. Once you have located the IQSA Group, click Join group or Apply to join group.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP | $35, $75, $100, $125 USD
Renewal Policy: Annual
Special Benefits:
-Access to the membership directory
-Review of Qur’anic Research
-Professional development opportunities for graduate students and junior scholars, including volunteer, job postings, and employment networking
-Bilingual English-Arabic Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA)
-Eligibility for Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize ($250 USD and potential publication in JIQSA)

LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP | $2,000 USD
Renewal Policy: One Time Installment (No Renewals required)
Special Benefits:
– Automatic access/subscription to all paid individual member benefits
– Free online & print subscription to JIQSA
– Discounts on Lockwood publications
– Official Public Recognition

INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP | $400 USD
Renewal Policy: Annual
Special Benefits:
– Annual access to IQSA’s online resources
– One free advertisement annually (program book, JIQSA, online or mailing list)
– One free registration for the IQSA Annual Meeting
-Official Public Recognition

Other member benefits will include:

  • Regular updates
  • A discounted registration/affiliate rate for the Annual Meeting held annually in November
  • Vote/governance
  • Special offers from publishers

If you encounter problems or have questions regarding IQSA membership, please  email contactus@iqsaweb.org.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

Skip the Hassle—Enable Automatic Membership Renewal!

The International Qur’anic Studies Association depends on its members’ continued commitment to fulfill its mission by actively participating and taking advantage of member benefits like Annual Meetings, professional networking, and more! In response to popular demand and feedback for ways to ease the processing of yearly registration, IQSA is delighted to introduce its new and improved Automatic Renewal option for Annual Membership!

Skip the hassle of manually logging in and renewing your IQSA membership every year by choosing to enable Recurring Payments for Automatic Membership Renewal! This feature processes annual subscriptions for individuals every calendar year from the member’s join date. Members must select an online payment method (PayPal or Credit Card) to enable this option, and all stored payment information is secured by Wild Apricot’s adherence to requirement 12.9 of PCI DSS v3.2 (click here for details).

Q: What if I need to change my membership level or other registration information?
Members can log in to their membership profile at https://members.iqsaweb.org to update any user information or change levels. Prices for Automatic Membership Renewal will be adjusted for recurring payments accordingly (see below).

Membership Prices (Annual)
Student/International | $25 
Mid-range Faculty/General | $50 *all non-student scholars, professionals, and mid-range faculty
Full Professor | $75 
Lifetime | $2,000 *one time-only installment
Institutional | $400

Q: What if I decide to cancel my Automatic Membership Renewal?
No Problem! Recurring Payments via Automatic Membership Renewal can be cancelled by logging in to a member’s user profile and selecting “Stop Recurring Payments” on both the Profile and Invoices and Payments tabs.

 

So don’t wait! Save the trouble of remembering to renew your IQSA Annual Membership by logging in to https://members.iqsaweb.org and enabling Automatic Membership Renewal today! This option guarantees continued access to member benefits including, but not limited to…

–Discounted Annual Meeting Registration
–Access to the membership directory
–Review of Qur’anic Research
–Professional development opportunities for graduate students and junior scholars, including volunteer, job postings, and employment networking
–Bilingual English-Arabic Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA)
–Eligibility for Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize ($250 USD and potential publication in JIQSA)

Questions? Email contact@iqsaweb.org to get all the details on never letting your IQSA membership lapse again!

 

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2019. All rights reserved.

NEW IQSA Membership Option – Automatic Renewal

The International Qur’anic Studies Association depends on its members’ continued commitment to fulfill its mission by actively participating and taking advantage of member benefits like Annual Meetings, professional networking, and more! In response to popular demand and feedback for ways to ease the processing of yearly registration, IQSA is delighted to introduce its new and improved Automatic Renewal option for Annual Membership!

Skip the hassle of manually logging in and renewing your IQSA membership every year by choosing to enable Recurring Payments for Automatic Membership Renewal! This feature processes annual subscriptions for individuals every calendar year from the member’s join date. Members must select an online payment method (PayPal or Credit Card) to enable this option, and all stored payment information is secured by Wild Apricot’s adherence to requirement 12.9 of PCI DSS v3.2 (click here for details).

Q: What if I need to change my membership level or other registration information?
Members can log in to their membership profile at https://members.iqsaweb.org to update any user information or change levels. Prices for Automatic Membership Renewal will be adjusted for recurring payments accordingly (see below).

Membership Prices (Annual)
Student/International | $25 
Mid-range Faculty/General | $50 *all non-student scholars, professionals, and mid-range faculty
Full Professor | $75 
Lifetime | $2,000 *one time-only installment
Institutional | $400

Q: What if I decide to cancel my Automatic Membership Renewal?
No Problem! Recurring Payments via Automatic Membership Renewal can be cancelled by logging in to a member’s user profile and selecting “Stop Recurring Payments” on both the Profile and Invoices and Payments tabs.

So don’t wait! Save the trouble of remembering to renew your IQSA Annual Membership by logging in to https://members.iqsaweb.org and enabling Automatic Membership Renewal today! This option guarantees continued access to member benefits including, but not limited to…

–Discounted Annual Meeting Registration
–Access to the membership directory
–Review of Qur’anic Research
–Professional development opportunities for graduate students and junior scholars, including volunteer, job postings, and employment networking
–Bilingual English-Arabic Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA)
–Eligibility for Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize ($250 USD and potential publication in JIQSA)

Questions? Email contact@iqsaweb.org to get all the details on never letting your IQSA membership lapse again!

 

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2018. All rights reserved.

How to Join IQSA: Step by Step Instructions

You’ve decided to join the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA), the first learned society dedicated to the critical investigation of the Qur’an! Follow these step by step instructions referring to the screenshots to register as a member. If you encounter problems, please email us at contact@iqsaweb.org.

Step 1: Open a broswer and go to IQSA’s homepage at www.iqsaweb.org. Click on Join Us.

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Step 2. Click Join IQSA on the membership page.

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Step 3: Choose your corresponding membership level and click “next.”

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Step 4: Enter a valid email address that you check regularly and click “next.”

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Step 5: Fill out the required contact information and scroll down.

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Step 6: Select your areas of interest and click “next.”

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Step 7: Select your payment method and proceed with the online form. Once you have completed and submitted the membership form you will receive an email confirming your registration that contains your password.

Step 8: Congratulations, you’re now an IQSA member! Your membership will expire in one year, upon which you will be prompted to renew your payment and update your contact information.

To renew or edit your membership, sign in to your member account, click the “Join IQSA” tab, and select “Edit your member profile” at the bottom of the page.

To stay informed, follow IQSA via www.iqsaweb.org, the weekly Blog, Facebook, and Twitter. Also join the IQSA discussion group by sending an email to iqsa-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Please email contact@iqsaweb.org with any questions or concerns, and welcome to IQSA!

 

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2017. All rights reserved.

2017 Annual Meeting Early Bird Registration OPEN

It’s that time of year! Early Bird Registration is NOW OPEN for the IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the SBL/AAR Annual Meetings in Boston, Massachusetts from November 18-21, 2017. Register as an affiliate member HERE. Discounted Early Bird prices end May 19, so don’t wait!

You can save on the registration fee by joining IQSA and registering for the Annual Meetings as an Affiliate Member! The membership fees for IQSA are $25, $50, and $75 depending on the level. To become an IQSA member click HERE.

Member benefits not only include discounted conference rates, but also the newly released first issue of IQSA’s flagship journal, the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association by Lockwood Press. JIQSA, vol. 1 (2016) is co-edited by Michael Pregill (Boston University) and Vanessa De Difis (Wayne State University) and features new research on the Qur’an. The editors offer an insightful introductory essay on the scope and subject matter of JIQSA, locating the field of Qur’an Studies today “between the Bible and Tafsir.” Articles include the 2015 presidential address by Reuven Firestone on and a response by Ebrahim Moosa, as well as a number of original contributions by international scholars, including posthumous contributions by Patricia Crone and Ali Mabrouk.

IQSA members have FREE online access to JIQSA 1 via the MEMBER PORTAL on IQSAWEB.org. Non-members can gain access by signing up for membership HERE. At this time institutions are strongly encouraged to subscribe for print or online access by filling out this SUBSCRIPTION FORM. Print subscriptions are also available for individual subscribers via THIS FORM.

Questions about JIQSA, IQSA membership, or Annual Meeting Registration? Email us at contact@iqsaweb.org.

We hope you’ll join us as an IQSA member and meet us in Boston!

 

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2017. All rights reserved.

IQSA Call for Papers 2017

The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for the 2017 Annual Meeting to be held in Boston, Massachusetts from November 18-21, 2017. The Annual Meeting includes panels for each of IQSA’s six program units:

  • Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus
  • The Qur’an: Surah Studies
  • Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics
  • The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition
  • The Qur’an and Late Antiquity
  • The Qur’an: Manuscripts and Textual Criticism

Please find detailed calls for papers for each program unit HERE. Paper proposals should be submitted through SBL’s automated online submission system. The paper proposal submissions are due by March 7, 2017. For additional information about a specific program unit, or if you experience difficulties with the submission process, you may contact the unit chairs listed on the Call for Papers page via email. Abstracts should be written in English, have a length of around 400 words, and include the name and affiliation of the author. IQSA welcomes all submissions and looks forward to an exciting program in Boston.

neourban hipster office desktop
IQSA Membership

Become a member or renew your membership for 2017 to continue to enjoy benefits such as discounted registration fee for the Annual Meeting, Review of Qur’anic Research, and more members only content.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2017. All rights reserved.

2016 Year in Review & Happy 2017

It’s been a fruitful year for IQSA. In 2016 we furthered our work in the Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR), helped launch the the Qur’an Seminar Commentary,  and completed work on the first issue of the Journal of the International Qur’an Studies Association, now in design and production. We also welcomed hundreds of friends and colleagues from around the world to our  Annual Meeting in San Antonio. As the year winds to a close we reflect on our association’s achievements with gratitude to our members, contributors, and readers around the world. We also take this time to renew our dedication to providing valuable resources and opportunities for collaboration in Qur’anic studies in 2017.

2016 has also come with its challenges as well. We acknowledge the passing of renowned Qur’an scholars–and dear friends– during 2016. These include Ali Mabrouk as well as Andrew Rippin. The outpouring of support for the Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize, and professor Rippin’s legacy has been unprecedented–thank you.

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The work of IQSA wouldn’t be possible without the active support of our members. So start your new year off right by joining or renewing your membership in IQSA! Three tiered membership remains in place for 2017 ($25, $50, $75), with students and select junior or international colleagues paying as little as US$25 (USD). We do our best to keep membership dues low while offering high quality, academic and professional member benefits. Your membership and support are what make this exchange possible–thank you.

To become a member, please click HERE, where you will be asked to fill out a membership form and pay the appropriate membership fees. After completing this process, you will receive login information to save for your records and use to access member benefits at any time. You can then create your own profile for our member directory.

Membership benefits for 2017 include:

We appreciate your membership!

U.S. taxpayers! Are you still looking to make an end-of-year tax deductible charitable donation? Consider supporting Qur’anic scholarship with a donation to IQSA. We are a registered 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions. You can donate to IQSA online by clicking HERE.

Finally, please do not forget to follow our Blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts, and to join the private IQSA Discussion Group. Thanks for your support!

We wish you a very Happy Holidays! كل عام وأنتم بخير

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2016. All rights reserved.

Call for Nominations

The IQSA Nominations Committee welcomes nominations for several positions. The IQSA Board of Directors needs to appoint a President Elect for 2018. Furthermore, the term of two members of the nominations committee, as well as the first term of two members of the board will expire by the end of 2017. Please see the IQSA bylaws for the description of the roles.

It is crucial that we receive nominations especially for the presidency and the nominations committee. As for the board, we expect the two members who are eligible for a second term to be willing to continue with their stellar work, yet it is crucial that we also receive nominations for these positions in case any new appointments should become necessary.

The Nominations Committee would like to ask all IQSA members to nominate possible candidates for these roles. Please note that the Nominations Committee strives for diversity in professional and academic participation. The consultation and discussion of nominations and submissions is done with great care and will ensure confidentiality.

You must be a paid member to nominate. If you are not a member join today. Please send your nominations to holger.zellentin@nottingham.ac.uk by November 10, 2016.

Important Reminders & Requests

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We are still over one month away from the 2016 Annual Meeting of the International Qur’anic Studies Association taking place in San Antonio, Texas, USA, November 18-21. We are looking forward to another exciting meeting of scholars and friends. The preliminary conference program has been posted HERE; the official Program Book PDF will be published next month.

Please do not forget our first Panel, Presidential/Keynote Address and General Reception all taking place on Friday, Nov 18 (one day before the official start of AAR or SBL). Our Presidential/Keynote Address will be delivered by IQSA president prof. Farid Esack, with a Response by IQSA member prof. Shari Lowin. All Friday events are FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Furthermore, I invite all IQSA members to fulfill their duty as members by attending our Business Meeting, Sunday, Nov 20 at 11:30 am. The program this year also celebrates the launch of the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA & Lockwood Press), the launch of The Quran Seminar / Le Qur’an Seminar Book (DeGruyter Press), and it features Doctoral Dissertation “Lightning Talks” as the theme of our Graduate Student Reception, a film screening of Jesus and Islam / Jésus et l’Islam and over six dozen cutting edge presentations and contributions.

IQSA was founded in 2012 as an independent learned society whose mission is to foster Qur’an scholarship, as well as peace and mutual understanding through scholarship. We are able to hold conferences and publish research thanks to your membership and donations. Running IQSA costs money. So I call upon your loyalty and generosity once again. If you have not already, please join IQSA and enjoy our member benefits (most members pay just $25 annually). If you are already a member–thank you–and please consider making a tax deductible donation. Finally, an organization is only as effective as the sum of its parts. Therefore, I request all members and friends of IQSA to subscribe to our Blog, the IQSA Discussion Groups and spread the world over social media (especially Facebook and Twitter).

Please check our website IQSAWEB.ORG regularly, and stay tuned for news on San Antonio AM 2016 as well as Tunisia International Meeting 2017. For those new to IQSA and wondering what we are all about please watch/share this video!

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Standing Committees and our partners we would like to express our deepest gratitude to all friends of IQSA, and we look forward to seeing you next month in San Antonio.

Sincerely,

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2016. All rights reserved.

 

IQSA Membership

The International Qur’anic Studies Association, IQSA, is committed to growing Qur’anic scholarship and creating a community where scholars can collaborate, network, and participate in lively discussions. To ensure IQSA’s continued growth, make a commitment and become a member. IQSA members enjoy exclusive access to Review of Qur’anic Research (RQR), Qur’an Seminar, membership directory, job board, the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), and more.

Share your ideas and scholarship by becoming a contributor to the IQSA Blog, contact Mehdy Shaddel (mehdyshaddel@gmail.com).

Please also consider supporting IQSA and its work through a tax-deductible contribution.

Russian orientalist S. Pissaref's 1905 facsimile edition of the famous Samarkand Qur’an (now Tashkent), attributed to the third caliph Uthman (r. 644-656 C.E.).

Russian orientalist S. Pissaref’s 1905 facsimile edition of the famous Samarkand Qur’an (now Tashkent), attributed to the third caliph Uthman (r. 644-656 C.E.).