Toward a transformational pedagogy for system-affected Muslims in America

Abstract

2025This thesis proposes a transformational pedagogy for system-affected Muslims in America. System-affected Muslims are Black people who have been adversely affected by one or more public systems in the United States. As a result, they are often excluded from participating in the larger Muslim cultural and intellectual narrative. Combining evidence from academic research, Islamic law, and teaching philosophies from modern educational theorists, I identify three fundamental problems that contribute to this exclusion: lack of access to Islamic culture, misrepresentation of Black identities in sacred scriptures, and the absence of practical Quran-inspired daily application. This thesis puts forward a way of learning and practicing Islam that makes the tradition more accessible, more representative, and more practical for system-affected Muslims in the United States.2027-02-21T00:00:00