Monthly Archives: January 2025

Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize 2024-25

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The International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) will award a prize to the best paper delivered at IQSA’s 2024 meetings (London or San Diego) by a graduate student or early career scholar (Ph.D. awarded 2019 or later), in honor of Andrew Rippin, inaugural president of the learned society. The prize winner will receive $500.

In addition, the award committee will provide him/her with detailed feedback and guidance enabling him/her to expand the paper into a scholarly article that qualifies for publication in the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), subject to peer review.

Interested scholars should submit a draft of the paper which they read at the most current Annual Meeting (for 2024, this can be either the London or the San Diego meeting); this draft should be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages (or 3750 words including bibliography). The award committee does not expect at this stage a “journal-ready” version (and so limited footnotes, or no footnotes, are acceptable). Please do not submit slides. 

Submissions should be emailed to contactus@iqsaweb.org by February 14, 2025. The prize winner will be announced at the end of February. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article to JIQSA by May 31, 2025 (the prize winner of the “Andrew Rippin Best Paper Prize” commits to submitting the paper to JIQSA). Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA.

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to receiving your submissions!

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

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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!

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