By-Laws

Article I. Name.

The International Society for Islamic legal Studies (“ISILS”) is an international and nonprofit organization incorporated in 2004 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Article II. Purpose and values.

1. Purpose: ISILS aims to encourage scholarship on and to foster communication about Islamic law and related subjects. ISILS’s primary focus is the organization and convening of the Islamic Legal Studies conferences, which are held triennially.
2. Values: ISILS is committed to upholding the values of professional responsibility, diversity, inclusion, respect, free inquiry, critical examination, transparency, and academic excellence. ISILS shall tolerate no discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, color, ethnicity, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender expression or identification, sexual orientation, disability, religion, culture, political convictions, socioeconomic status, age, health conditions or marital, domestic, or parental status, or any other applicable basis proscribed by law. ISILS is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment where all members are valued and have equal opportunities to contribute and thrive.

Article III. Membership.

1. Eligibility: ISILS is open to all who are interested in the academic study of Islamic law.
2. Admission: Applicants for membership must complete an application form provided by ISILS on its website and proceed to the payment of their dues. Membership is subject to approval by the Board of Directors which may be delegated to the Secretary.
3. Membership categories: Membership of ISILS shall be composed of the following classes:
   Regular members — Persons who pay the membership fee set by the Board of Directors;
   B.     Student members — Persons who present evidence that they are currently students regularly enrolled in an institution of higher learning and who pay a reduced membership fee, including PhD students.

The Board of Directors may establish other membership categories at its discretion and define the qualifications for each.

4. Benefits: All members in good standing shall have the right:
   to attend Business Meetings of ISILS;
   ii.     to receive ISILS’s electronic newsletter as it is made available;
   iii.     to participate in the website and other services provided by ISILS to the membership.
5. Dues: The membership fee will be set by the Board of Directors, with a reduced rate for students. The membership fee, which is for a three-year period, is due as of January 1st of every third year, starting January 1, 2005. Membership dues are considered overdue if not paid by April 15 of the renewal year.

Article IV. Meetings.

1. General meeting. A General Meeting of ISILS will be held at least every three years, on the occasion of an international conference on Islamic law, the precise time and place of such meeting to be determined by the Board of Directors. The Secretary shall announce General Meetings to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance.
2. Special meetings: Special meetings of ISILS may be called by the Board of Directors at any time. The meeting shall be announced to the Members at least thirty (30) days in advance. The special meeting may be held by any means of communication, as decided by the Board of Directors, by which all Members participating may simultaneously hear the proceedings during the meeting. Only the business indicated in the call for the meeting shall be transacted.
3. Business Meeting: A Business Meeting will be held at every General Meeting.
4. Quorum: At Business Meetings three members of the Board of Directors and fifteen other individual members shall constitute a quorum.
5. Members with outstanding dues or those who joined less than 120 days before the Business Meeting are not eligible to vote. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Student Members attending the meeting shall have the right to vote for the Student Representative, regardless of their membership duration, provided they have paid their dues for the current membership period.

Article V. Finances.

The fiscal year of ISILS shall be the calendar year. Receipts from dues, income from investments not designated for specific purposes, interest on bank accounts, and gifts, endowments, legacies and all other receipts not designated for specific purposes shall be placed in a General Account available for appropriations to the annual budget.

Article VI. Executive Officers and Board of Directors.

1. Governance: The governing body of ISILS is the Board of Directors, which has authority and is responsible for governance of the Society. The Board of Directors shall be guided by democratic principles and shall seek to be both accessible and accountable to Members. In governing, the Board shall, by various means, endeavor to hear and take into consideration the views of all Members. The Board of Directors, while meeting its legal fiduciary obligations, concerns itself with strategic direction of the Society through strategic planning, policy development, assessment, and promotion.
2. Positions. The Executive Officers of the Society shall be the President and the Secretary. The members of the Board of Directors shall be the Executive Officers, three General Members and a Student Representative. The Student Representative must be a member who, at the time of their election, is a PhD Student.
3. Treasurer. Under the authority and policies of the Board of Directors, a Treasurer is appointed. The Treasurer reports annually to the Board on the finances of the society and is appointed by a majority vote of the Board of Directors for a three‐year, renewable term. The Treasurer may be an elected member of the Board of Directors, or an appointed non-voting member. The Treasurer is responsible for managing the funds of ISILS, as well as their accurate accounting. The Treasurer also proposes an annual budget to the Board of Directors and oversees its implementation.
4. Nominations. A Nominating Committee of three regular members shall be appointed by resolution of the Board of Directors three months before the upcoming Business Meeting. The Secretary shall inform all the members of ISILS about any open position on the Board of Directors and communicate the names of the members of the Nominating Committee. Members of the association may suggest nominees or express their own interest in running for any open position to the Nominating Committee by a set deadline. The Nominating Committee can contact other members they deem suitable for any open position, should they wish to do so, and shall coordinate with the current Student Representative to collect the list of nominees for the position of Student Representative.

The Nominating Committee shall submit the slate of candidates, along with a short biography for each of them and their statement of interest, to the Secretary at least four weeks before the Business Meeting. The Secretary shall announce the slate of nominees, with biographical information, to the membership before the next Business Meeting.

A nominee for a position on the Board must have shown a past commitment to the Society, including attending at least one conference and Business Meeting prior to the conference during which the elections take place. An exception is done for the Student Representative, who may be nominated even though they did not attend a previous meeting.

A member may also be nominated for any vacant position by the petition of at least fifteen (15) members, if such petition is received by the Secretary at least one week prior to the Business Meeting. At its discretion, the Board may allow additional nominations from the floor at the Business Meeting.

5. Elections. Members of the Board of Directors are elected at the Business Meeting by a majority vote of the Members eligible to vote. The Student Representative will be elected by a majority vote of the ISILS Students Members who are eligible to vote.
6. Terms. The President shall be elected for a term of three years and may not stand for re-election until after at least one intervening three-year term. The Secretary and the General Members shall serve for a term of six years, without limit on terms served consecutively. The Student Representative shall be elected for a term of three years and may not serve an additional consecutive term in the same function. Positions with six-year terms shall be staggered so that two of them fall vacant every three years. There is no remuneration for the position of Executive Officer, General Member or Student Representative. All terms shall commence on the first day of the month following the end of General Meeting at which the election occurs.
7. Resignation and Removal. Any member of the Board of Directors may be removed from office by the unanimous vote of the other members of the Board or by a petition signed by 51% of the current membership. Any member of the Board of Directors may resign at any time. In the event of removal, resignation or other vacancy however arising, the remaining Board of Directors may by resolution appoint an individual to serve in the vacated position until the next Business Meeting, at which time a member shall be elected to that office for its remaining term.
8. Powers. The Board of Directors shall have all powers and authority necessary for the management of the business property and affairs of ISILS and to do such lawful acts and things as it deems proper and appropriate to promote the objectives and purposes of the organization. If or when applicable, the Board shall approve an annual budget which may be revised by the Board during the fiscal year. It shall appoint delegates of ISILS and all members of committees whose election is not otherwise provided for in the Constitution and By-Laws, including a Treasurer who will be granted access to the bank account. It may appoint such new committees and delegates as are necessary and may grant them such authority as is required to further the purposes of the ISILS.
9. Regular Meetings of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall meet during the General Meeting preceding the Business Meeting of ISILS and at least once annually, even in years when no regular Business Meeting is held.
10. Special Meetings of the Board of Directors. Special meetings of the Board of Directors for any purpose or purposes may be called at any time by the President. Such meetings shall be held upon not less than three days’ notice given by telephone or e-mail communication. Such notice shall specify the time and place of the meeting.
11. Action Without Meeting. The Board of Directors or any committee of the Board of Directors may act without a meeting if, prior or subsequent to such action, every member of the Board or committee shall consent in writing to such action. Such written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the meeting. A vote on the exclusion of a member may be taken, however, only at a meeting.
12. Virtual Meetings. The Board of Directors or any of its committees may meet via video call or any other communication platform that allows all participants to hear and interact with each other in real time.
13. Quorum. At duly called meetings of the Board of Directors, a majority of its members shall constitute a quorum for conducting business. Decisions are made by a majority vote of those present, except where these By-Laws or the Articles of Incorporation specify otherwise. In the event of a tie vote during a meeting of the Board, the President’s vote will break the tie.

Article VII. Duties of the Board of Directors.

1. President. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the organization and shall chair all Board meetings and Business Meetings.
2. Secretary. The Secretary shall have charge of the records and general correspondence of ISILS, keep the membership lists, collect dues, and maintain custody of all funds of ISILS. At the Business Meeting the Secretary shall submit a report covering the actions of the Board of Directors since the previous meeting. An annual report shall be filed by the Secretary before March 15 with the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
3. Directors. The General Members and the Student Representative shall be responsible to advise and assist the President and Secretary with all Board business, as delegated by the President. The President may assign responsibilities to individual General Members, such as overseeing the ISILS website and acting as Treasurer of the Society.

 

Article VIII. Amendments.

These By-Laws may be amended only by vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors. Members of the Board must submit proposals for changes in the By-Laws to the Secretary in writing at least three weeks before the Board meeting at which they are to be considered, unless such notice is waived by unanimous vote of the Board. Amendments shall become effective when ratified by a majority vote of a Business Meeting at which a quorum is present.

Adopted on 28 May 2025, to be effective as of 1 June 2025.