Islamic Legal Authority in a Non-Muslim Society: Designing the Islamic Credit Union of Bellevue, Washington

Todd Williams, University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Abstract

This Article examines the current state of Islamic law within a community of Muslims in the United States as it relates to Shari’a-compliant financial products. After briefly reviewing the history of Islamic finance and Islamic authority structures within the United States, I rely on interviews with multiple parties involved in the establishment of one of the first Islamic credit unions in the United States to explore the development of Islamic law within American regulation and cultural mores. I examine the authority structure present among Muslims in the Puget Sound area, and I examine the qualities that define a credible religious scholar. Fundamentally, this Article contributes to the analysis of legal authority among Muslims in the United States.