Dr. Yousef Casewit

Biography

Yousef Casewit is an Associate Professor specializing in Qur'anic Studies at the University of Chicago Divinity School. His research interests encompass Islamic Studies, particularly intellectual history in North Africa and al-Andalus, as well as Muslim perceptions of the Bible. He has delved into medieval commentaries on the ninety-nine divine names, contributing significantly to the understanding of these themes. His notable publications include 'Mystics of al-Andalus: Ibn Barrajān and Islamic Thought in the Twelfth Century' (Cambridge University Press, 2017) and a critical edition of Ibn Barrajan’s Qur’an commentary (Brill, TSQ Series, 2016). Recently, he published 'Divine Names: Mystical Theology of the Names of God in the Qur’an', which is a translation and critical edition of a Sufi-philosophical commentary by the Algerian scholar ‘Afif al-Din al-Tilimsani (d. 1291), showcasing his expertise in Arabic literature. Before joining the Divinity School, Professor Casewit was a Humanities Research Fellow at New York University Abu Dhabi and served as an Assistant Professor of Arabic Intellectual Heritage and Culture at the American University of Sharjah. He completed his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at Yale University’s Religious Studies Department. Born in Egypt and raised in Morocco, he is fluent in Arabic, French, and Spanish, and has traveled extensively in the Islamic world to study under various Muslim scholars in Morocco, Syria, and Mauritania.

Research Interests

Experience