Australian Muslims and Religious Authority

Chapter 4 examines Australian Muslim perspectives on religious authority. It analyses fieldwork data from imams, academics, educators and survey participants in relation to who ordinary Australian Muslims trust and recognise as religious authorities. It draws on qualitative interviews and survey results to elicit which actors and platforms Muslims seek for religious knowledge. The chapter investigates participant views about what constitutes an alim or scholar of Islam, and the type of qualifications and training required to lead a Muslim congregation or mosque. Correspondingly, survey participants are asked about their interactions with alternative social, institutional and technological platforms they use to obtain Islamic knowledge. This is supported by survey data on what attributes Australian Muslims look for regarding a religious actor’s qualifications, professional development and local knowledge of laws, customs and language.