My work is situated at the intersections of religion, ethics, and collective memory. Currently, my project explores the relationship between sharīʿah and customary law (xeer) in Bilad as-Ṣumal, which is now known as Somalia but historically encompassed the territories of present-day Djibouti, Eastern Ethiopia, and the NFD region of Kenya. I seek to understand the intersections of anathematization, creedal factionalism/fluidity, and tensions within and beyond the religious elite who dominate this discourse.
Additionally, I am intrigued by the development of debates and contestations over "sacred space" in Bilad as-Ṣumal, particularly the discourse surrounding the permissibility of venerating graves, tombs, and shrines associated with scholars, mystics, and tribal/clan leaders.
I hold a diploma in Islamic Studies from Abubakar As-Siddique's Institute for Islamic Studies, a BA in History from Augsburg University, and an MA in Heritage Studies and Public History from the University of Minnesota.
During my graduate training at the University of Minnesota, I was an Andrew W. Mellon Graduate Fellow, I conducted research in Islamic Law on fatāwā related to the emergence and response to the COVID-19 pandemic under the guidance of Dr. Hassan Abdelsalam. Additionally, I served as a graduate fellow with the Islamic Cataloging team at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, where I archived East African Manuscripts under the supervision of Dr. Josh Mugler.
I completed a FLAS Fellowship at Maʿhad al-Lugha al-ʿArabiyyah in Fes, Morocco, where I explored the development and articulation of legal-ethical principles in the thought of the 5th-century Mālikī polymath, Abū al-Walīd al-Bājī (d. 474 AH), as well as the thought of the contemporary Moroccan philosopher Taha Abdurrahman. In my final year, I served as a Digital Humanities and Oral Histories Fellow with the University of Minnesota Libraries and the MN Transform team.
In my (rare) free time, I am a translator of classical Islamic texts and Somali poetry.
Advisors: Dr. Lee V. Cassanelli (HIST), Dr. Paul Cobb (NELC), Dr. Eve Troutt Powell (HIST)
By Appointment
M.A., Heritage Studies & Public History, University of Minnesota
B.A., History, Augsburg University
B.A., Islamic Studies, Abubakar As-Siddique Institute for Islamic Studies
Islamic Law, Hadith Studies, Manuscript Studies, Transnational Networks of Learning, Itinerant scholars, Ulema-State paradigm, Natural Language Processing.
Teaching Assistant for:
“Africa Before 1800,” Dr. Cheikh Babou, Professor of History, Fall 2023
“Africa After 1800,” Dr. Lee Cassinelli, Associate Professor of History, Spring 2024
Mohamed, Mohamud. “Migration, Digitization, and Preservation - A Case Study of a Somali Manuscript” Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (2021)
Mohamed, Mohamud. “Beyond The Specter of The Colossus,” Atmos Earth (2021)
Mohamed, Mohamud. “From Zeila to Futa Jallon: Muslim States and the Colonial Encounter,” Black Muslim Psychology Conference Papers (2020).
Mohamed, Mohamud. “The Dugsi: A Dynamic or Outdated Methodology for Islamic Pedagogy in East Africa,” Black Muslim Psychology Conference Papers (2019).
Mohamed, Mohamud. “Reform, Authority, and Power: The Radical Hermeneutics of Ibn Taymiyyah and Martin Luther,” Augsburg Undergraduate Research Symposium (2018).
Mohamed, Mohamud. “A Bridge for The Sunnah in A Time of Fitnah -Towards a Theology of Mutual Support,” Senior Submission, Council on International Educational Exchange (Spring 2018).
Mohamed, Mohamud “Islam and Blackness: A crossroads" 1 & 2” Huffington Post. (2016)
The Schoenberg Institute for Manuscript Studies
Middle East Studies Association
African Studies Association
The Islamic Manuscript Association
Somali Studies International Association
American Society for Legal History