Syed Atif Rizwan grew up in New Jersey and completed his undergraduate studies at Rutgers University, where he majored in Economics and minored in Chemistry. After graduation, he spent 8 years in the financial services industry, during which time he worked in New Jersey, New York, and Los Angeles. In 2009, he matriculated in Claremont Graduate School’s Master’s in Islamic Studies program and in 2011 he enrolled in the Islamic studies doctoral program at the University of California, Los Angeles. Syed joined the CTU faculty in 2018 and became director of the Catholic-Muslim Studies Program in 2020. His research interests include history of Islamic law; hadith studies; medieval and post-modern theories of punishment; and interreligious dialogue and studies.
- “Interreligious Formation, Community-Based Learning, and Justice: The Case of Formerly Incarcerated Citizens,” Religion & Education 51 (2024): 70-84.
- “The Politics of ‘Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb and Zinā-Stoning,” Arab Law Quarterly (Feb 2022): 1-49
- “Mitigating Punishment’s Overreach: Classical Islamic Jurisprudence and Criminal Justice Reform in the Contemporary U.S.”
- Book Review: “A Solid Contribution: An Assessment of a Volume in the Building Bridges Seminar Book Series.” In Christian and Muslim Perspectives: Mercy and Grace. Edited by Lucinda Mosher. Georgetown University Press, 2025.
