What does your organization do?
Shariawiz is the leading Islamic estate planning online portal in the United States. We offer Islamic estate planning forms (online Islamic wills and trusts) and information about the Sharī‘a inheritance rules, including a scholar-certified Islamic Inheritance Calculator. Shariawiz makes estate planning for American Muslims easy, accessible, affordable, and secure.
Why did you pick this problem to solve?
I’ve been an attorney for 24 years, representing a large client base from the Muslim-American community. My law practice focuses on complex family law, Sharia-compliant estate planning (Islamic wills and Islamic Trusts (waqfs), and Islamic law. And over the years, I have developed unique expertise in Islamic family law and Islamic law of inheritance provided expert testimony nationwide, taught Islamic law at Rutgers for 17 years, and drafted hundreds of reports relating to Islamic law issues in American, British, and Canadian courts. And my view of Islamic law – specifically, Sharia law – is as an epistemology that produces knowledge and can be customized to the new unique circumstances of Muslim Americans. I came to realize the magnitude of the need and potential for nationwide application of these services in a cost-effective way, as it can be complex and costly, and reach consumers who live in areas that don’t have anyone with this level of expertise. I wanted to raise awareness in the community about estate planning and providing affordable access to every Muslim American I wanted to merge my knowledge in this space with the technology and automate segments of the process to scale impact.
Share another Justice Tech org you love, and why.
Easy Expunctions rocks! Expunging criminal records is a significant access to justice issue. Making this service affordable and accessible changes lives.
Of the JTA’s Mission, Purpose, and Values, which drew you most to JTA, and how does your work address them?
What drew us most to JTA is democratizing the consumer legal experience through the use of technology for the public good and how technology can provide affordable, accessible solutions to people facing everyday legal issues.
Where can we find more information about you online?
abedawad.com