About the Journal

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law is a peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal published by the Islamic Criminal Law Study Program, Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri Mandailing Natal, Indonesia. Established in 2026, the journal provides an international academic platform for scholars, researchers, academics, legal practitioners, policymakers, and students to disseminate original research and engage in scholarly discussion on the theory, development, and practice of Islamic criminal law and its broader relationship with Islamic legal studies.

The name Uqubah is derived from the Arabic term 'uqūbah (عقوبة), which generally refers to punishment or legal sanctions imposed in response to criminal offences. Within the tradition of Islamic jurisprudence, uqubah is closely associated with criminal responsibility, punishment, justice, and the protection of individual and public interests. The term therefore reflects the journal’s principal scholarly orientation toward Islamic criminal law while also representing a broader intellectual concern with the relationship between law, justice, morality, society, and legal institutions from Islamic perspectives.

Aims and Objectives

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law is dedicated to advancing high-quality scholarship in the field of Islamic criminal law through the publication of original and innovative research. The journal seeks to provide a forum for rigorous academic inquiry into the theoretical foundations, historical development, doctrinal interpretations, contemporary applications, and future directions of Islamic criminal law.

The journal aims to:

• promote the development of Islamic criminal law scholarship through rigorous and original academic research;
• facilitate critical engagement with classical Islamic legal heritage and contemporary legal thought;
• encourage dialogue between Islamic legal traditions and modern legal systems;
• provide a platform for comparative, socio-legal, empirical, historical, and interdisciplinary research;
• contribute to scholarly discussions on criminal justice, human rights, legal reform, and the application of Islamic legal principles; and
• foster international academic exchange and collaboration among scholars and researchers in the field of Islamic law.

Focus and Scope

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law primarily focuses on Islamic criminal law and welcomes scholarly contributions addressing classical and contemporary issues in Islamic criminal law and its development within Islamic legal studies. The journal encourages research employing theoretical, doctrinal, empirical, comparative, historical, socio-legal, and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as studies examining Islamic criminal law across diverse legal and socio-cultural contexts.

For detailed information on the journal’s scope and areas of interest, please visit the Focus and Scope section.

Scholarly Contributions

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law seeks to publish research that offers significant theoretical, doctrinal, empirical, comparative, socio-legal, historical, or interdisciplinary contributions to the field. The journal values research that develops new perspectives, provides critical analysis of existing legal doctrines, addresses emerging legal challenges, or contributes to a deeper understanding of Islamic criminal law in contemporary contexts.

The journal encourages critical and constructive engagement with both classical Islamic legal scholarship and contemporary legal issues. By bringing together perspectives from different jurisdictions, disciplines, and academic traditions, Uqubah aims to contribute to a broader and more nuanced understanding of Islamic criminal law and its relevance to contemporary questions of justice, law, and society.

International and Interdisciplinary Orientation

Although rooted in the academic study of Islamic criminal law in Indonesia, Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law has an international orientation. The journal welcomes scholarly contributions from researchers and institutions around the world and encourages studies that explore Islamic criminal law across different legal, historical, political, and socio-cultural settings.

The journal also promotes interdisciplinary engagement, recognizing that the study of Islamic criminal law may benefit from insights drawn from law, Islamic studies, political science, sociology, history, criminology, human rights studies, and other relevant fields. Such engagement is intended to broaden scholarly perspectives and strengthen the relevance of Islamic legal research to contemporary academic and societal debates.

Peer Review and Publication Ethics

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law applies a rigorous double-blind peer-review process to ensure the originality, academic quality, methodological rigor, relevance, and scholarly contribution of published manuscripts. The journal is committed to maintaining high standards of publication ethics, academic integrity, transparency, and fairness throughout the editorial and publication process.

For detailed information about the journal’s peer-review procedures, editorial process, publication ethics, and responsibilities of authors, reviewers, and editors, please visit the Peer Review Process and Publication Ethics sections.

Open Access

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law is committed to providing immediate and unrestricted access to its published scholarly content. As an open-access journal, all published articles are freely accessible to readers worldwide, supporting the broad dissemination, visibility, and accessibility of research in Islamic criminal law.

For detailed information about the journal’s open-access policy, access conditions, and related provisions, please visit the Open Access Policy section.

Publication Frequency

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law is published biannually, with two issues released each year in July and December. Each issue features five scholarly articles that have successfully undergone editorial screening and a rigorous double-blind peer-review process.

For detailed information about the journal’s publication schedule and issue structure, please visit the Publication Frequency section.

Copyright and Licensing

All articles published in Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License. This license permits users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, adapt, and reuse the published material for lawful purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the journal.

For detailed information regarding copyright, licensing terms, permitted reuse, and author rights, please visit the Copyright and Licensing section.

Commitment to Scholarly Excellence

Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Criminal Law is committed to becoming a credible and internationally engaged forum for the advancement of Islamic criminal law scholarship. Through rigorous peer review, open access, ethical publishing practices, and engagement with diverse scholarly perspectives, the journal seeks to promote meaningful academic dialogue and contribute to the continuing development of Islamic legal thought.

The journal welcomes contributions that bridge classical Islamic legal traditions and contemporary legal challenges and that advance scholarly understanding of criminal law, justice, legal reform, and society from Islamic legal perspectives.