Peer Review Process

All manuscripts submitted to Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Law undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, in which the identities of both authors and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the evaluation process. This system is implemented to ensure objectivity, impartiality, confidentiality, and academic integrity.

Upon submission, each manuscript undergoes an initial editorial assessment (desk evaluation) conducted by the Editor-in-Chief or an assigned Handling Editor. The initial assessment evaluates:

• The manuscript’s alignment with the journal’s aims and scope;
• Compliance with the journal’s author guidelines;
• Academic quality and originality;
• Scholarly contribution and relevance;
• Adherence to publication ethics; and
• Compliance with basic technical requirements.

At this stage, manuscripts may also be screened using plagiarism detection software or other similarity-checking tools. Manuscripts that do not meet the journal’s requirements or fall outside its scope may be rejected without external review (desk rejection).

Manuscripts that pass the initial screening are assigned to at least two independent reviewers with expertise relevant to the subject area of the submission. Reviewers are selected based on their academic qualifications, research expertise, publication record, and the absence of conflicts of interest with the authors.

Reviewers are required to provide objective, constructive, confidential, and timely evaluations. The review process considers the following aspects:

• Originality and novelty of the research;
• Significance and relevance of the topic;
• Theoretical framework and conceptual foundation;
• Research methodology and analytical approach;
• Validity and reliability of data, evidence, or arguments;
• Quality of results, analysis, and discussion;
• Appropriateness and relevance of references;
• Clarity and organization of presentation; and
• Overall contribution to the advancement of Islamic law scholarship.

Based on the reviewers’ recommendations and editorial evaluation, the editor will make one of the following decisions:

• Accept — the manuscript is accepted without further revision.
• Accept with Minor Revisions — the manuscript requires limited revisions before publication.
• Major Revisions Required — substantial revisions are required, and the revised manuscript may undergo further evaluation.
• Reject — the manuscript is not suitable for publication in the journal.

In cases where reviewers provide substantially different recommendations, the editor may request an additional review or consult members of the Editorial Board before reaching a final decision.

Authors receiving a revision decision must submit a revised manuscript along with a detailed response to reviewers, explaining how each comment has been addressed. For manuscripts requiring major revisions, the revised version may be returned to the original reviewers for further assessment.

The Editor-in-Chief holds final responsibility for all publication decisions, taking into consideration the reviewers’ reports, the Handling Editor’s recommendations, the scholarly quality of the manuscript, and the journal’s editorial policies.

Throughout the peer-review process, Uqubah: Journal of Islamic Law upholds the principles of fairness, confidentiality, transparency, academic integrity, and ethical publishing. The journal follows internationally recognized publication ethics standards, including the guidelines established by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), to ensure that all published articles meet high standards of scholarly quality and integrity.