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Lawyers, according to Edmund Burke, are bad historians. He was referring to an unwillingness, rather than an inaptitude, on the part of early nineteenth-century English lawyers to concern themselves with the past: for contemporary jurisprudence was a pure and isolated science wherein law appeared as a body of rules, based upon objective criteria, whose nature and very existence were independent of considerations of time and place. Despite the influence of the historical school of Western jurisprudence, Burke's observation is generally valid for Middle East studies. Muslim jurisprudence in its traditional form provides an extreme example of a legal science divorced from historical considerati...
Understanding Islamic law is crucial not only for Muslims, but for non-Muslims who work with Muslims in legal contexts as well as for anyone wanting to understand the role of Islam in the world today. For unlike western legal systems where religious and legal spheres are kept separate, Islamic law is all-encompassing, directing all human actions. Legal scholar Hisham Ramadan brings together articles to give an excellent overview of the formation of Islamic law and its role in contemporary Islamic and Non-Islamic states. Following an overview of Islamic Law, chapters cover Islamic criminal law, International Humanitarian Law, contract law, & family law. A concluding essay offers an explanation of the legal value of Islam and appendices include original Islamic legal documents from Muhammad's time until today.
The sharia is a set of traditional laws that define a Muslim's obligations to God and his fellow human beings. Westerners often misunderstand the nature of the sharia, born as it is of a complicated legal and academic tradition that may not always seem relevant to today's world. Written for those unfamiliar with Islam, this volume provides an accurate and objective assessment of the sharia's achievements, shortcomings and future prospects. It explores the fundamentals of Islam and traditional sharia laws. In addition, the sharia is discussed with respect to Ottoman law, puritanism and jihad. The sharia's relevance to today's world events is also explored. Among items provided in appendices are a commentary on a Western translation of the concept of jihad and an analysis of the sharia in 29 selected countries.
Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring Islamic law is one of the major legal systems in the world today, yet it is often misunderstood, particularly in the West. It is applicable in different forms as part of state law in countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and also has a strong influence on Muslim communities throughout the Western world. This Very Short Introduction provides an authoritative perspective on the evolution and nature of Islamic law. Mashood A. Baderin considers its theory, covering the history and nature of Islamic jurisprudence; its scope, covering Family Law, Inheritance Law, Financial Law, Penal Law, and International Law; and, finally, its p...
This book presents a broad account of the present knowledge of the history and outlines the system of Islamic law. Showing that Islamic law is the key to understanding the essence of one of the great world religions, this book explores how it still influences the laws of contemporary Islamicstates, and is in itself a remarkable manifestation of legal thought.
Since Europeans first colonized Arab lands in the 19th century, they have been pressing to have the area's indigenous laws and legal systems accord with Western models. Although most Arab states now have national codes of law that reflect Western influence, fierce internal struggles continue over how to interpret Islamic law, particularly in the areas of gender and family. From different geographical and ideological points across the contemporary Arab world, Haddad and Stowasser demonstrate the range of views on just what Islam's legal heritage in the region should be. For either law or religion classes, Islamic Law and the Challenges of Modernity provides the broad historical overview and particular cases needed to understand this contentious issue. Visit our website for sample chapters!
The American profession should welcome this exhaustive and authentic work edited by two scholars who are authorities on the law of Islam and also students of the law of the United States. These editors have enlisted leading authorities on special subjects and have presented the whole in a manner that should appeal to American interest and understanding. Dr. Khadduri and Dr. Liebesny are entitled to our thanks and to our congratulations. It is to be hoped that Law in the Middle East will be widely read and pondered by the American legal profession and all who believe understanding begets good will.
Through the analysis of Al-Shaybani's most prolific work As-Siyar Al Kabier, this book offers a unique insight into the classic Islamic perspective on international law. Despite being recognised as one of the earliest contributors to the field of international law, there has been little written, in English, on Al-Shaybani's work; this book will go some way towards filling the lacuna. International Islamic Law examines Al-Shaybani's work alongside that of other leading scholars such as: Augustine, Gratian, Aquinas, Vitoria and Grotius, proving a full picture of early thinking on international law. Individual chapters provide discussion on Al-Shaybani's writing in relation to war, peace, the c...
Focuses on a Muslim legal science known in Arabic as usul al-fiqh. Whereas the kindred science of fiqh is concerned with the articulation of actual rules of law, this science attempts to elaborate the theoretical and methodological foundations of the law. It outlines the features of Muslim juristic thought.
This is a major and innovative contribution to our understanding of the historical unfolding of Islamic law. Scrutinizing its historical contexts, Salaymeh proposes that Islamic law is a continuous intermingling of innovation and tradition. The book's interdisciplinary approach provides accessible explanations and translations of complex materials and ideas.