Islamic Law

"Introducing undergraduate students to Islamic law, this accessible textbook does not presume legal or technical knowledge. Drawing on a comparative approach, it encourages students to think through the issues of the application of Islamic law in majoritarian and minority Islamic legal contexts, including the USA, Saudia Arabia, Egypt and Malaysia. The book surveys the historical development as well as the contemporary contexts of Islamic law. In distilling the history of Islamic law for non-specialists, the author covers important topics such as the development and transformation of Islamic Institutions during and following colonialism. Coverage of Islamic law across contemporary contexts draws on real case material, and allows for discussion of Islam as a legal as well as ethical and moral code that is activated both inside and outside the court. Shariʻa (an Arabic word that simply means water-source or 'law') is explained, and the book also covers the two sources of 'authority' of Islamic Law, the Qurʼan, and the State. Readers will learn about rituals, dietary restrictions, family, contracts and property, lawful and unlawful gain, criminal law and punishments, and what makes a government legitimate in the eyes of Muslim individuals and authorities."-- "This is an introductory overview of Islamic law, and the first designed specifically for undergraduates in religious and Islamic studies, and covers both contemporary and historical aspects"--