State Law As Islamic Law in Modern Egypt (Studies in Islamic Law and Society) (Studies in Islamic Law and Society)

This volume explores the decision by the government of Egypt in the 1970s to constitutionalize Islamic shariʻa and discusses its impact on Egyptʹs constitutional jurisprudence. The author, who is trained in Islamic intellectual history and comparative law, begins by examining the evolution of Sunni Islamic legal theory and describes competing theories of Islamic law that co-exist in modern Egypt. The book then explores how the Supreme Constitutional Court of Egypt has developed its own approach to interrpreting shariʻa -- one that permits the Court to argue that shariʻa principles are consistent with international human rights norms. The book concludes with a discussion of the public reception of the Courtʹs theory. -- Publisher description.