Islamic Law: The Sharia from Muhammad's Time to the Present

Hunt Janin, André Kahlmeyer

McFarland, Mar 8, 2007 - Religion - 215 pages

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.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• 1 Fundamentals of Islam: 9
• Obligations to God and to Fellow Human Beings: 28
• From the Beginnings to al Shatibis Legal Reforms: 48
• Süleyman the Magnificent: 81
• 5 The Sharia Under Wahhabi Puritanism and Incursions by the West: 88
• 6 The Sharia and Jihad: 105
• 7 The Sharia in the World Today: 130
• 8 Islamic Banking: 170
• Reform or Retrenchment?: 175
• AlShafiis Views on Legal Knowledge: 179
• Translating the Concept of Jihad: 181
• The Sharia in 29 Selected Countries Today: 182
• Selected Chronology c 5702001: 183
• Glossary: 187
• Chapter Notes: 191
• Bibliography: 199
• Index: 205

About the author

Hunt Janin is an American writer living in southwestern France. He has written numerous nonfiction and scholarly books on a range of subjects, including medieval history and cross-cultural studies. André Kahlmeyer has a MA degree in Middle Eastern studies and has studied, traveled, worked, and learned Arabic in the Middle East. He now focuses on Middle Eastern issues, working for a developmental aid agency as project officer for Islamic countries.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Islamic Law: The Sharia from Muhammad's Time to the Present
• Authors: Hunt Janin, André Kahlmeyer
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: McFarland, 2007
• ISBN: 0786429216, 9780786429219
• Length: 215 pages
• Subjects: Religion / General; Social Science / Criminology