Overview

This volume presents ten leading scholars' writings on contemporary Islamic law and Muslim thought. The essays examine a range of issues, from modern Muslim discourses on justice, natural law, and the common good, to democracy, the social contract, and ""the authority of the preeminent jurist."" Changes in how Shari'a has been understood over the centuries are explored, as well as how it has been applied in both Sunni and Shi'i Islam. Debates on the nature, interpretation, reform, and application of Shari'a lie at the core of all Islamist revivalist ideologies and movements of the past two centuries. The demand for the implementation of Shari'a is one of the hallmarks of Islamic fundamentalism, and Shari'a has become one of the most controversial and politicized concepts in Muslim-majority countries today. This is one of the first books to examine how Muslims understand and apply Shari'a in contemporary societies.

Full Product Details

Author:   Abbas Amanat ,  Frank Griffel
Publisher:   Stanford University Press
Imprint:   Stanford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.399kg
ISBN:  

9780804769303

ISBN 10:   0804769303
Pages:   264
Publication Date:   14 August 2009
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  General/trade ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Frank Griffel Chapter 2 Much Ado About Values: Justice in Modern Islamic Thought Gudrun Kr'mer Chapter 3 The Harmony of Natural Law and Shari'a in Islamist Theology Frank Griffel Chapter 4 Islamic Law and Legal Change: The Concept of Ma_la_a in Classical and Contemporary Legal Theory Felicitas Opwis Chapter 5 _All_l al-F_s_: Shari'a as Blueprint for Righteous Global Citizenship David L. Johnston Chapter 6 Shari'a and Islamic Democracy in the Age of al-Jazeera Noah Feldman Chapter 7 From ijtih_d to wil_yat al-faq_h : The Evolution of the Shi'ite Authority to Political Power Abbas Amanat Chapter 8 Shi'ite Theories of Social Contract Shahrough Akhavi Chapter 9 Shari'a and Constitution in Iran: A Historical Perspective Sa'd Amir Arjomand Chapter 10 The Normativity of the Factual On the Every Day Construction of Shari'a in a Yemeni Family Court Anna W'rth Chapter 11 Afterword Roy Mottahedeh Acknowledgments About the Authors Notes Index

Reviews

What Shari'a means to contemporary Muslims matters to non-Muslims as well. This volume enlightens everyone. It is at once scholarly and accessible, and informative in a deep and reliable way. - Gene Outka, Yale University

The contributors to this volume present an important antidote, with in-depth analyses of some of the most important trends in legal thought in today's Muslim world. - John O. Voll, Islamic Law & Society What Shari'a means to contemporary Muslims matters to non-Muslims as well. This volume enlightens everyone. It is at once scholarly and accessible, and informative in a deep and reliable way. - Gene Outka, Yale University An important and illuminating anthology. This is no dry and pedantic read in the minutiae of arcane legal issues. These essays demonstrate that Shari'a is a living concern to Muslims around the world. - Sohail Hashmi, Mount Holyoke College This important and timely volume helps bridge the gap between theoretical aspects of the law and its application in the modern world, and breaks new ground by paying close attention to both Shiite and Sunni uses of Islamic law. The authors, all experts in their fields, write with unusual clarity and precision to help us to understand the complex role of Islamic law in the Muslim world today.Itwill be a vital resource. - Jonathan E. Brockopp, Pennsylvania State University

Author Information

Frank Griffel is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Yale University. Abbas Amanat is Professor of History and International and Area Studies at Yale University.

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