
An Introduction to Islamic Law
Wael B. Hallaq(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 9. July 2009
Book
Hardback
210 pages
978-0-521-86146-5 (ISBN)
Description
The study of Islamic law can be a forbidding prospect for those entering the field for the first time. Wael Hallaq, a leading scholar and practitioner of Islamic law, guides students through the intricacies of the subject in this absorbing introduction. The first half of the book is devoted to a discussion of Islamic law in its pre-modern natural habitat. The second part explains how the law was transformed and ultimately dismantled during the colonial period. In the final chapters, the author charts recent developments and the struggles of the Islamists to negotiate changes which have seen the law emerge as a primarily textual entity focused on fixed punishments and ritual requirements. The book, which includes a chronology, a glossary of key terms, and lists of further reading, will be the first stop for those who wish to understand the fundamentals of Islamic law, its practices and history.
Reviews / Votes
'This path-breaking new history of Islamic law will become a standard introduction to the subject. Professor Hallaq has provided a magnificent overview of the topic, drawing on his wide reading in primary sources and his many important publications on the history of Islamic law and Islamic legal thought.' Joseph E. Lowry, University of PennsylvaniaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
499 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-86146-5 (9780521861465)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Wael B. Hallaq
An Introduction to Islamic Law
E-Book
05/2010
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€29.49
Available for download

Wael B. Hallaq
An Introduction to Islamic Law
Book
07/2009
Cambridge University Press
€43.90
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Wael B. Hallaq
Introduction to Islamic Law
E-Book
07/2009
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€24.49
Available for download
Person
Wael B. Hallaq is James McGill Professor of Islamic Law in the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University. He is a world-renowned scholar whose publications include The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law (Cambridge University Press, 2004), Authority, Continuity and Change in Islamic Law (Cambridge University Press, 2001) and A History of Islamic Legal Theories (Cambridge University Press, 1997).
Content
Introduction; Part I. Tradition and Continuity: 1. Who's who in the Shari'a; 2. The law: how is it found?; 3. The legal schools; 4. Jurists, legal education and politics; 5. Shari'a's society; 6. Pre-modern governance: the circle of justice; Part II. Modernity and Ruptures: 7. Colonizing the Muslim world and its Shari'a; 8. Modernizing the law in the age of nation states; 9. State, ulama and Islamists; 10. Shari'a then and now: concluding notes.