Coercion and Responsibility in Islam

Reviews / Votes

Mairaj Syed's book provides a highly readable introduction into how a group of Muslim theologians and jurists understood coercion as a theological, ethical and legal problem. * Prof. Mohammad Fadel, Marginalia Review of Books * Coercion and Responsibility in Islam is a worthwhile read for those interested in Islamic jurisprudence in this difficult area of the law. * Christopher Grout, Ecclesiastical Law Journal * Mairaj Syed's important work traces accounts of coercion and responsibility in several of the most important Muslim theological and juridical schools. That contribution is impressive enough. Syed ranges more widely, however, proposing that we explain certain features of these differing accounts by way of the factors he calls "constraint" and "contingency". In addition, Syed opens the door for comparison between Muslim and Anglo-American approaches to his subject. He thus makes contributions to the comparative study of law and ethics, as well as to the history of Muslim tradition. This is a very fine piece of work. * John Kelsay, Florida State University, USA * Lucid, erudite and highly original, Syed's book analyses an important, yet hitherto understudied, concept central to the ethical reasoning of classical Islamic thought. It makes a valuable contribution to bridging the divide between the study of jurisprudence and the study of theology, and should be read by those interested in either field. * Ayman Shihadeh, SOAS, University of London *