Islamic Law And The Challenges Of Modernity

Since Europeans first colonized Arab lands in the 19th century, they have been pressing to have the area's indigenous laws and legal systems accord with Western models. Although most Arab states now have national codes of law that reflect Western influence, fierce internal struggles continue over how to interpret Islamic law, particularly in the areas of gender and family. From different geographical and ideological points across the contemporary Arab world, Haddad and Stowasser demonstrate the range of views on just what Islam's legal heritage in the region should be. For either law or religion classes, Islamic Law and the Challenges of Modernity provides the broad historical overview and particular cases needed to understand this contentious issue. Visit our website for sample chapters!

This book examines Dār al-Iftā, the official Saudi religious establishment for issuing fatwas, between 1971 and 1999. Specifically, it explores the challenges that this scholarly body encountered when applying Wahhābī interpretations of the Shari'a to late twentieth-century modernity.

How does Islamic law respond to social changes? This has been one of the challenging questions in Islamic legal history. Muslim legal theorists have been debating this since the formative period of the Islamic legal thought. The sources of Islamic law are limited in certain scriptural texts, historical legal precedents and supplementary legal sources. Yet, human challenges and problems are unlimited. So, how do limited numbers of divine texts and prophetic traditions provide viable solutions for ever-increasing problems of the Muslim community in this modern digital world? This book explores the intriguing relationship between social and legal changes in Islamic law. Modern technological and digital revolutions have brought about unprecedented social changes in all walks of human life. Classical Muslim jurists devised the doctrines of the general philosophy of Islamic law to relate Islamic law to changing social realities of their historical contexts. Classical legal theorists created many legal principles, theories and concepts to demonstrate the flexible and adaptable nature of Islamic law to different social conditions. Yet, classical Islamic legal thoughts are not always viable and applicable to modern social conditions. For this reason, many modern Muslim scholars argue that the legal reform is very much important today to meet the challenges of modern time. Muslim scholars seek solutions for the problems of the Muslim community in the historical precedents of past the Muslim intellectual heritage without appreciating all these modern changes. Many of them are experts on Islamic studies and yet, they find it difficult to relate what they learn to the modern social condition of this complicated world. The science of the general philosophy of Islamic law provides some dynamic mechanisms to relate Islamic teaching to modern social conditions without distorting or twisting the pure teaching of the divine message. It bridges the gap between the historical legacies of the Islamic past and the scientific development of the modern world. It relates the past legacy of Islamic heritage with the present-day realities of the modern world. It directs Muslim jurists to understand modern social conditions in a holistic approach considering both the literal and contextual meaning of the text. Therefore, many others argue that the science of the legal philosophy of Islamic law can be developed as a dynamic research methodology and developmental policy strategy. This book explores the classical and modern ideas of the general philosophy of Islamic law to understand the dynamic nature of Islamic law to adapt to the modern social conditions. This book emphasises the importance of understanding texts, context and social realities. When we apply the divine texts into modern context we should time and space factors. Moreover, the social realities of modern societies otherwise, the application of divine texts will not be always viable in this modern world. The literal school of Islamic legal thought does not take these factors into consideration when they try to apply the divine texts to modern conditions. The challenges of modernity are immense in all field of human sciences. We see a lot of changes in politics, geopolitics, finance, business sections and many other fields of education and human sciences. It is expected that the digital technology and artificial intelligence will bring dramatic changes into human life by 2040. The Muslim world must make some legal changes to meet the challenges of the social changes. The basic argument of this book is that some aspects of classical legal thoughts are viable today in our modern context and legal changes are unavoidable. The book explores different areas of modern development in human sciences to highlight the importance of legal changes in accordance with social changes and it explores the adaptable nature of Islamic law to all places and in ages without distorting the essence.

Recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa have radically destabilised the region, which is beset with rising religious and political tensions, sectarian conflict and terrorism. Though in crisis and suffering from a paralysis of will, the region is also vastly rich in culture, and vital for the stability of the international order. There is an urgent need for an accurate understanding of these complex developments. What does the future hold for this geopolitically critical region? In this vital multidisciplinary volume, leading Middle Eastern and Western scholars present constructive, long-term solutions to endemic sociocultural, economic and political issues facing the MENA region – issues which require a fundamental transformation of the current system of values and patterns of thought. They offer expert analysis on critical facets of the region, including globalisation, the environment and sustainability, education, nonviolence, human rights, inter-religious coexistence, Islamic social principles, and Qur'anic ethics. Enriching our understanding of the contemporary affairs of the MENA region, Winds of Change is essential reading for achieving peace, socio-cultural progress and prosperity in the region.

This book offers unique insights into Islamic law, considering its theoretical perspectives alongside its practical application in daily Muslim life.

Tariq Ramadan attempts to demonstrate, using sources which draw upon Islamic thought and civilization, that Muslims can respond to contemporary challenges of modernity without betraying their identity. The book argues that Muslims, nurished by their own points of reference, can approach the modern epoch by adopting a specific social, political, and economic model that is linked to ethical values, a sense of finalities and spirituality. Rather than a modernism that tends to impose Westernization, it is a modernity that admits to the pluralism of civilizations, religions, and cultures. Table of Contents: Foreword Introduction History of a Concept The Lessons of History Part 1: At the shores of Transcendence: between God and Man Part 2: The Horizons of Islam: Between Man and the Community Part 3: Values and Finalities: The Cultural Dimension of the Civilizational Face to Face Conclusion Appendix Index Tariq Ramadan is a professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Oxford and a visiting professor in Identity and Citizenship at Erasmus University. He was named by TIME Magazine as one of the one hundred innovators of the twenty-first century

Social changes demand the legal changes in Islamic law: Some theoretical and pragmatic arguments by DR SLM RIFAIHow does Islamic law respond to social changes? This has been one of the challenging questions in Islamic legal history. Muslim legal theorists have been debating this since the formative period of the Islamic legal thought. The sources of Islamic law are limited in certain scriptural texts, historical legal precedents and supplementary legal sources. Yet, human challenges and problems are unlimited. So, how do limited numbers of divine texts and prophetic traditions provide viable solutions for ever-increasing problems of the Muslim community in this modern digital world? This book explores the intriguing relationship between social and legal changes in Islamic law. Modern technological and digital revolutions have brought about unprecedented social changes in all walks of human life. Classical Muslim jurists devised the doctrines of the general philosophy of Islamic law to relate Islamic law to changing social realities of their historical contexts. Classical legal theorists created many legal principles, theories and concepts to demonstrate the flexible and adaptable nature of Islamic law to different social conditions. Yet, classical Islamic legal thoughts are not always viable and applicable to modern social conditions. For this reason, many modern Muslim scholars argue that the legal reform is very much important today to meet the challenges of modern time. Muslim scholars seek solutions for the problems of the Muslim community in the historical precedents of past the Muslim intellectual heritage without appreciating all these modern changes. Many of them are experts on Islamic studies and yet, they find it difficult to relate what they learn to the modern social condition of this complicated world. The science of the general philosophy of Islamic law provides some dynamic mechanisms to relate Islamic teaching to modern social conditions without distorting or twisting the pure teaching of the divine message. It bridges the gap between the historical legacies of the Islamic past and the scientific development of the modern world. It relates the past legacy of Islamic heritage with the present-day realities of the modern world. It directs Muslim jurists to understand modern social conditions in a holistic approach considering both the literal and contextual meaning of the text. Therefore, many others argue that the science of the legal philosophy of Islamic law can be developed as a dynamic research methodology and developmental policy strategy. This book explores the classical and modern ideas of the general philosophy of Islamic law to understand the dynamic nature of Islamic law to adapt to the modern social conditions. This thesis emphasises the importance of understanding texts, context and social realities. When we apply the divine texts into modern context, we should take the time and space factors into account. Moreover, the social realities of modern societies otherwise, the application of divine texts will not be always viable in this modern world. The literal school of Islamic legal thought does not take these factors into consideration when they try to apply the divine texts to modern conditions. The challenges of modernity are immense in all field of human sciences. We see a lot of changes in politics, geopolitics, finance, business sections and many other fields of education and human sciences. It is expected that the digital technology and artificial intelligence will bring dramatic changes into human life by 2040. The Muslim world must make some legal changes to meet the challenges of the social changes. The basic argument of this paper is that some aspects of classical legal thoughts are viable today in our modern context and legal changes are unavoidable. This study explores different areas of modern development in human sciences to highlight the importance of legal changes.