Introduction to Islamic Law

Ebrahim Afsah

030655 VO - 3 ECTS, 2 SWS

Dienstag, 13.00 bis 15.00 Uhr
Digital

This course provides an accessible and systematic introduction to the study of Islamic law. Reflecting its traditional strengths in private law, this course focuses on Islamic family, commercial and contract law, treating Islamic public law only in passing. We examines the nature and development of Islamic law from three distinct but related angles: (1) as dogma centred around the interpretation of authoritative texts; (2) as practice centred around the observation of the way its norms are actually observed by human beings; and (3) as contingency centred around the recognition of the diverse historical, social and cultural forms it can take.
Given the complexities of its historical and dogmatic genesis, the study of Islamic law can be a forbidding prospect for those setting out to enter this field. The inherent intricacies of the subject are confounded by an increasingly polarised political and scholarly debate surrounding political Islam, in which demands for religious law often take central stage. This course is aimed at graduate students in law, oriental studies, theology, political science and related disciplines. There are no linguistic or disciplinary prerequisites, all required material is in English, necessary terms will be explained in class and a glossary provided.