JJUB55137U Islamic Law - NOTE: THE COURSE IS CANCELLED IN THE AUTUMN SEMESTER 2018

This course focuses on historical and contemporary issues in Islamic law. The purpose of the course is make students familiar with key concepts and debates in Islamic legal practice and scholarship. To this end, at the beginning the course examines the key concepts and issues from a historical account.

These issues include, among others, the sources of Islamic law, legislation in Islamic law, the origins and influences on Islamic law, Islamic law and animals, the family law in Islamic legal scholarship, finance in Islamic legal traditions, and the law in the Ottoman Empire. The histiographical approach is necessary in order to unpack any taken for granted assumptions concerning the topics covered.

The second half of the course concentrates on the contemporary practices of Islamic law and its influences on the legal systems both in Islamic and western societies. The regional focus covers Southeast Asia, Iran, Turkey, North America, Western Europe, and Austrialia. The contemporary focus also extends to issues of human rights and constitutions in Islamic law.