Islamic Law

This course introduces students to the sources, jurisprudential methodology, doctrines, actors and institutions, and operation of Islamic law from classical to modern times. Readings include primary sources--foundational texts, fatwas (legal opinions), case reports, and constitutional and statutory provisions--along with secondary sources that discuss the history and evolution of Islamic law, theories of Islamic legal interpretation, competing views of the meaning and application of Islamic law, and variations in the role Islamic law plays in the legal systems of today's Muslim-majority countries. Specific topics to be covered include: the roots of the law and the derivation of legal rules from those roots; the respective roles of scholars, judges, executive officials and other actors in determining and enforcing rules of Islamic law; judicial procedure and rules of evidence; reform and the reception of Western law in the 19th and 20th centuries; democracy, constitutionalism, and contemporary theories and forms of "Islamic" states; and Islamic law in the U.S. and other "non-Muslim" lands. Cases in criminal law, family law, Islamic finance, and other fields will provide opportunities for in-depth discussions of substantive Islamic law, and regular reference to both the common-law tradition and the modern American legal system will offer comparative perspectives. PREREQUISITE: None. No background in Islamic studies is required. GRADING NOTICE: This class will not offer the CR/NC/H option.