HUMA 210 Introduction to Islamic Law
This course explores classical and contemporary understandings of Islamic law, with an emphasis on
Islamic legal methodology, a comparative perspective the history and development of Islamic law and its
application in contemporary jurisdictions. Part of the challenge in studying Islamic law is its heterogeneity: there are several �schools� of Islamic law and there is no central religious adjudicative body. Furthermore, an overview of historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism. A detailed examination is made of the various applications of Islamic family law, with a regional focus on countries of the Middle East and South Asia. The initial inquiry will examine what exactly, Islamic law is. The course will begin with an analysis of the major schools of Islamic law and will then move to classical and contemporary understandings of how differences are resolved in Islamic law
Offered
Fall Spring Summer