Islamic Law: From Historical Foundations to Contemporary Practice

'The book has a neat, lucid structure and, as such, will constitute a valuable aid to the study of a very complex subject. . . [it] will be essential reading and I would certainly recommend it to both my undergraduates and postgraduates.
' Professor Ian R. Netton, University of Leeds
This survey of Islamic law combines Western and Islamic views and describes the relationship between the original theories of Islamic law and the views of contemporary Islamic writers. Covering the key topics in the area — including the history, sources and formation of Islamic Law, the legal mechanisms, and the contemporary context — it is strong in its coverage of the modem perspective. This particularly marks Islamic Low out from other texts in this field. Its aim is to provide the student with a background understanding of Islamic Law and access to the complexity of the Islamic legal system. The language used is non-technical and understanding is aided with a supplementary detailed glossary and analytical indices.
Key Features:
• The author is ideally placed to write an introductory survey of the field, being a lawyer by original profession and having taught Islamic Law for many years
• Assumes no prior knowledge of Islamic law
• Uses non-technical language
• Includes a glossary of key terms

Mawil Yousif lzzi Dien is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter. His publications include The Environmental Dimensions of Islam (2000) and The Theory and Practice of Market Law on Medieval Islam (1998).