An Outline of Islamic Jurisprudence

Book excerpt: The dearth of materials in the English language in the somewhat complex subject matter of classical jurisprudence is addressed in this study. It highlights the uniqueness of Islamic jurisprudence as a developed system because of its exactitude in terms of meaning, province and scope. The book serves as an introductory text on the basic principles of Islamic jurisprudence for judges, lawyers, academicians, especially law lecturers, students of law specialising in Islamic law, and the general public. The contents cover: Introduction to Islamic jurisprudence; Shari'ah - Islamic law; Obligations and duties; Duties created by the Hukm (rule of law); Declaratory rule (Hukm Wad'I; Legal capacity (Ahliyyah); Haqq ; The sources of Islamic law; The primary sources; Holy Qur'an as the primary source; Ijma - consensus of opinion; The secondary sources; Istihsab - juristic equity or preference; Maslahah Mursalah or Istislah - considerations of public interest or extended analogy; Istishab - presumption of continuity; Urf - custom; Sadd al-Dhara'I; Ijtihad]; Bibliography; Index