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Written by the Qadi (judge) of the Shari'a Court of Jerusalem and former director of the Shari'a Court system in Israel, this book offers a unique perspective on the religious law of Muslim minorities living in the West. Specifically, it explores the fiqh al-aqalliyyat doctrine of religious jurisprudence developed by modern Islamic jurists to resolve the challenges of maintaining cultural and religious identity in majority non-Muslim societies. The author examines possible applications across numerous cultural and geographical contexts, answering such questions as: what are the rules for assuming political and public roles, and should one deposit money that incurs interest? Building on a growing scholarship, this book aims to resolve points of view and facets of religious law that have been neglected by previous studies. Accessibly written, Shari'a in the Modern Era is designed to promote cross-cultural understanding among readers of all faiths.
List of contents
Introduction; 1. Fiqh al-aqalliyy¿t: theoretical background and evolvement; 2. Fiqh al-aqalliyy¿t: methodology and implementation in the field of personal standing; 3. Muslim minorities: implementation of Shari¿a in general and Fiqh al-aqalliyy¿t in particular; 4. The evolution of Muslim religious law among the Muslim minority in Israel and its linkage to Fiqh al-aqalliyy¿t al-Muslima doctrine; 5. The future of Fiqh al-aqalliyy¿t.
About the author
Iyad Zahalka is the Qadi (judge) of the Shari'a Court of Jerusalem as well as a lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, and Bar-Ilan University, Israel. Drawing on his experience as the former director of the Israeli Shari'a Court system, Zahalka's work focuses on the tension between minority identity and integration in Western society. He is the author of Guide to Shari'a Law (2008) and Shari'a Courts between Identity and Adjudication (2009).
Summary
In response to the challenges of maintaining religious identity in the West, modern Islamic jurists developed the fiqh al-aqalliyyat doctrine of religious law. In this book, a judge at the Shari'a Court of Jerusalem outlines the doctrine's theory and practice in a manner accessible to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
