This is part one of a two-part series. You can read part two here. “Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. We must be mad, literally mad, as a nation to be permitting the annual inflow of some 50,000 dependants, who are for the most part the material of the future growth of the immigrant-descended population. It is like watching a … Continue reading Powellism and Western Islam
The Shari’ah is best distinguished from Islamic law. Islamic law, usul-al-fiqh, consists of four separate sources: the Qur’an, Hadith, the consensus of the Islamic community and analogical reasoning. The Arabic linguistic definition of Shari’ah is the “path” to water. Shari’ah is the immutable divine will of God and a comprehensive metaphysical philosophy to Muslims, while fiqh is a tool that Islamic jurists have utilised to … Continue reading Mughal India: The Role of Law in Life
In the spring of 2013, a debate on the legal status of the Shari’ah (Islamic law) in England and Wales took place in the British House of Commons (1). Several issues were brought into question, seemingly in need of further clarity from the then-Conservative party and Liberal Democrat coalition government. Firstly, it was demanded that the government state whether there was only one law in … Continue reading The Modern Presence of Shari’ah in English Civil Law
At the heart of how much of the Muslim-majority world regulates its financial and banking laws, Islamic contract and commercial law extends globally. In 2008, Islamic banks globally held about $250 million dollars (1). Less than half a decade later, Islamic banks held over $1.50 trillion. Indonesia, Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey made up 78% of the international Islamic banking assets within commercial banks … Continue reading Legal Pluralism Within International Commercial Law
This piece is the final part of a three part policy report on the secularization of the Muslim mind. You can read part one here and part two here. The battle for the hearts and minds of Muslims comes while the Muslim world stands at a crossroad between liberation from authoritarian regimes and a continuation of corrupt neoliberal and neocolonial rule. If the Muslim community is … Continue reading Countering the Assault of Secularization
A Book Review of The Impossible State: Islam, Politics, and Modernity’s Moral Predicament by Wael Hallaq Introduction For a beginner, The Impossible State (henceforth referred to as TIS) is an incomprehensible tome. Throughout the book, Hallaq strings together technical terms effortlessly. It took me a few reads to even begin to understand Hallaq’s central thesis, let alone the finer details embedded across the text. Therein lies … Continue reading Musings on The Impossible State
