Islamic Law, Ethics and Society

This seminar is an introduction to Sharia, the Islamic ethical-legal tradition or, more precisely, Sharia's interpretation (fiqh). Of primary concern are the methodologies of its derivation, including its core principles, such as the Qur'an, the Prophet's tradition (Sunna), consensus (ijma), and reasoning by analogy (qiyas). The course will also introduce students to the theory of the objectives of the law (maqasid al-shari'a) and legal maxims (al-fiqhiyya al-kulliyya), which are important resources in contemporary Islamic ethical-legal reasoning. It will examine Sharia's institiions, the he historical development of its schools of thought, and the processes by which ethical-legal decisions are made. Students will also have the opportunity to examine its applications in case studies of contemporary significance, mainly in the areas of biomedical ethics and sexual ethics.