Table of Contents

Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Frank Griffel Chapter 2 Much Ado About Values: Justice in Modern Islamic Thought Gudrun Kr'mer Chapter 3 The Harmony of Natural Law and Shari'a in Islamist Theology Frank Griffel Chapter 4 Islamic Law and Legal Change: The Concept of Ma_la_a in Classical and Contemporary Legal Theory Felicitas Opwis Chapter 5 _All_l al-F_s_: Shari'a as Blueprint for Righteous Global Citizenship David L. Johnston Chapter 6 Shari'a and Islamic Democracy in the Age of al-Jazeera Noah Feldman Chapter 7 From ijtih_d to wil_yat al-faq_h : The Evolution of the Shi'ite Authority to Political Power Abbas Amanat Chapter 8 Shi'ite Theories of Social Contract Shahrough Akhavi Chapter 9 Shari'a and Constitution in Iran: A Historical Perspective Sa'd Amir Arjomand Chapter 10 The Normativity of the Factual On the Every Day Construction of Shari'a in a Yemeni Family Court Anna W'rth Chapter 11 Afterword Roy Mottahedeh Acknowledgments About the Authors Notes Index

About the Author

Frank Griffel is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies at Yale University. Abbas Amanat is Professor of History and International and Area Studies at Yale University.

Reviews

"The contributors to this volume present an important antidote, with in-depth analyses of some of the most important trends in legal thought in today's Muslim world." - John O. Voll, Islamic Law & Society "What Shari'a means to contemporary Muslims matters to non-Muslims as well. This volume enlightens everyone. It is at once scholarly and accessible, and informative in a deep and reliable way." - Gene Outka, Yale University "An important and illuminating anthology. This is no dry and pedantic read in the minutiae of arcane legal issues. These essays demonstrate that Shari'a is a living concern to Muslims around the world." - Sohail Hashmi, Mount Holyoke College "This important and timely volume helps bridge the gap between theoretical aspects of the law and its application in the modern world, and breaks new ground by paying close attention to both Shiite and Sunni uses of Islamic law. The authors, all experts in their fields, write with unusual clarity and precision to help us to understand the complex role of Islamic law in the Muslim world today.Itwill be a vital resource." - Jonathan E. Brockopp, Pennsylvania State University