The Origins of Islamic Law

Abstract

Although the Islamic system of jurisprudence is one of the best developed and most adequate systems in the world, very little is known about it by Western law students. The average law course does not contain even a slight exposure to the richness of Islamic legal thought and the average law graduate passes out with no knowledge of it whatsoever. This brief outline.is intended to convey a glimpse of the magnitude of this body of juristic learning and of the impact it has had on civilisation in general. It can only aim at picking out a thread or two in this vast and colourful tapestry, in the hope that it will help towards an appreciation of its scope and richness and of its importance in the universe of legal knowledge. It will also aim at showing some of the many interrelationships between Islamic and Western jurisprudence and philosophy.