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Islamic Law in Action: A Historical Discussion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 December 2018

Boğaç A. Ergene
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Abstract

This review essay engages Kristen Stilt's recent book, Islamic Law in Action: Authority, Discretion, and Everyday Experiences in Mamluk Egypt (2011), in a fashion that highlights its contributions to the study of Islamic law. In particular, it underlines the methodological arguments made in the book that might help us think about Islamic legal practice in sophisticated and historically grounded ways. As elaborated in the article, these arguments have important implications for modern as well historical settings. Specifically, Stilt's discussion of “Islamic law in action” reveals the inherent flexibility of Islamic legal practice to accommodate political change. The article also discusses how further research on the topic could benefit from specific approaches and orientations.

Type
Review Essay
Information
Law & Social Inquiry , Volume 38 , Issue 4 , Fall 2013 , pp. 1041 - 1057
Copyright
Copyright © American Bar Foundation, 2013 

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