Contemporary Ijtihad: Limits and Controversies

L. Ali Khan and Hisham M. Ramadan

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Paper, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-6856-4
$37.50

August, 2011
Cloth, 256 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-7486-4128-4
Edinburgh University Press
$100.00

The resurgence of Islam has generated a strong interest in understanding Islamic law. The challenges of new realities has impressed upon Muslims the need to rethink classical jurisprudence and a powerful contemporary ijtihad—the process of making a legal decision by independent interpretation of the legal sources -- has unleashed a tremendous intellectual energy that is transforming legal systems across the Muslim world. This book explores the limits and controversies of this development in the context of the diverse needs of Muslim cultures and communities living in Muslim and non-Muslim nations.

Related Subjects

• Islam

About the Author

L. Ali Khan studied law at Pubjab University, Lahore and NYU School of Law. He has published three books in the Developments in International Law series.

Hisham M. Ramadan has studied and worked at University of Wisconsin School of Law, SUNY (Buffalo), The University of Auckland, and Ain Shams University, Cairo. He has also served on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and is professor of criminology at Kwantlen University, Vancouver.

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