Shariah law is a subject that is misunderstood and misrepresented by many in the West. More than simply a system of law, it is concerned with a set of values and rules that are essential to the understanding and practice of Islam. In this volume, Mohammad Hashim Kamali, a world-renowned expert on Shariah, adopts a question-and-answer format to provide a clear introduction to its most salient aspects. Extending from the sources of Shariah in the Qur'an, hadith and the legal maxims of Islamic law to the discussion of issues such as freedom of religion, gender equality and human rights, Shariah Law: Questions and Answers connects the theoretical aspects of the law with how it is applied in the world today. At once scholarly and accessible, it is sure to be a vital resource for students, teachers and general readers, addressing as it does a range of contemporary concerns, including jihad, democracy, the environment, genetic engineering, human cloning, euthanasia and abortion.

Acknowledgments IntroductionI Shariah and Fiqh ? Meaning, Definition, Sources, Salient Features and Comparisons with other Legal Systems II Legal Opinion (fatwa) and Independent Reasoning (Ijtihad) III Shariah and Acts of Worship (͑Ibadat) IV Schools of Islamic Law, the Madhhabs V The Scale of Five Values (al-Ahkam al-Khamsah) VI Shariah Court Proceedings, Evidence and Proof VII Shariah, Criminal Law and the Prescribed Hudud Punishments VIII Hudud in the Present-Day Muslim Countries IX Shariah, Constitutional Law and Civil Liberties X Jihad, Violence and War XI Shariah, Gender and Family XII Islamic Banking and Finance XIII Shariah and Private Property XIV Modern Bioethical and Environmental Questions XV Freedom of Religion and the Rights of Minorities XVI Goals and Purposes (Maqasid) of Shariah XVII Legal Maxims of Fiqh (Qawaʿid kulliyyah fiqhiyyah)Qur'anic Verses, Hadith and Legal Maxims (in Original Arabic) Bibliography Glossary Index