Acknowledgments | p. xiii |
Introduction | p. 1 |
1 Shariah and Islamic Law: Myths and Realities | p. 7 |
Where Does Fear of Shariah Come from? | p. 8 |
Why Does Shariah Carry Deep Spiritual and Social Meaning for Muslims around the World? | p. 12 |
Is There a Need to Protect American Law from the Infiltration of Shariah? | p. 14 |
How Does Islamic Law Differ from Jewish Law or Christian (Roman Catholic) Canon Law in the United States? | p. 15 |
Why Do Majorities in Muslim Countries Want Shariah? | p. 17 |
What Are Muslims Asking for When They Call for Shariah? | p. 19 |
How Does Shariah Play a Role in Muslim-Majority Countries Today? | p. 21 |
Is More than One Interpretation of Shariah Possible? | p. 21 |
How Do Muslims Whose Countries Do Not Follow Shariah Feel about It? | p. 22 |
How Do Muslims in the West Feel about Shariah? | p. 23 |
Can Muslims in the West Be Loyal Citizens? | p. 26 |
2 Shariah: The Big Picture | p. 31 |
What Are the Origins and Meanings of Shariah? | p. 32 |
Are Shariah and Islamic Law the Same Thing? | p. 34 |
What Are the Sources Used to Develop Islamic Law? | p. 36 |
Do Sunnis and Shia Share the Same Shariah? | p. 38 |
How Did Scholars and Jurists Create Islamic Law from Shariah Principles? | p. 41 |
Do Shariah Principles Allow Social Renewal and Reform? | p. 42 |
Why Do We Have Different Schools of Islamic Law? | p. 46 |
What Are the Major Schools of Islamic Law and Where Are They Located? | p. 47 |
Are Jurists Required to Abide by the Rulings of Their Law School Alone? | p. 50 |
Are Muslims Required to Abide by the Rulings of Only One Law School? | p. 52 |
3 Shariah Courts | p. 54 |
How Does Islamic Law Cover Public and Personal Areas of Life? | p. 54 |
What Five Categories Describe a Range of Human Behavior in Islamic Law? | p. 56 |
Who Is Considered an Expert in Islamic Law? | p. 58 |
What Is a Shariah Court and How Does It Work? | p. 62 |
What Kinds of Cases Are Governed by Shariah Courts? | p. 64 |
What Is the Difference between a Qadi and a Mufti? | p. 66 |
What Is a Fatwa and How Does It Differ from a Court Sentence? | p. 69 |
What Are the Rules for Evidence and Testimony in a Shariah Court? | p. 72 |
Does Islamic Law Permit Muslims to Lie or Conceal the Truth (Taqiyya)? | p. 76 |
Can the Decision of a Shariah Court Be Appealed? | p. 78 |
How Is Shariah Different from Other Legal Systems? | p. 81 |
How Do Shariah Courts Compare to Secular Courts? | p. 84 |
What Are the Strengths and Weaknesses of Shariah Courts? | p. 87 |
How Have Shariah Courts Changed over Time? | p. 90 |
4 The Five Pillars of Islam and Community Life | p. 93 |
How Does a Person Become a Muslim in the Eyes of Islamic Law? | p. 94 |
How and When Do Muslims Pray? | p. 95 |
Is Charity Required by Islamic Law? | p. 98 |
When and Why Does Islamic Law Oblige Muslims to Fast? | p. 100 |
What Is the Hajj? | p. 102 |
5 Women, Gender, and the Family | p. 105 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Marriage? | p. 106 |
Does Islamic Law Enable a Man to Have Multiple Wives? | p. 111 |
Does Islamic Law Allow Muslims to Marry Non-Muslims? | p. 113 |
Does Islamic Law Require or Encourage Arranged Marriages? | p. 114 |
Is Child Marriage Sanctioned by Islamic Law? | p. 116 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Divorce Rights for Men and Women? | p. 117 |
How Does Islamic Law Treat Child Custody? | p. 121 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Inheritance? | p. 122 |
Does Islamic Law Mandate Separation of the Sexes? | p. 124 |
Does Islamic Law Require Women and Men to Dress or Groom Themselves in Certain Ways? | p. 127 |
6 Government, Law, and Order | p. 132 |
Does Islamic Law Prescribe a Single Model of Government? | p. 132 |
Is Leadership by a Caliph or Ayatollah Required in Islamic Law? | p. 135 |
Do Most Muslims Want to Return to a Caliphate? | p. 138 |
Why Don't Muslims Practice Separation of Religion and State? | p. 139 |
How Does Islamic Law Relate to Civil Law? | p. 142 |
Is Islamic Law Compatible with Pluralism and Democracy? | p. 143 |
7 Freedom and Human Rights | p. 147 |
Does Islamic Law Protect Human Rights? | p. 148 |
Does Islamic Law Accept Slavery? | p. 150 |
Does Islamic Law Protect Freedom of Speech? | p. 153 |
Does Islamic Law Protect Freedom of Religion? | p. 155 |
What Are Blasphemy Laws and How Are They Enforced? | p. 158 |
How Does Islamic Law View Proselytizing? | p. 160 |
What Were the Status, Rights, and Responsibilities of Non-Muslims (Dhimmi) in Muslim States in the Past? | p. 162 |
What Are the Status, Rights, and Responsibilities of Non-Muslims in Muslim States Today? | p. 164 |
What Are the Status, Rights, and Responsibilities of Muslims in Non-Muslim States Today? | p. 166 |
8 War, Peace, and the Common Good | p. 168 |
Does Islamic Law Permit Peaceful Relations with Non-Muslims? | p. 169 |
Does Islamic Law Have a Theory of Just War? | p. 171 |
What Does Jihad Mean? | p. 173 |
Does Islamic Law Mandate that All Muslims Join in Military Jihad? | p. 178 |
Has the Concept of Jihad Changed in Modern Times? | p. 179 |
How Does Islamic Law View Martyrdom? | p. 181 |
What Is Islamic Law's View of Suicide Attacks? | p. 182 |
9 Criminal Law and Justice | p. 186 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Retaliation or "an Eye for an Eye"? | p. 187 |
Does Islamic Law Demand Harsh Punishments like Amputation and Stoning? | p. 189 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Illicit Sex (Fornication, Adultery)? | p. 195 |
What Is the Islamic Legal View of Homosexuality? | p. 200 |
Are Honor Killings Permissible under Islamic Law? | p. 203 |
How Does Islamic Law Treat Domestic Violence? | p. 206 |
How Does Islamic Law Handle Cases of Rape? | p. 209 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting? | p. 213 |
How Does Islamic Law Define and Punish Theft? | p. 215 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Murder? | p. 217 |
How Does Islamic Law Define and Respond to Cases of Personal Injury? | p. 222 |
What Is Apostasy and How Is It Treated in Islamic Law? | p. 224 |
What Does Islamic Law Say about Drinking Alcohol? | p. 228 |
10 Islamic Finance in a Global World | p. 231 |
How Are Muslims' Economic Transactions Guided by Shariah Principles and Values? | p. 232 |
How Does Islamic Law View Interest/Usury (Riba)? | p. 234 |
Do Islamic Banking Practices Differ from Those of Western Banks? | p. 238 |
How Can One Establish a Charitable Endowment (Waqf) in Islam? | p. 242 |
How Does Islamic Law View Property Rights? | p. 244 |
How Does Islamic Law Govern Trade and Contracts of Sale? | p. 247 |
How Do Shariah Principles Guide the Capitalist Market Economy? | p. 249 |
How Does Islamic Law View Poverty, Microfinance, and Economic Development? | p. 252 |
How Does Islamic Finance Interact with the Global Financial Market? | p. 256 |
11 Science, Bioethics, and Human Life | p. 259 |
What Is the Relationship between Science and Shariah? | p. 260 |
What Parameters Does Islamic Law Establish for Dealing with Environmental Issues? | p. 262 |
What Is the Islamic Legal View of Medical Research, such as Cloning, Stem Cell Research, and Genetic Engineering? | p. 267 |
What Is the Relationship between Medicine and Shariah? | p. 270 |
How Does Shariah Influence Muslims' Medical and Bioethical Decisions? | p. 274 |
How Are Blood and Organ Donations Treated in Islamic Law? | p. 275 |
How Are Contraception and Family Planning Treated in Islamic Law? | p. 279 |
How Does Islamic Law View Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Other Fertility Treatments? | p. 282 |
In Theory and Practice, How Is Abortion Handled in Islamic Law? | p. 285 |
How Is Euthanasia Seen in Islamic Law? | p. 290 |
Bibliography | p. 295 |
Index | p. 313 |