ُُُTĀRĪKH AL-TASHRĪʿ AL-ISLĀMĪ
Islamic Legal History –
An Introduction
Tārīkh al-Tashrīʿ al-Islāmī, or “The History of Islamic Legislation,” is a subject that explores the development of Islamic law (Sharīʿa) from its inception to the later stages of codification and practice across different regions and time periods.
This discipline covers:
– The legislative period during the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, when the Qur’an was being revealed and the Sunnah was established as a source of law.
– The era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, when legal rulings expanded to meet new challenges, and ijtihād (independent reasoning) became more prominent.
– The emergence of the major madhāhib (legal schools) in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AH, each with its own methodology in deriving rulings.
– The compilation and systematization of legal texts, fatāwā collections, and legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh).
– The impact of political, cultural, and social changes, including the influence of various empires (e.g., Abbasid, Ottoman) on the application of Islamic law.
– Modern developments, such as the codification of Sharīʿa-inspired laws, reform movements, and the challenges of applying Islamic law in contemporary legal systems.
Studying Tārīkh al-Tashrīʿ helps students understand not only the sources and methods of Islamic jurisprudence, but also how historical contexts shaped its interpretation, application, and evolution over time.
This course gives an introduction and overview put together by Shaykh Zuhayr Qazzān.
Consists of 19 classes held in 2022.
