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Contemporary Islamic Legal Thought:
Law, State, and World Order

Welcome!

This website is dedicated to the study and discussion of contemporary Islamic legal thought. Although it is associated with a course being taught at Harvard Law School during Spring 2002, the site is intended for everyone interested in a scholarly discussion of the topic. It is jointly sponsored by the Islamic Legal Studies Program and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society.

 To familiarize yourself with the course and our initial scope of study, read the Course Description and browse the Syllabus. This site also hosts a discussion board, inviting interested people from around the world to engage in a focused dialogue about specific contemporary thinkers and the contemporary legal practice of Muslim states. We hope you will join in. You can also review an explanation of the terms we use to discuss the theoretical contributions of each the thinkers we are studying; much of the discussion on discussion board uses this framework. Finally, you will find a continuously updated Resources page that has general links on issues bearing on contemporary Islamic legal issues, as well as links on contemporary thinkers.

We would love to have your feedback! If you would like to comment on this site, please submit your thoughts on the discussion board. You can provide general feedback in the discussion entitled “Guidelines and Feedback,” or add works to our reading list in the discussion entitled “Add to our Reading List”. We hope to engage the extended Harvard community and the world at large in the important issues that the course is confronting.