Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Principles of Islamic
Jurisprudence (Islamic Texts Society)
This book offers the only
detailed presentation available in English of the theory of Muslim law (usul al-fiqh).
Often regarded as the most sophisticated of the traditional Islamic disciplines, Muslim
jurisprudence is concerned with the way in which the rituals and laws of religion are
derived from the Qur'an and the Sunnah - the precedent of the Prophet (s).
At a time when many Muslims countries are moving towards the reintroduction of Islamic
law, it is important that the principles and the nature of this rich and diverse legal
tradition be correctly understood, both by the legislators themselves, and by outside
observers.
Written as a university textbook, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence is
distinguished by its clarity and readability; it is an essential reference work not only
for students of Islamic law, but also for anyone with an interest in Muslim society or in
issues of comparative jurisprudence.
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, The Dignity of Man: An Islamic
Perspective, Islamic Texts Society (2002)
ISBN
0-903682-00-2
"The Dignity of Man: An Islamic Perspective provides the most detailed
study to date on the subject of the dignity of man from the perspective of Islam. M H
Kamali sets out the proclamations on human dignity found in the Qur'an, and then discusses
topics pertaining to or resulting from human dignity: the physical and spiritual nobility
of man; God's love for humanity; the sanctity of life; the necessity of freedom, quality
and accountability.
"Finally, the author examines the measures that Shari'ah has taken to protect
human dignity and to poromote it in social interaction. The discussion ihere is presented
in light of the debate on the universality of human rights as enshrined in the Universial
Declaration of Human Rights. This book goes a long way towards exploring an alternative to
Western concepts of human rights."
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Freedom, Equality and Justice in
Islam, Islamic Texts Society (2002)
ISBN 0-903682-01-0
"In Freedom, Equality and Justice in Islam, M H Kamali presents the
reader with an analysis of the three concepts of freedom, equality and justice from an
Islamic point of view, and their manifestations in the religious, social, legal and
political fields. The author discusses the evidence to be found for these concepts in the
Qur'an and Sunna, and reviews the interpretations of the earlier schools of law. The work
also looks at more recent interpretations of freedom, equality and justice in the light of
the changing realities of contemporary Muslim societies.
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Freedom of Exression in Islam,
Islamic Texts Society (1997)
"In recent years the subject of freedom
of expression in Islam has become a topic of heated debate. Prof M H Kamali's Freedom
of Expression of Islam offers the first nad only detailed presentation in English of
freedom of expression from both the legal and moral perspectives of Islam. This is a
pioneering work which provides detailed examination of the affirmative evidenc on the
subject of freedom of expression found in the sources of the Shari'ah, as well as
considering the limitations, whehter moral, legal or theological, that Islam imposes on
the valid exercise of this freedom. In particular, the sophisticated and detailed
treatment of the concepts of freedom to express an opinion (hurriyat al-ra'y),
freedom to critisize (hurriyat al-mu'arada), freedom of religion (al-hurriya
al-diniyya) is an important contribution to scholarship in this area of study.
"Freedom of Expression in Islam is informative not only on the subject of
the possibilities of freedom of expression within Islam, but also the cultural tradition
of Islam and its guidelines on social behaviour. Distinguished by its clarity and
readability, this book is not only essential reading for anyone interested in Islamic Law,
in Muslim society or in issues of comparative jurisprudence, but is is also an important
contribution to the current debate concering the definition and limits of the principle of
free speech."
Taha Jabir al Alwani, Usul al Fiqh al Islami - Source
Methodology in Islamic Jurisprudence (Zain International)
"Usul
al Fiqh is a science in which reason and revelation come together, where considered
opinion is accompanied by received law. Yet, al Usul does not rely purely on
reason in a way that would be acceptable to revealed law, nor is it based simply on the
kind of blind acceptance that would not be supported by reason. Hence, the science of Usul
al Fiqh has been called the "Philosophy of Islam."
"This book is an attempt to simplify Usual al Fiqh and introduce it to
specialists in the social sciences and humanities who do not have the opportunity to study
the details of the sciences, considered to be the most important method of research
produced by Muslim thought during its most creative period."
Yasin Dutton, The Origins of Islamic Law, (Curzon
Press)
"This work considers the methods used by Malik in the
"Muwatta'" to derive judgements of the law from the Qur'an and is thus concerned
on one level with the finer details of Qur'anic interpretation. However, since any
discussion of the Qur'an in this context must also include considerations of the other
main sources of Islamic law, namely the "sunna", or normative practice, of the
Prophet; this latter concept, especially its relationship to the terms of
"hadith" and "'amal" ("traditions" and "living
tradition"), also receives considerable attention. In many respects, this book is
more about the history and development of Islamic law than it is about the science of
Qur'anic interpretation.
"The book questions the hitherto accepted frameworks of both the classical Muslim
view and the current revisionist western view on the development of Islamic law. It also
deals specifically with the early development of the Maliki school of jurisprudence, as it
demonstrates in detail the various methods used, both linguistic and otherwise, in
interpreting the legal verses of the Qur'an. This work should be of value to anyone
interested in the underlying bases of Islamic law and culture: those involved in the
studying and teaching of Islamic studies, both at undergraduate and research level; and to
those studying the relationship between orality and literacy in ancient societies and the
writing down of "ancient" law."
