The Origins of Islamic Law: The Qur’an, the Muwatta and Madinan ‘Amal

The book is the first to question the hitherto accepted frameworks of both the classical Muslim view and the current revisionist western view on the development of Islamic law. It is also the first study in a European language to deal specifically with the early development of the Madinan, later Maliki, school of jurisprudence, as it is also the first to demonstrate in detail the various methods used, both linguistic and otherwise, in interpreting the legal verses of the Qur'an. This book will be of interest to all those interested in the underlying bases of Islamic law and culture. It will be of particular interest to those involved in studying and teaching Islamic studies, both at undergraduate and research level. It will also be of interest to those studying the relationship between orality and literacy in ancient societies and the writing down of 'ancient' law.