The course aims to provide students with an adequate knowledge of Islamic law, the nature, production methods and content of which they will learn. In particular, by the end of the course, students will have learnt the difference between Islamic law (religious law) and the law of Islamic countries (positive law); the sources of Islamic law (primary, secondary and subsidiary); the role of Islamic law among the sources of law in Arab-Islamic countries; the Sunni legal schools; the historical evolution of Islamic law, with particular attention to the modern era (codification, modernisation, secularisation and re-Islamisation of law); person and legal personality; worship practices; dietary rules; rules on clothing (veil and niqāb); funeral rules; sports law; family and inheritance law; criminal law; the law of war.
This course guarantees the student the acquisition of a good knowledge of one of the most important aspects of the cultural heritage of the Arab-Islamic world, the law.
The objective of the course is to equip students with the requisite tools to identify and understand the prescriptions underlying the actions that practising Muslims, both those residing in the Islamic world and those in a migratory context, perform in the public and private spheres.
It is expected of students that they will demonstrate the development of a critical capacity relating to the topics covered in the course. Evidence of this ability is demonstrated by the capacity to personally revise and synthesise the content acquired during the lectures.
It is imperative that students are able to demonstrate the knowledge acquired during the course in a coherent and articulate manner, employing language that is precise and appropriate for the subject matter. Furthermore, it is imperative that they exhibit a high level of personal exposition ability.
Students of Arabic are expected to demonstrate their ability to pronounce, write and transliterate correctly all Arabic words learned during lessons.
The knowledge and methodology offered by the course will enable students to pursue the study of Islamic law independently. Indeed, they will learn to expand on the knowledge they have already acquired, either by approaching the most recent scholarly literature related to the topics covered in the lectures independently or by participating in seminars and conferences related to these topics.
No prerequisites are stipulated.
Lectures and seminars.
The oral examination will be conducted in Italian and will assess students' knowledge of the indicated bibliography (for non-attending students) or the class material provided (for attending students).
Students' marks will depend on their mastery of the studied topics, their critical engagement with the texts, and their use of appropriate terminology.
Attending Students:
The materials to be studied will be provided and examined during the scheduled lectures.
Non-Attending Students:
Baderin, M.A., Islamic Law. A very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2021 (tutto).
El Fadl, K.A. et al. (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Islamic Law, London-New York, Routledge, 2019, 125-272.
Afsaruddin, A. (ed), The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Women, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2023, capitoli 1-8, pp. 31- 215.
Yassari, N., “Compulsory Heirship and Freedom of Testation in Islamic Law”, in Reid, K.G.C. et al., Mandatory Family Protection, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020, pp. 629-647.
Welchman, L., “A Historiography of Islamic Family Law”, in Emon, A.M. – Ahmed, R. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Law, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2018, pp. 885-932.
Italian
