今日の主な法制度のひとつとして、中東、アジア、アフリカの国では国法化しているところがあるほか、西洋のムスリム社会にも絶大な影響力を持つイスラーム法（シャリーア）。しかしながら特に西洋では誤解も少なくないようです。本書ではシャリーアの歴史をはじめ、家族法、相続法、金融法、刑法、国際法などを引き合いに、法解釈や運用に言及しながら、その成り立ちと特徴について信頼の置ける解説を提供します。(cf. Shariah: What Everyone Needs to Know)
  

• Covers all the three aspects of Islamic law, namely, Islamic legal theory, Islamic substantive Law, and Islamic procedural law
• Offers both a historical and evolutional perspective of Islamic law
• Covers both classical jurisprudence and modern legislation from different jurisdictions on many of the issues covered
• Written in very clear language with all technical terminology clearly explained

   
Islamic law is one of the major legal systems in the world today, yet it is often misunderstood, particularly in the West. It is applicable in different forms as part of state law in countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and also has a strong influence on Muslim communities throughout the Western world.
    
This Very Short Introduction provides an authoritative perspective on the evolution and nature of Islamic law. Mashood A. Baderin considers its theory, covering the history and nature of Islamic jurisprudence; its scope, covering Family Law, Inheritance Law, Financial Law, Penal Law, and International Law; and, finally, its practice. He takes into account both classical and modern scholarly perspectives in examining the various facets of Islamic law, to provide an overview of this key legal system.