This course provides a general introduction to Islamic law (fiqh). It will give students a comprehensive fiqh background through an in-depth exploration of Islamic hermeneutics and the historical emergence of the four legal schools (madhāhib).

In the process, students will learn about Islam’s primary and secondary sources, the five categories of rulings, and the objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharia. They will also gain familiarity with Islamic legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh) and legal maxims (qawāʿid al-fiqh). Over the semester, students will discuss contemporary subjects from anti-Sharia propaganda to issues like feminism, pluralism, democracy, gender, homosexuality, and secularism.