Principles of Islamic Law (M3121)

15 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

On this module, you’ll study the history and practice of Islamic law. You’ll examine:

  • the basic concepts of Islamic law
  • the classification of Islamic law
  • the development of the classical schools of jurisprudence
  • the purposes, methodologies, and processes of Islamic jurisprudence
  • the place of Islamic law in the modern state and government.

Islamic law is based on the Quran, the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, and the writings of Muslim scholars and jurists. This makes it one of the oldest and most significant systems of law in the contemporary age.

Understanding Islamic law is crucial not only for Muslims, but for non-Muslims who work with Muslims in legal contexts, as well as for anyone wanting to understand the role of Islam in the world today.

Teaching

50%: Lecture
50%: Seminar

Assessment

100%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 20 hours of contact time and about 130 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: