The institution of Islamic Law is frequently misunderstood and misrepresented in media outlets and political discussions. This episode will compare Islamic law to other legal traditions; discuss how the classical system of Islamic law resulted in legal opinions called fatwas; and then briefly cover how elements of this classical system changed in the modern period.
Presented by Ariela Marcus-Sells, Religious Studies.
About the Perspectives on Islam series:
Recent polls indicate that most Americans have very limited information about Islam and that most do not personally know a Muslim. This series aims to provide information about Islam from a scholarly perspective as well as present the perspectives and voices of Muslims from Elon’s own community. The goals of this series are: 1) to increase public knowledge about issues relating to Islam; and 2) to encourage people to think more deeply about issues common to all religious traditions and societies. Each episode answers some common questions and concerns and then raises other questions that are left unanswered. We hope that instructors will use these open questions to encourage debate, dialogue, and questioning.
