Contemporary Trends in Sharia: Critical Debates in Historical Contexts

This open access reference book is a critical analysis of sharia for the 21st century. It serves as a critical introduction to a modernist, progressive and neo-traditionalist perspective on Islamic thought and practice regarding sharia. This approach reflects the efforts undertaken by Muslims - particularly those in the diaspora - to forge an alternative Muslim modernity based on creative engagement with both Islamic tradition and modern Western forms of knowledge. The book highlights the ground-breaking work of some of these seminal thinkers in various fields of law.

The book is divided into thirteen chapters. It first covers what sharia is, its origins and how it developed in real time for Muslim societies. This discussion is then followed by chapters on each of the most challenging subjects of Islamic law in the contemporary world, including: constitutionalism, human rights, gender justice, biomedical ethics, religious freedom, criminal law, economics and finance and property rights. Each of these themes is discussed by the co-authors in light of the state-of-the-art literature available, each topic’s individual history, and the current debates and diverse global case studies that relate to each theme. The aim is to highlight that there is no monolithic version of sharia. Rather, sharia is an active set of humanistic principles that inspires Muslims around the world to live according to the ethics of their faith.

The book is a collaboration by two experts from different professional backgrounds and aims to take a panoramic view of the subject to appeal to a wide audience. Each chapter can be read ‘stand alone’ while contributing to the book’s broader framework. All together, the chapters challenge misconceptions about sharia and showcase the developments surrounding sharia in the Muslim world and within the Muslim diaspora.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by The Institute of Ismaili Studies.

• Publication date: 20 August 2026
• Page count: 464
• Dimensions: Height 248 mm; Width 194 mm; Thickness 30 mm
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9780755657940