Leaving Iberia: Islamic Law and Christian Conquest in North West Africa

Leaving Iberia explores Islamic legal responses to Muslims living under Christian rule in medieval and early modern Iberia and North Africa, challenging the perceived exceptionalism of the Iberian Muslim predicament and linking juristic discourses on conquered Muslims on both sides of the Mediterranean.

Format: Hardback
Length: 424 pages
Publication date: 17 December 2021
Publisher: Harvard University Press

Leaving Iberia: Islamic Law and Christian Conquest in North West Africa delves into the intricate responses of Islamic legal systems to the presence of Muslims living under Christian rule in medieval and early modern Iberia and North Africa. The fall of al-Andalus, often referred to as the reconquista, has long been regarded as a pivotal moment when the first significant Muslim populations came under permanent Christian dominion. However, a narrow focus on the conquered Muslims of Iberia has led scholars to overlook a substantial body of legal opinions issued in response to Portuguese and Spanish occupation in Morocco, which began in the early fifteenth century.

By expanding our scope beyond Iberia and tracing the paths of Christian conquerors and Muslim emigrants into North Africa, Leaving Iberia establishes a vital connection between the juristic discourses surrounding conquered Muslims on both sides of the Mediterranean. It challenges the notion of exceptionalism associated with the Iberian Muslim predicament and contributes significantly to our understanding of Christian-Muslim relations in the medieval Mediterranean.

The final section of the book explores the divergent outcomes of these medieval legal opinions in colonial Algeria and Mauritania. Jurists in these regions granted enduring authority to certain opinions while discarding others. Drawing upon extensive research in the Arabic manuscript libraries of five countries, Leaving Iberia presents the first fully annotated translations of the primary legal texts under examination.

This comprehensive study not only sheds light on the historical dynamics of Islamic law and Christian conquest but also offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of cultural, religious, and legal factors that shaped the medieval Mediterranean world.

Weight: 878g
Dimension: 245 x 164 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780674248205