Transformations of Tradition: Islamic Law in Colonial Modernity

Junaid Quadri's book explores the jurisprudential writings of Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti-i,Mufti of Egypt,and a critic of reformists Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida. It reveals a shari a that is deeply entangled with the epistemological commitments of colonial modernity, challenging the notion of it as a medieval holdover or pragmatic concession.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 05 October 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

Transformations of Tradition delves into the intricate ways in which the encounter with colonial modernity shaped Islamic jurists' conceptualizations of shari a. By shifting the focus away from reformist-minded thinkers and politically charged issues,Junaid Quadri directs his attention towards the overlooked jurisprudential writings of Muhammad Bakhit al-Muti-i (1854-1935), the Mufti of Egypt and a prominent critic of renowned reformists Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida. Within the pages of Muti's works, Quadri discovers a series of profound intellectual shifts that reshape the relationship between shari a and fundamental categories of understanding such as history, authority, science, technology, and religion and the secular. This groundbreaking study meticulously examines complex legal texts and explores oft-neglected archives to contextualize its argument within the dynamic scholarly world of rapidly changing Cairo and the transregional school of Hanafi law represented by jurists in Kazan, Lucknow, and Baghdad. By delving into Islamic jurisprudential discourse during the colonial era, Transformations of Tradition unveils a shari a that is far more complex than a mere medieval holdover or a pragmatic concession to the demands of a new world. Rather, it reveals a shari a that is intricately intertwined with the epistemological commitments of colonial modernity, shaping its development and evolution in profound ways.

Weight: 538g
Dimension: 164 x 244 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780190077044