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Law Legal History

The Rise of Critical Islam

10th-13th Century Legal Debate

by (author) Youcef L. Soufi

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Initial publish date
May 2023
Category
Legal History
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780197685006
    Publish Date
    May 2023
    List Price
    $132.00

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Description

In a richly narrated historical study, Soufi excavates an Islamic legal culture of critique from the 10th to13th centuries. Focusing on the practice of munazara (disputation), Soufi explores how and why oral debates became a pervasive and revered part of the intellectual legal landscape of Iraq and Persia. Pushing back against claims that classical Muslim jurists sought to weed out differences of opinion, this engaging work presents a community committed to the openness, fluidity, and continued exploration of the law. In uncovering this classical legal culture, Soufi invites readers to question claims about the promise of secular critique in disciplining religious passions and forging human solidarity.

About the author

Contributor Notes

Youcef Soufi is Research Associate at the University of Toronto's Institute of Islamic Studies. He is a former Assistant Professor in Islamic Studies at the University of British Columbia and a former Chair of the Canadian Association for the Study of Islam and Muslims (CASIM). He has held fellowships at the Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto, the Centre for Comparative Muslim Studies at Simon Frasier University, and The Centre for Studies in Religion and Society (CSRS) at The University of Victoria.