Islam and the Everyday World: Public Policy Dilemmas

"Public policy determines the scope, limits, and forms of social action. It is the government's means for encouraging, discouraging, or prohibiting certain acts or behaviors. In an Islamic state, the divine law (Shari'a) must be implemented as a means for the realization of the will of God on earth. The Shari'a is, therefore, the code of social conduct and the means of regulating social discourse as well as social change. Since definition of the Shari'a is itself a matter of interpretation, two fundamental issues arise. First, what is the legitimate source and process of interpretation of the precepts of Islamic law, the Shari'a? Second, how are the specific dictums of the Shari'a affected by fundamental changes in the social and technological circumstances of life? This book investigates how Shari'a law affects public policy both theoretically and in practice, across a wide range of public policy areas, including human rights, family law, labor law, commercial law, taxation, and "interest-free" banking. It is an important new resource for anyone seeking to understand Islam and its wider social and political implications."--BOOK JACKET.