What is it about?

Gaber Mohamed in this present article presents Sheikh al-Qaraḍāwī’s innovative legal interpretations and choices on issues of Islamic criminal jurisprudence. It also examines al-Qaraḍāwī’s independent legal rulings across various branches of criminal jurisprudence, analysing and evaluating them according to the principles he set for contemporary ijtihād (independent legal reasoning).

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Why is it important?

The originality of this study lies in its focus on the overlooked distinction between public and private matters in modern and pre-modern Islamic criminal jurisprudence.

Perspectives

Islamic criminal jurisprudence was a central focus for Sheikh al-Qaraḍāwī as he worked to develop an approach to Islamic law that fits within the framework of the modern state while upholding the principles of the Sharia. He consistently maintained that any effort to implement criminal punishments prescribed in Islam must be grounded in a contemporary understanding of the Sharia’s foundational sources. Sheikh al-Qaraḍāwī views Islamic criminal jurisprudence as fundamentally concerned with safeguarding religion, life, progeny, intellect, and property for all people. He believes that Islamic punitive measures primarily aim at promoting values and upholding human rights principles without discrimination based on religion, race, colour, or gender.

Prof Abdallah Abdulrahman Elkhatib
Qatar University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Sheikh al-Qaraḍāwī’s Independent Reasoning (Ijtihād) in Reformulating Contemporary Islamic Criminal Jurisprudence within the Framework of the Modern State, Journal of College of Sharia & Islamic Studies, January 2025, Qatar University,
DOI: 10.29117/jcsis.2025.0408.
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