Majid Khadduri

A helpful book. The first 3-4 chapters make for slow reading, but the rest of the book is very readable and accessible.

There's some interesting stuff here. Who knew, for instance, that Muslim scholars as early as 1869 had produced a civil code combining Shari'a law with Western influences? Or that ibn Taymiya, a well-known 14th century jurist, regarded only defensive wars as legitimate in his definition of jihad?