THIS PAPER IS NOT TO BE REMOVED FROM THE EXAMINATION HALL

LA3028 October
LLB
BSc DEGREES WITH LAW

Introduction to Islamic law

Thursday 24 October 2019: 10.00 – 13.15

DO NOT TURN OVER UNTIL TOLD TO BEGIN

Candidates will have THREE HOURS AND FIFTEEN MINUTES in which to

answer the questions. Candidates must answer all parts of a question unless
otherwise stated.

Candidates must answer FOUR of the following EIGHT questions, including at

least ONE from PART A and at least ONE from PART B.

Permitted materials
None.

© University of London 2019

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PART A

1. Analyse the differences between the four “sources” of Islamic law and
how they interact with one another.

2. “There is a strong opinion in classical Islamic law, which is contested in

modern Islamic legal scholarship, that by the 10th century all main
principles of Islamic law had been completely settled by the great
scholars and therefore ‘the gate of ijtihād’ had been closed.”

Discuss.

3. “Islamic legal theory (usūl al-fiqh) covers the jurisprudential rules relating
to the sources, methods and principles of Islamic law as well as its legal
hermeneutics and juristic methodologies of interpretation.”

Discuss.

4. Discuss the development of BOTH the Sunnī and Shī’ah schools of

Islamic jurisprudence and their continued relevance in the Muslim world
today.

PART B

5. Discuss the nature and legal status of polygyny under classical Islamic
law and how this has been regulated in any TWO Muslim-majority states
of your choice.

6. Discuss the main components of maintenance (nafaqah) to which the

wife is entitled under classical Islamic law and relevant provisions in the
Family Code of any Muslim-majority state of your choice.

7. List and discuss the nine main Qur’anic heirs in Islamic law of succession
indicating their respective fractions.

8. Discuss the nature and legal status of child marriage under classical
Islamic law and whether or not this can be legitimately prohibited by
modern Muslim-majority states.

END OF PAPER

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