Network of British Researchers and Practitioners of Islamic Law

伊斯兰法一词既包括穆斯林国家和社区目前(和曾经)实行的法律，也包括穆斯林认为应该实行的理想的规则和条例体系。这个拟议的网络旨在将英国的学者和法律从业人员聚集在一起，研究伊斯兰法的这些不同概念--既有历史上的表现，也有当代的表现。伊斯兰法学的学术学者和实践者很少有机会分享研究、交流思想和探索可能的合作研究。该网络旨在将这些学者和实践者聚集在一起，举行四次网络会议。每期会议将包括研究论文、对法律实践的反思和关于未来活动的讨论机会。每一次会议的学术主题将集中在一个特定的伊斯兰法学派的经验上。在前现代时期，穆斯林世界的大多数法律活动(无论是教学、写作还是审判)都涉及遵守特定的法律解释传统(概括为阿拉伯语术语Madhhab)。不同的穆罕默德在基本的法律问题上有不同的看法。这些差异是由于对来源的不同解释，以及Madhhab创始人的个人观点(他们的观点一直被视为Madhhab独特性格的核心)。伊斯兰教法有四个逊尼派学校(哈纳菲、马利基、汉巴里和沙菲伊，都是以其创始人的名字命名的)，但也有什叶派学校(最有活力的两个是扎伊迪和十二人)和伊巴迪学校。在过去，也有一些学校时不时地受到欢迎。在现代时期，随着立法者和法官试图在西欧模式的影响下使穆斯林国家的法律现代化，穆罕默德似乎已经失去了一些智力力量。然而，Madhhab的衰落并不是一致的。在世界某些地区，无论是在穆斯林占多数还是在少数族裔的背景下，Madhhab都保持了其重要性，或者发生了变化，以应对一个快速现代化的社会的挑战。由于在穆斯林世界的不同地区占主导地位，各种不同的穆罕默德是方便的主题，可以将不同学术领域的法律学者以及实践者(如律师、维权人士、立法者)聚集在一起，分享他们的研究和经验。四个网络会议中的每一个都将在两天的时间里考察两所学校，学者们将研究Madhhab的形成、历史和当代经验。一旦聚集在一起，网络的参与者将探索潜在的合作研究，以及为英国伊斯兰法研究人员发展一个学科协会的可能性。国际伊斯兰法律研究协会已经存在，但它在英国的成员很少，资源也非常有限。还有穆斯林律师协会(英国)，主要服务于穆斯林社区。这两个组织都将参与网络会议，并为未来英国学术协会(暂定名称为英国伊斯兰法律研究协会，或BASIL)的设计做出贡献，该协会将以独特的英国式和跨宗教的视角看待伊斯兰法律的历史和未来发展。网络会议将于2007年至2009年在埃克塞特大学举行，参与者来自英国高等教育部门以及法律界。此外，包括来自穆斯林世界的学者和从业人员在内的国际专家将参与讨论。最重要的是纳入新兴的研究人员和从业者，因此将招募博士和博士后研究人员介绍他们的研究并参与讨论。

The term Islamic Law covers both the law as it is (and has been) practised in Muslim countries and communities, as well as the ideal system of rules and regulations which Muslims have thought should be practised. This proposed network aims to bring together UK-based scholars and legal practitioners working with these different conceptions of Islamic Law - both in their historical manifestations, but also in the contemporary period. Academic scholars and practitioners of Islamic Law rarely have the opportunity to share research, exchange ideas and explore possible collaborative research. This network aims to bring these scholars and practitioners together for four network sessions. Each session will consist of research papers, reflections on legal practice and opportunities for discussion concerning future activity. The academic theme of each session will concentrate on the experience of a particular 'school' of Islamic Law. In the premodern period, most legal activity (be it teaching, writing or judging) in the Muslim world involved adherence to a particular tradition of legal interpretation (summed up in the Arabic term madhhab). The different madhhabs had divergent opinions on fundamental legal questions. These differences were due to differences in interpretation of the sources, as well as the personal views of the madhhabs' founders (whose opinions were always viewed as central to a madhhab's distinct character). There are four Sunni schools of Islamic law (Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali and Shafii, all named after their founders), but there are also Shiite schools (the two most vibrant being the Zaydi and Twelver) and the Ibadi school. There have also existed schools in the past which periodically have enjoyed resurgances in popularity. In the modern period, the madhhabs appear to have lost some of their intellectual power, as legislators and judges attempted to modernise the law in Muslim countries under the influence of Western European models. However, the decline of the madhhab has not been uniform. In some parts of the world, both in Muslim majority and minority contexts, the madhhab has retained its importance, or morphed to take on the challenges of a rapidly modernising society. The various madhhabs, dominent as they are in different parts of the Muslim world, are convenient themes with which to bring together legal scholars from different academic disciplines, as well as practitioners (such as lawyers, rights activists, legislators) to share their research and experiences. Each of the four network sessions will examine two schools over a two day period, with scholars examining the madhhab's formation, history and contemporary experience.Once assembled, the participants in the network will explore potential collaborative research, and the possibility of developing a subject association for UK-based researchers on Islamic law. There already exists the International Society for Islamic Legal Studies, but it has few members in the UK and very limited resources. There is also the Association of Muslim Lawyers (UK), which primarily serves the Muslim community. Both organisations will participate in the network sessions, and contribute to the design of any future British learned society (tentatively named the British Association for the Study of Islamic law, or BASIL), which could offer a distinctly British and cross-confessional perspective on the history and future development of Islamic law.The network sessions will take place at the University of Exeter between 2007 and 2009, bringing in participants from across the UK HE sector as well the legal profession. In addition, international experts, including academics and practitioners from the Muslim world will contribute to the discussions. Of the greatest importance is the inclusion of emerging researchers and practitioners, and hence doctoral and postdoctoral researchers will be recruited to both present their research and participate in the discussions.