Contents

Acknowledgements ιx

Introduction 1

ι Theological Commitments 15

1 Mu^ttazili and Ash^tari Approaches to Epistemology, Ethics,

and Speech 16

1.1 HumanExperlenceandNormativity 17

1.2 Epistemology and Ethics 19

1.3 The Role ofRevelation 22

1.4 Language and Law 24

2 Al-Maturidfs Theological Commitments 28

2 ‘Abd al-Jabbar and the Goodness of the Law 31

1 The Ethical Assessment of Acts 32

1.1 Rational Assessment of Acts 38

1.2 Religious Assessment of Acts 42

1.3 Ethical Values and Right (Haqq) 43

2 The Legal Assessment of Acts 47

2.1 Correspondence of Rational and Religious Legal Normativity 52

3 Legal Analogy and the Function of the Ratio Legis 54

3.1 The Function of Legal Analogy 55

3.2 The ^tIlla in Religio-legal Rulings 57

3.3 Methods of Identifying the Ratio Legis (^tIlla) 63

4 Conclusions 67

3 Abu l-Husayn al-Basri and the Maslaha of the Law 70

1 The Ethical and Legal Value of Acts 70

1.1 Rational Normativity 72

1.2 Religious Normativity 74

1.3 Combined Rational and Religious Normativity 82

2 Legal Analogy and the Ratio Legis 83

2.1 Identifying the Correct Ratio Legis 89

3 Conclusions 93

4 Abu Zayd al-Dabbusi and the Wisdom of the Law 96

1 Divine Wisdom, Human Rationality, and Normativity 97

1.1 RationalAssessmentofActs 103

1.2 Assessment of Acts in Light of Divine Command and Prohibition 107

2 Legal Analogy and God's Wisdom 112

2.1 The Ratio Legis (^tIlla) 113

2.2 Identifying Efficacy 115

3 Conclusions 120

5 Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi and the Meaning of the Law 123

1 Linguistic Assessment of Legal Normativity 125

1.1 The Legal Norms of Religious Accountability (Taklif) 128

2 The Function of Legal Analogy and the Ratio Legis 134

2.1 Identifying the Ratio Legis 142

2.2 Three Dimensions of Meaning 145

3 Conclusions 149

6 Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni and the Purpose of the Law 151

1 Religious Accountability (Takllf) and Legal Norms 152

1.1 Language and Religious Accountability 154

1.2 Legal Norms 156

2 The Function of Legal Analogy 163

2.1 Determining the Ratio Legis 165

3 Conclusions 175

Concluding Remarks 179

1 Theological Worldview and the Logic of Ethical and Legal Reasoning 180

2 Law, the Path to Salvation, and the Order of Society 185

Bibliography 191

Index 198