The Role of Imam al-Shaybani in the Codification and Development of Islamic International Law
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58342/ghalibqj.V.14.I.2.1Keywords:
Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani, Islamic International Law, Islamic Jurisprudence, Codification of Law, Development of Islamic Law, Hanafi JurisprudenceAbstract
The Islamic legal system is frequently regarded as one of the most sophisticated legal frameworks in human civilization, offering comprehensive regulations for various dimensions of human life. Among these dimensions is Islamic international law, which has gradually developed and been codified over time. A fundamental question in this regard concerns the extent to which Muslim jurists—particularly Imam Muhammad al-Shaybani—have contributed to the codification and development of this field. While scholarship in Islamic international law differs considerably from other branches of Islamic jurisprudence—demanding a dual perspective that encompasses both national-religious and international-trans-sectarian dimensions—only a select group of jurists have possessed the intellectual and methodological capacity to address this domain. Against this backdrop, the present study investigates the specific role of Imam Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani in shaping Islamic international law. Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach based on library resources. After gathering relevant data, the study analyzed the subject and its core issues. The findings indicate that Imam al-Shaybani was the first to produce well-structured and thematically organized legal texts on Islamic international law. His pioneering efforts earned him recognition as the founder of this discipline within the broader framework of Islamic jurisprudence.
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