The Dynamics of Islamic Judiciary during the Abbasid Dynasty and Its Relevance to Contemporary Middle Eastern Legal Systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61166/ushulalhukm.v2i1.39Keywords:
Islamic Judiciary, Ottoman Empire, Qādī, Qanun, History Of Islamic Law.Abstract
This study examines the dynamics of Islamic judiciary during the Ottoman Empire by focusing on institutional structures, the system of legal implementation, and the relationship between political authority and judicial power. This topic is important because the judicial system of the Ottoman Empire became one of the influential models of Islamic legal administration in the historical development of Islamic courts across Muslim regions. The study aims to analyze the institutional form of the judiciary, the role of the qādī in dispute resolution, and the factors influencing the transformation and development of the Islamic judicial system during the Ottoman period. This research employs a qualitative method with a historical-normative approach. Data were collected through library research involving historical literature, fiqh books, governmental archives, and previous studies relevant to the legal and judicial system of the Ottoman Empire. The data were analyzed descriptively and analytically by examining the development of Islamic judiciary within the social, political, and legal contexts of the Ottoman administration. The findings reveal that the Islamic judiciary during the Ottoman period developed dynamically through the establishment of an organized and hierarchical judicial structure. The qādī functioned not only as a judge but also played roles in social administration, economic affairs, and local governance. The Ottoman government implemented a legal system that integrated Islamic law with qanun as state administrative regulations. These dynamics were influenced by territorial expansion, administrative demands of governance, and the interaction between schools of Islamic jurisprudence and political policies of the empire. The Ottoman judicial system contributed significantly to the development of Islamic legal traditions, particularly in judicial administration, legal codification, and the professionalism of judicial institutions.
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