This survey of Islamic Law combines Western and Islamic views and describes the relationship between the original theories of Islamic law and the views of contemporary Islamic writers. Covering the key topics in the area -- including the history, sources and formation of Islamic Law, the legal mechanisms, and the contemporary context -- it is strong in its coverage of the modern perspective, which particularly marks this book out from other texts in this field. The aim is to provide the student with a background understanding of Islamic Law and access to the complexity of the Islamic legal system. The language used is non-technical and understanding is aided with a supplementary detailed glossary and analytical indices. Selling Points *Author is a well-known scholar who is a lawyer by original profession and who has taught Islamic Law for 22 years: ideally placed to write an introductory survey of the field. *No prior knowledge assumed *Uses non-technical language *Includes a glossary of key terms