Encyclopedia of Islam

government, Islamic

---

ity. In the medieval period, rulers established a 

parallel system of courts that enabled them to 

side-step the 

sharia

. Many Muslim countries in 

the modern period have based the primary law 

code of the land on Western models. Sharia is 

limited to the arena of personal status laws, those 

dealing with divorce, inheritance, marriage, and 

the family. The degree to which people are satis-

fied with this or desire a greater application of 

the sharia often depends on the political and eco-

nomic conditions in a particular country.

While a few reformers call for a return of the 

caliphate, many argue that Islamic principles such 

as shura (consultation) and maslaha (general wel-

fare) support the ideal of an Islamic 

democracy

.

Most activists and reformers who call for Islamic 

government are concerned primarily with the 

sharia becoming the law of the country—at least 

for its Muslim citizens. This is based on a belief 

that the sharia is divinely ordained and when 

properly interpreted and applied will bring about 

just and equitable society. However, Islamic politi-

cal theorists are still debating the key question of 

who should have the authority to interpret and 

enforce sharia.

See also  i

ranian

  r

evolUtion

 

oF

 1978–1979; 

i

slamism

; 

politics

 

and

 i

slam

; s

aUdi

 a

rabia

.

Heather N. Keaney