An Introduction to Shi'i Law

An Introduction to Shi'i Law

The Shi’i legal system, which is one of the two major divisions of Islamic law, is a developed integrated system with a long continuous tradition of innovation.   As the system has always been open to new  ideas,  and as criticism and original contributions  were  welcome and encouraged,  it grew into and  continues  to  grow  as a  developed,  thriving body  of legal thought. Many  Shi’i  jurists  in the past  were at the  same time outstanding philosophers, and through them many  elements from Islamic logic and philosophy  were  introduced  into,  and  discussed  in,  Shi'i law  and  jurisprudence. This process  resulted,  on the one  hand,  in the appearance  of  new  and highly  meticulous  legal analyses  in  Shi’i  law  and  jurisprudence,   and contributed,  on the other hand,  to the  development  of  Islamic logic and philosophy. Shi’i legal works, and in particular those of the last two centuries are, therefore,  of  significant value not only for their legal analyses but also for their evaluation and criticism of certain traditional points of view in logic and philosophy as studied in the Islamic world.