Jews and Islamic Law in Early 20th-Century Yemen

Download or read book Jews and Islamic Law in Early 20th-Century Yemen written by Mark S. Wagner and published by Indiana University Press. This book was released on 2015 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In early 20th-century Yemen, a sizable Jewish population was subject to sumptuary laws and social restrictions. Jews regularly came into contact with Islamic courts and Muslim jurists, by choice and by necessity, became embroiled in the most intimate details of their Jewish neighbors’ lives. Mark S. Wagner draws on autobiographical writings to study the careers of three Jewish intermediaries who used their knowledge of Islamic law to manipulate the shari‘a for their own benefit and for the good of their community. The result is a fresh perspective on the place of religious minorities in Muslim societies.