One of the Best Introductions to Islamic Law Macdonald, Duncan B. Development of Muslim Theology, Jurisprudence and Constitutional Theory.

Despite its age, this is one of the best general introductions to Islamic law. It remains a standard work in scholarly bibliographies. Offering both a history and a critical analysis, this book is enriched by a 66-page appendix containing complete translations of primary texts. Macdonald [1863-1943], a professor at the Hartford Seminary, established the field of Islamic studies in the United States in 1893. His efforts led to the creation of what is now the Duncan Black Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations at the Hartford Seminary.

Recent scientific research has stimulated an increasing interest in Semitic studies among scholars, students, and the serious reading public generally. It has provided us with a picture of a hitherto unknown civilization, and a history of one of the great branches of the human family.

The object of the present Series is to state its results in popularly scientific form. Each work is complete in itself, and the Series, taken as a whole, neglects no phase of the general subject. Each contributor is a specialist in the subject assigned him, and has been chosen from the body of eminent Semitic scholars in Europe and in this country.