Sheikh al-Amin Mazrui (1891-1947) and the dilemma of Islamic law in the Kenyan legal system in the 21st century

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Sheikh al-Amin Mazrui (1891-1947) and the dilemma of Islamic law in the Kenyan legal system in the 21st century
Author:	Mraja, Mohamed Suleiman
Year:	2011
Periodical:	Journal for Islamic Studies (ISSN 0257-7062)
Volume:	31
Pages:	60-74
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Kenya
Subjects:	ulema Islamic law legal reform children's rights
About person:	Shaykh Al-Amin Bin 'Ali Al Mazru'i (1891-1947)
Abstract:	Sheikh al-Amin b. Ali al-Mazrui (1891-1947) is regarded as the pioneer of reform activities within Sunni Islam in East Africa. From the 1930s and 1940s, this scholar championed a call for Islamic reform by publicly and through numerous publications denouncing local practices prevalent among the Muslims in the region as religious innovations and the cause for their social and economic backwardness. While Sheikh al-Amin was radical in initiating educational and social transformation of the Muslim community in East Africa, his reform schemata in the realm of Islamic law was generally less impressive, but nevertheless informative, as reflected in his work, 'Ndowa na Talaka katika Sharia ya Ki-Islamu (Madh-habi ya Shafii)'('Marriage and Divorce under Islamic Law [Shafi'i School]'). It is this concise treatise on marriage and divorce rules which forms the basis of an assessment of Sheikh al-Amin and his contributions to the Islamic law discourse in Kenya's legal system in the present century with a focus on children's rights and child custody in particular. Notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]