Islamist Movements and Shari‘a Reasoning

Abstract Islamist appeals to the authority of al‐shari‘a, one of the primary referents for practical judgment in Muslim tradition, present scholars with a significant challenge. Attention to such appeals helps in the identifications of the Islamists’ political goals. As well, such appeals point to the deep historical roots of the Islamist programme. Yet Islamists make a number of innovations in shari‘a reasoning, even as they appeal to its authority. This is particularly so with respect to judgments related to the conduct of war. This contradiction suggests an important weakness in the intellectual aspect of the Islamist programme, to which scholars and policymakers ought to attend.