A book-length study of the way rape was conceived in classical Islamic law (shari`ah). The project addresses the treatment of rape in Islamic legal sources dating from the advent of Islam in the 7th century CE through the 12th century CE, when Islamic law had reached its mature, or classical, formulation. The project begins with an overview of how religious and legal systems in the Late Antique Near East conceptualized rape, specifically through those systems' notions of sexuality, property, and religion. We then look at how Muslim jurists, situated in this Late Antique world, absorbed and modified these notions in order to develop a uniquely "Islamic" approach to rape as a violation of sexual, property and religious norms. I am seeking research assistance on this project for this summer, to be continued if necessary into the fall.
Candidates must know modern standard Arabic. The ideal candidate will have a background in Islam/Islamic studies and an interest in working with medieval religious texts.
