Research Handbook On Islamic Law and Society

Abstract

The book is a product of a collective effort from many people involved in the early stages until readers have this book in their hands. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge and thank them. First of all, I would like to thank Mr Edward Elgar, who encouraged me to write or edit books on Islamic law when I met him in Sydney around 2010. As a result, I produced Modern Perspectives on Islamic Law (co-written with Ann Black and Hossein Esmaeili), published by Edward Elgar Publishing in 2013. Unfortunately, it took me a long time to edit this volume of the Research Handbook on Islamic Law and Society, owing to circumstances both at work and at home. I thank Mr Edward Elgar and his team (Laura, Ben and others) who kept encouraging me to complete the task. With the help of his team, I am glad that the edited collection has finally been published. Secondly, this book was edited during my transition to the Faculty of Law, Monash University in mid-2015. It is not easy to move to a different workplace and new city. I would like to thank Professor Stephen Barkoczy, a great mentor, and also our Dean, Professor Bryan Horrigan. Their guidance made my move as smooth as possible. I also thank all of my colleagues in Monash for their collegiality, and my students (LLB, JD and PhD programmes) for the interesting discussions. Thirdly, this book could not be completed were it not for the 20 contributors. I thank each of the authors for devoting his/her time and efforts in contributing to this book. Reading and editing your works for this book has given me great pleasure in that I, as the editor, learnt many things from your chapters. I am sure the readers will feel the same way. Fourthly, life without friends would be an empty one. I thank all my Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) friends whom I frequently visit in Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and all over the world. Their vision, discussions and commitment to serving Muslim communities inspire me, reminding me that there is so much to life outside the academic world. I also thank Rick Mohr and Ian Usman Lewis for their wise advice, mentorship and, most importantly, their friendship. Finally, my family deserves special thanks. It sounds like a cliché, but it is true that without your continuing support, it would be hard to imagine that all the late night work, perspiration, tiredness, sickness and thousands of cups of coffee could be transformed into a solid edited volume like this. I must also mention both my late father (2001) and mother (2017): their spirit remains the fuel that makes everything is possible with my life at work, in the community and at home. Shallu ‘alan Nabi!