Israel Quote by Mustafa Akyol
““What is needed, then, is a rule of law whose purpose is to protect not the ruler or a privileged class but the rights of each individual. This was, notably, what law meant in Islamdom. And the key concept was what has recently become a dirty word: the Shariah.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Human Rights and Law, 2022
Law should protect individuals, not elites; historically, Islamic law embodied this, but the term “Shariah” is now politicized.
In simple terms: Law protects people, not rulers; Shariah is a contested term.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for individual rights over class privilege.
Themes
law
individual rights
Islam
politics
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- policy reform
- legal education
- interfaith dialogue
- media framing
Key Concepts
jurisprudence
human rights
social equity
Questions to Reflect On
- What does true rule of law look like?
- How can societies discuss Shariah without bias?
A Different Perspective
Labeling Shariah can hinder constructive debate.
![“Gerber, who studied seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Ottoman court decisions, points to examples of Ottoman muftis (official jurists) who, despite being paid by the government, “did not hesitate to speak out against the government when [they] came face to face with an injustice.” quote by Mustafa Akyol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/790/mustafa-akyol-15064_face-to-face_gerber-who-studied-seventeenth-and-eight_22267.jpg)
![“[Islam] Leaves no room of human legislation in an Islamic state, because herein all legislative functions vest in God and the only function left for Muslims lies in their observance of the God-made law.” quote by Abul A'la Maududi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/704/abul-a-la-maududi-51903_function_islam-leaves-no-room-of-human-legislatio_886.jpg)
