Islamic Law After the Abolition of the Caliphate: From Centralization to Decentralization

Authors

  • Ahmed Purdić Rijaset Islamske zajednice u Bosni i Hercegovini
  • Senad Ćeman Fakultet islamskih nauka Univerziteta u Sarajevu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26340/muallim.v26i104.2192

Keywords:

caliphate, Islamic law, fiqh, ijtihad (the use of reason to arrive at a knowledge of truth), Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, collective ijtihād

Abstract

UDK
28-74: 348:[342.1/.2“1924“
28-7-9

This paper examines the transformation of Islamic legal thought following the abolition of the caliphate in 1924. The first part provides a historical overview of the disappearance of central authority and its consequences for legal reference (marjaʿiyyah). The paper then analyses the interaction of Islamic law with global processes - colonialism, national and Islamic movements, and globalization - with particular emphasis on the role of international academies and fatwa councils. Special attention is given to the Bosnian-Herzegovinian context and the role of the Islamic Community in preserving the Hanafi legal heritage while adapting it to contemporary society. In its concluding section, the paper addresses a key dilemma of Islamic legal thought: how Muslims can approach fiqh (jurisprudential) issues in a time without a caliphate, relying on collective ijtihād, interdisciplinary cooperation, and consideration of diverse contexts.

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Published

23-02-2026

How to Cite

Purdić, A., & Ćeman, S. (2026). Islamic Law After the Abolition of the Caliphate: From Centralization to Decentralization. Novi Muallim, 26(104), 26–31. https://doi.org/10.26340/muallim.v26i104.2192

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 104 (2025): Novi Muallim br. 104.

Section

TEMA BROJA

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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