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12 Berkeley J. Middle E. & Islamic L. 1 (2021)

handle is hein.journals/bjme12 and id is 1 raw text is: Applying the Islamic Law of Rebellion to a Modern Context Osama Alkhawaja* Does Islamic law require unconditional obedience to political leaders? Is there an obligation to revolt against despotic oppressors? By following the historical development of the right to rebel in Islamic law, this paper attempts to answer these questions while serving as a corrective for binary thinking. It explores the spectrum of views on this topic and rejects the proposition that the Islamic law of rebellion is either pro or anti revolution, and it examines how the traditional principles can be applied to a modern context. In tro d u ctio n .......................................................................................... . 2 I. The Process of Islam ic Law ............................................................... 3 II. The Principles of the Islamic Law of Rebellion............................... 5 A. Presumption in Favor of Stability ...................................... 5 B . Ju st C au ses........................................................................ . . 8 1. Religious Justifications ................................................. 8 2. Political Justifications ................................................... 9 III. Applying the Principles to a Modern Context................................ 12 A. The Principle of Stability is Overemphasized .................. 13 B. Just Causes Must Incorporate Modern Grievances........... 15 C. The Balancing Test Should Consider New Factors ........... 17 C on clu sio n ........................................................................................ . . 19 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15779/Z38J09W52C * University of Chicago Law School, J.D. 2020. I would like to thank Kamran Bajwa, Amir Toft, and Elias Purmul for their guidance and helpful feedback. I am indebted to Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl for his substantial research on this subject. All mistakes are my own. 1