Widely publicized but rarely scrutinized, attempts to eradicate Islamic law in America have proliferated in the aftermath of 9/11. Presenting a comprehensive history of the shari‘a, the legal historian and human rights lawyer Sadakat Kadri now brings rational insight to the debate in a fascinating guide that separates fact from legend. Built on painstaking research, HEAVEN ON EARTH brims with surprising truths about the turbulent formation and expansion of Islam and its legal doctrines.

In HEAVEN ON EARTH, Kadri shows how Islamic legal tenets gradually evolved out of countless accounts of the Prophet Muhammad (none of which were even written down at the time of his death), spurred by the compilation of the Qur’an. Kadri’s tour includes more than half a dozen countries in the Islamic world, where he explores how the shari‘a has been taught, reinterpreted, and applied to all facets of life, from marital realms to financial ones. He also describes how the last forty years have seen the shari‘a become appropriated and transformed by hardliners desperate to impose their oppressive vision.

Providing a clear-eyed perspective on an often provocative topic, HEAVEN ON EARTH raises important questions about the very nature of governance in the twenty-first century as nations confront conflicts between modern, secular culture and religious tradition. We hope that this guide will enrich your reading group’s discussion of shari‘a law and its legacies.