Fiqh al-aqalliyyāt (jurisprudence for minorities) and the problems of contemporary muslim minorities of Britain from the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence

This study seeks to explore some of the main problems contemporary British Muslims encounter from the perspective of Islamic jurisprudence. In so doing, it mainly aims to shed light on the extent Muslims in Britain face problems and what impact they might have on their religious identity as well as relationship, belonging, and contribution to the wider society. In so doing, the study will strive to examine whether existing fiqh (Isalmic jurisprudence) literature is adequate to guide contemporary fiqh scholars to deal with such issues effectively and how some contemporary answers to such issues are inappropriate. If that is the case, what would be the way forward jurists should take to find appropriate solutions? Hence, this study will use qualitative methodology to investigate such issues and questions and it will lead the study to emphasise the necessity to find answers to such problems and a mechanism to handle them, which this study would seek to suggest as a jurisprudential approach called fiqh al-aqalliyyāt al-Muslimah (Islamic Jurisprudence for Muslim Minorities) based on values, principles, universalities, and higher objectives of Islamic law: maqāsid al-Sharī‘ah (Purposes of Islamic Sharī‘ah) presented by revisiting textual sources of Islamic law as well as lived examples of early generations of Islam. It will also make some suggestions about further studies needed as regards to fiqh for Muslim minorities.