Ottoman Empire Abiding By The Laws Of Islam

Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of sources

This investigation will explore the extent to which Sultan Abdul Hamid II adhered to Islamic law in his reign over the Ottoman Empire. The focus of the Sultan Abdul Hamid II was chosen due to his reign being in the era of reform for the Ottoman Empire. To what extent does the Ottoman Empire abiding by the laws of Islam (Shariah) during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hamid II?

The first source to be evaluated will be the book by Reza Aslan, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, And future of Islam. Reza Aslan received a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies from Santa Clara University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University (focus: History of Religions), and a PhD in the Sociology

The information taken from Aslan’s book was on the Islamic Laws or Shariah. His information on Shariah gives the tools to determine whether or not Sultan Abdul Hamid II was ruling in accordance to Shariah. The source was produced in 2011 but there is no need for the information in the source to be up-to-date since the information used from the work was on Shariah. Shariah was determined over a thousand years ago and is not subject to change. Aslan’s purpose in creating the work is to explain Islam. As a Muslim you are rewarded greatly by Allah for spreading the knowledge of Islam. By writing about Islam Aslan also clears up misunderstandings often made about Islam. However Aslan is a Muslim so he will naturally be more inclined to emphasize good in Islam. Since the information taken is only on Shariah his bias will be less taken into account, however he is an advocate of democracy in regions dominated by Islam. His desire for such an

(Kinross 16) From then on, Islam became an integral part of Turkish life and greatly influenced the structure of Turkish rule. Along with the rise of the Ottoman Empire came Islam. In the Ottoman Empire Islam played an integral role in the governing of the state but often times people do not completely adhere to what they are required to. Among the many Sultans, Sultan Abdul Hamid II implemented the greatest reform at the cost of his religion. Islamic Law or Shariah is the set of religious commandments which regulate the behavior of a Muslim in all activities (private and public). (Tawfik 108) The basis of Islamic law is the combination of the Quran, the Sunnah of the prophet, ijma and qiyas. Two of the following (the quran and Sunnah) are sent by Allah while the other two are based on rational