Conceptions of Justice from Islam to the Present

This book explains a perspective on the system of justice that emerges in Islam if rules are followed and how the Islamic system is differentiated from the conventional thinking on justice. It examines conceptions of justice from the Enlightenment to Bentham to Rawls to contemporary philosophers including Sen, Cohen, Nussbaum, and Pogge. The authors present the views of twentieth century Muslim thinkers on justice who see Muslims upholding rituals but not living according to Qur’anic rules. It provides empirical surveys of the current state of justice in Muslim countries analyzing the economic, social, and political state of affairs. The authors conclude by assessing the state of justice-injustice in Muslim countries and highlighting areas in need of attention for justice to prevail.

Hossein Askari is former Assistant Professor at Tufts University, Professor of Business and Middle East Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Previously, he was the Iran Professor of Business and International Affairs at The George Washington University, becoming Emeritus in 2019.

Abbas Mirakhor is former Executive Director and Dean of the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund. Previously, he taught at universities in Iran and in the US and was the First Holder of the INCEIF Chair in Islamic Finance at INCEIF in Malaysia.