Islam, Law and the State in the Philippines

This book accounts for the development of Islam in the Philippines from a legal perspective, investigating Islam through the lens of the institutions of Islamic law.

Drawing on original fieldwork, including in Mindanao, this comprehensive book covers a wide range of topics including: Islamic leadership and authority (mufti, darul ifta and fatawa); Islamic judges and dispute resolution in shari’a courts and alternative forms of dispute resolution; legislative codification of Islamic law especially in private law (marriage and divorce); Islamic banking and finance; and madrasahs and Islamic education. The book also offers a comprehensive, detailed and timely socio-legal analysis of controversies relating to Islam and the long-running conflict in the Southern Philippines as Moro communities struggle with the challenges of transition to the long-awaited Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. This is contextualised against the wider history and politics of the southern Philippines, from pre-colonial times to 2024. The authors offer a detailed and nuanced analysis based on primary documents, as well as an account of the existing literature in the field.

The book greatly enhances understandings of the social, political and historical context of current developments in Islam in the Philippines. It will be of interest to researchers studying Islam and the administration of Islamic law, Malay Muslim communities in Southeast Asia, and the history and politics of the Philippines.