Rule of Law and the Muslim World – a Brief Analysis of the Causes of Development of the Rule of Law in the Muslim World

Abstract

The rule of law is, along with democracy, one of the main concepts of the 21st century, while Islam is, along with Christianity, the most populous religion. On the other hand, Muslim states face the problem of accepting the rule of law as a concept that originated in the West. The paper discusses the compatibility of the rule of law and Islam as well as the reason why the rule of law is not developed in Muslim countries. The authors investigate whether the underdevelopment of the rule of law in Muslim countries is inherently related to Islam or to the socio-economic circumstances that led to it. The authors of the paper put forward the thesis that the cause of the underdevelopment of the rule of law in Muslim countries is primarily caused by socio-economic circumstances, and not because of the very concept of Islam as a religion.

Keywords

• islam
• the rule of law
• rule by law
• key turning point