Al-Mawardi

Known for

Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya, theory of the Caliphate

Thought

Writing as caliphal authority was crumbling, Al-Mawardi set out the first systematic Islamic theory of the Caliphate: the qualifications required of a legitimate ruler, how he should be selected, and the reciprocal duties binding ruler and subjects under Islamic law. His framework aimed to preserve the legal legitimacy of central Islamic authority even as real power shifted to regional sultans and warlords.

Biography

Baghdad-based Shafi'i jurist and diplomat who served the Abbasid caliphate during a period when the Caliph's real political power had sharply declined.

Major works

• Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya (The Ordinances of Government)