Defining Islam for the Egyptian State

This work traces the history of the Dar al-Ifta, the Egyptian State Mufti's administration, from its inception in the 1890s to the present. Positioned between a state bereaucracy and an emerging Muslim public concerned with the transmission of Islamic values, the various State Muftis have been reinterpreting Islamic Law to demonstrate its relevance in the modern age. This history provides an insight into themes of 20th-century Islamic thinking. Four case studies demonstrate how fatwas can be used as sources for legal, social, intellectual and mentality history.