Customary and Shari'ah Law in Arabian Society

The society and legal systems of Southern Arabia, both ancient and modern, form the subject of this second collection of articles by Professor Serjeant. His approach has been to make a detailed study of modern social structures and legal customs and to relate these to what we know of ancient society and law. The traditional tribal society of the region, he argues, has preserved in its customary law and practice a very great deal that derives directly from the pre-Islamic period, whereas the shariah, the law of Islam, though stemming from the same sources, has often diverged significantly from it. An understanding of the modern situation, therefore, is of immediate relevance to the interpretation of pre- and early-Islamic society. Among the particular topics covered are the interplay between tribal affinities and religious authority, marriage legislation and the "Frankish chancre" or (syphilis), and maritime customary law. From an ethnographic viewpoint, furthermore, these studies record peoples and lifestyles that have been increasingly overwhelmed by contemporary events. Les socits et les systmes juridiques de lArabie du Sud, moderne et ancienne, sont le thme de ce recueil d'articles par le professeur Serjeant. Il aborde le sujet avec une tude des structures sociales modernes, ainsi que du droit coutumier, puis les rattache ce qui est connu de la socit et du droit anciens. La socit tribale traditionnelle de la rgion, affirme-til, a conserv un grand nombre dus et coutumes trouvant des origines directes au cours de la priode pre-islamique, alors que le droit de lIslam, le shariah, bien quissu des mmes sources, sen loigne de faon significative. Le fait de comprendre la situation moderne a donc un rapport immdiat avec toute interprtation de la socit islamique ses dbuts. Parmi les thmes spcifiques que couvre lauteur, se trouvent le droit marital et le "chancre" franc (syphilitique), le droit