This lecture by Professor Robert Gleave addresses one of the central reasons for the controversy surrounding Sharia – that, since it is conceived as the rule of God, it is inherently unknowable, and therefore open to competing interpretations by Western commentators and Muslim jurists alike.

 
In a wide-ranging discussion of the implications of the different interpretations of Sharia, he forecasts the likely rise of Islamic law in a post-Assad, rebel-held Syrian state, and comments on the debate concerning the legal status of Sharia in the UK.