xvi Introduction
Islamicate
Influences
Islamaffected Muslims
primarily
in three
interrelated
ways:
through
the
implementation
ofIslamic
preceptsandideals,their
nonimplementation,
andtheextensionofMiddleEastern
high
culture.Theinfluenceof
Islamthatresultedfrom
implementa-
tionofits
goals
isself-evident.The
Islamic
religionbrings
withit
awide
variety
of
precepts
andidealswhich influencethebe-
liever,
ranging
fromhis
urinary
habitstohisviewsonthe
just
society.
TheShariea
incorporates
several
sources(the
Qur’fin,
t.adfth,reasoningbyanalogy,
and
consensus)toelaborateacode
whichhas
something
to
say
aboutalmost
everyactivity.
Tothe
degree
that
Muslimscarriedoutits
injunctions,they
sharedan
Islamic
way
of
life.Lawsin the
private
domain,
dealing
with
religious
ritualand
personalstatus,were
largelyimplemented;
conversiontoIslam
brought
some
conformity
intheseareasto
vastly
diverse
practices
on several continents.
6
For
example,
Islam
everywhere affected
family
relations
by
its inheritance
laws,
whichcreatedbonds
andtensionsoftheirown.Lawsin-
volving public
affairswereless
consistentlyimplemented;
ex-
ceptionally,
those
concerning
thestatusofdhimmfs
(adherents
of
scriptuaryreligions
wholivedunderMuslim
rule)
wereoften
effected.
TheextentofIslamic
influencevariedindifferent
parts
of
Islamdom. Itwas
greatest
in theMiddle
East,somewhatless
strong
inNorth
Africa,CentralAsia,andnorthernIndia,and
nuch less so in sub-Saharan Africa, southeastern
Europe,
southern
India, Yunan, and Southeast Asia. Whatever the
depth
ofIslamic
practices,
the
carrying
outof
their
precepts
and
ideals
represented
adirectchannelofIslamicinfluence.
Those
precepts
andidealsalsohadanindirect
impact;
Islam
establishedsome
goals
which
could notbeattained, andthe
commonfailuretolive
up
tothem
provoked
similar
responses
- Hodgson,2:123.
7.R.
Brunschvig,"Perspectives,"pp.
49-50.Thisaccountsforthe
many
workswith"Islam"intheirtitleand mentionofMuslimsoutsidethe
Middle
East
in
their
text;otherareasareseeneitherasnot
fully
Muslimor
derivative,
andhenceless
interesting.