Bachelor’s Program in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law

  1. Introduction 

In order to align the teaching of the “Islamic Jurisprudence and Law” program with the regulations and resolutions of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, as well as the goals and mission of Imam Sadiq University, the curriculum revision working group of the Women's Campus of Imam Sadiq University, in collaboration with the Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, has undertaken the review and development of the program and its syllabus with the following specifications. It should be noted that the working group’s efforts were focused on preserving the course titles approved by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology, while the revisions made to the program aimed to enhance the number of credits, quality, and richness of the syllabi based on four key indicators: Islamization, localization, modernization, and effectiveness.

  1. Necessity and Importance of the Field 

The science of jurisprudence is one of the broadest and most extensive Islamic sciences. Its history is older than all other Islamic sciences, and throughout time, it has been studied and taught extensively. Jurisprudence provides the practical framework for human life from beginning to end, addressing a wide range of issues encompassing all aspects of human existence. Issues that are today categorized under the term "law", including constitutional law, civil law, family law, criminal law, administrative law, political law, and more are scattered across various chapters of jurisprudence under different names. The legal system of Iran, particularly in civil and criminal laws, despite drawing on the legal experiences of some European countries, has been fundamentally built upon the solid foundation of Islamic jurisprudence, especially the comprehensive, rich, and elevated school of Twelver Shia jurisprudence and the profound and precise thoughts of renowned Shia jurists. It is an undeniable fact that studying and analyzing Iranian law without familiarity with Twelver Shia jurisprudence is impossible. Therefore, considering the status of jurisprudence in Iran’s legal system and the need to address academic and educational requirements, it is essential to create an interdisciplinary platform titled “Islamic Jurisprudence and Law” to facilitate the interaction between jurisprudence and law.

Given the capacity and capabilities of the science of jurisprudence, it must enter the fundamental and vital arenas of contemporary society, as today’s society faces new issues and challenges in various aspects of life. Hence, Imam Sadiq University, with an interdisciplinary approach, has revised the “Islamic Jurisprudence and Law” program to address societal needs in the fields of jurisprudence and law, relying on the principles of jurisprudence and gemstone-like standards.

  1. Field  Objectives

The Bachelor’s program in “Islamic Jurisprudence and Law” is one of the educational programs within the higher education system, and its objectives include: 

  • Training competent experts and researchers in jurisprudence to meet the needs of educational and research centers in Islamic sciences; 
  • Responding to societal needs in the areas of jurisprudential, legal, and judicial consultation and guidance; 
  • Studying the science of law alongside the science of jurisprudence by enhancing students' analytical and practical skills; 
  • Promoting the culture of commitment to jurisprudence and Islamic rulings within society and addressing doubts in this area; 
  • Educating instructors needed by universities and higher education institutions in theology and law through Master’s and doctoral programs, as well as training experts required by the country’s judicial system. 

  • Cognitive Objectives:
  • Familiarity with the content of jurisprudence, the opinions of prominent jurists, and methods of reasoning and jurisprudential inference; 
  • Enhancing understanding of societal needs in the realm of legislation and guiding minds toward making jurisprudence more active and applicable; 
  • Familiarity with related sciences of jurisprudence, especially the principles of jurisprudence, the philosophy of jurisprudence, and others; 
  • Detailed understanding of the foundations and methods of deriving jurisprudential rulings from primary religious texts and sources of ijtihad (independent reasoning); 
  • Understanding the research methodology required in jurisprudential and legal sciences. 
  • Attitudinal Objectives:
  • Strengthening students’ motivation and inclination to identify and solve jurisprudential and legal problems in light of societal developments in this field; 
  • Developing a balanced perspective rooted in the pure Islam of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his household), free from extremism or negligence. 
  • Skill-Based Objectives:
  • Familiarity with related sciences of jurisprudence, especially the principles of jurisprudence, the philosophy of jurisprudence, and others; 
  • Detailed understanding of the foundations and methods of deriving jurisprudential rulings from primary religious texts and sources of ijtihad; 
  • Understanding the research methodology required in jurisprudential and legal sciences. 

  1. Roles and Capabilities of Graduates 

  • Academic Prospects:

During the Bachelor’s program, students gain familiarity with foundational and essential topics in various fields of Islamic sciences while acquiring knowledge and specialization in Islamic law. Upon completion of this program, graduates will have the necessary foundation to pursue further studies at the Master’s and doctoral levels in “Islamic Jurisprudence and Private Law”, “Islamic Jurisprudence and Criminal Law”, “Family Law”, and other related fields at other higher education institutions for advanced specialized studies and ijtihad (independent reasoning). 

  • Professional Prospects: 

- Opportunity to join the country’s judicial system as lawyers, legal consultants, experts, etc.; 

- Opportunity to join educational institutions as instructors of courses related to jurisprudence and law; 

- Opportunity to join organizations such as the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and other governmental and non-governmental centers as jurisprudence experts; 

- Researchers and investigators in scientific and research centers focusing on law through Master’s and doctoral programs. 

  1. Program Duration 

The continuous Bachelor’s program in “Islamic Jurisprudence and Law” lasts 8 semesters (four years), during which each student is required to complete 36 credits in Islamic and general courses, 22 credits in foreign language courses, 12 credits in foundational courses, 80 credits in specialized courses, and 10 credits in elective courses according to the structured program.

Type of Courses

Credits

Islamic and General Knowledge

36

Foreign Languages

22

 Foundation

12

Specialized

80

Optional

10

Total

160