Muhammad al-Mawardi: “On Qadis”

Audience

Al-Mawardi wrote the Ordinances of Government at the behest of the caliph al-Qa’im, so the caliph and his successors may be considered one readership. It is possible that al-Mawardi intended the work simply to further his theories among the religious and political leadership. During this period of political instability and frequent changes of leadership, there was a great need for clarification of the many positions of authority. More broadly, al-Mawardi’s work may have been intended as a handbook for future rulers and administrators. It was structured such that it could readily be used as a reference book: It could be read from cover to cover, or the reader could quickly locate a particular topic.