Ahmed OULDDALI

"Interfaith relations in the pre-modern Islamic world through legal consultations (fatwas)"

From its establishment in the 15th century up to today, the Muslim world has always counted a large number of non-Muslims among its population. The political dominance of Islam did not prevent other religions from remaining under Muslim suzerainty in most regions, including those that were conquered by force. As the numerical majority in some cities and provinces, these communities played an important role in the economic and cultural expansion of the Islamic empire. Relations between the majority Muslim society and religious minorities in the pre-modern age are increasingly interesting for researchers working on the history of the Near East and the Maghreb. But this research comes up against a significant obstacle: the rarity of archival documents. To overcome this difficulty, we must expand the field of investigation by appealing to other sources. Among the documents that can help the historian's quest for information about this period, there are legal consultations (fatwas) issued by Mâlikite jurists from North Africa and al Andalus. Rich in data on the economic and social life of the Muslim West, the fatwas are also quite interesting for the study of interfaith relations. This project intends to translate and analyze a corpus of numerous legal consultations concerning non-Muslims (primarily Jews and Christians) living in Muslim territory.