Islam has existed in different historical contexts – tribal, imperial, and now national.  It has known different forms of statehood – dynasties and democracies, republics and monarchies, authoritarian regimes and civil systems of rule.  What is the Muslim understanding of state power and its purpose?  We will look at illustrations of statehood across Islam’s history alongside Muslim theories of rule, in order to get at the key concerns of Islam in that process, i.e. its relation to the laws of public administration?  One focus area will be changing Muslim notions about the nature and scope of shari’a (revealed norms of behavior) and its place in the governance of Muslim society.  We will also consider Muslim assessments of states and societies where shari’a does not obtain.  Finally, we will assess whether the concept of the state in Islam lines up – how and to what degree – with Western concepts of statehood.