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Abstract

Rudolph. F. Peters' opinions on the application of Islamic criminal law in the Ottoman Empire, as expressed in her ground breaking book "Crime and Punishment in Islamic Law: Theory and Practice from the Sixteenth to the Twenty-First Century," are examined critically in this essay. Peters provides a thoughtful analysis of how Ottoman rulers applied traditional Islamic law while also modifying legal procedures to accommodate political and administrative realities. The study looks at how Sharia law and qanun (sultanic legislation) are balanced, how ḥudūd punishments are applied selectively, and how state power shapes criminal justice more broadly. The study emphasizes Peters' contention that the Ottoman legal system, despite having its roots in Islamic principles, showed practical flexibility in applying criminal laws through a historical-legal analysis.