The Principles of State and Government in Islam

Limited in its scope and has some fundamental flaws such as saying Jihad is defensive only, confusing Shura with democracy

Very useful and a must read I think but as far as I am concerned, I need to read it several times to wrap my head around it, even though I see that the author tried his best to be as clear and methodical as possible. I'll definitly make my friends read it.

This is one of very few books written on the fundamentals of Islamic state. It starts with arguing for an Islamic state which is followed by a critique of a secular state. In analyzing the scope of Islamic law, M. Asad argues that except for a very limited number of absolute rulings of sharia (nass), all the other ijtihadi lawmaking of previous jurists are subject to change depending on the contemporary challenges/circumstances. His insights into the executive and legislative branches of Islamic state are also thought-provoking. M. Asad tries to explain how these two branches of government differ from the Western understanding of separations of powers and tries to portray it as an advantage.This book is a must for anyone who wants to get fundamental insights into Islamic statehood and lawmaking.

Everyone should read this book. Very interesting book.

Good