Islamic Law’s Flexibility for Muslim Minorities in the West: Sheikh Yūsuf al-QaraḍāwῙ on Friday Prayer and the concept of wasaṭiyya

This article suggests a new way of looking at the preeminent methodological principles informing the oeuvre of the greatest Muslim scholar of our generation, Sheikh Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwῑ, specifically with regard to his rulings for and about Muslims living in Europe. The case study presented here is taken from the field of Muslim prayer law, a field which has to date been subjected to only scanty research. By comparing the discussions of classical Muslim scholars on the topic with the new interpretations proffered by Qaraḍāwῑ, one can bear witness to the process of change undergone by the shariah concerning laws of Friday prayer, From the early days of Islam down to the present. This article will also discuss the question whether Qaraḍāwῑ’s method in fiqh should be considered as “the middle way” (al-Fiqh al-wasaṭῑ).