Translating concept of al-hakimiyya (sovereignty) into practice: a study on the implementation of Islamic law during the first Muslim conquest of Islamic Jerusalem (Bayt Al-Maqdis)

An investigation on the Muslim concept of al-Hakimiyya (sovereignty) highlights judicial aspect as among the important one. Therefore, this research attempts to examine approaches taken by Muslim rulers in translating concept of al-Hakimiyya by choosing one of the most conflicting region, namely Islamicjerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). By investigating the implementation of Islamic law in Islamicjerusalem during the first Muslim conquest of this region, this paper affirms that Muslims had strategically and successfully translated al-Hakimiyya concept into practice by upholding Islamic law as the backbone of Umar’s Assurance of Safety to the people Islamicjerusalem. This also guided them in initiating appropriate measures to judiciously implement Islamic law by appointing qualified judges and establishing police department since the first Muslim conquest led by 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab.