ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the major concepts and ideas relating to adultery and sexual violence in the Islamic interpretive tradition and how they are present in the lived experiences of Muslims. It demonstrates that contemporary lived experiences are vastly different among Muslim communities due to the diversity of socio-cultural, religious, regional, and legal systems where Muslims live, but that insofar as they recognise the continued validity of classical jurisprudence, they share the same conundrums and dilemmas in the face of changing ethical sensibilities among (some) contemporary Muslims. The chapter provides both critical textual studies and lived experience literature findings on the issue of adultery and sexual violence in Islamic law. It concludes with a discussion of the abilities and limitations of juridical rulings and punishments to serve modern Muslim lives, specifically in terms of adultery and sexual violence.
