ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the religious, historical, and political context necessary for understanding Islamic civilization. It offers a short biography of the Prophet Muhammad, tracing the rise of Islam and culminating in the Prophet's death, and the consequent decision point for Muslim leadership. The author marks this point as a key moment where succession and eligibility precedents were established and, notably, the exclusionary practices regarding succession thereafter. Additionally, the author examines the functions of dominance (ghalaba), consensus (ijma`), and other innovations in classical Islamic thought and practices and their impact on the rights of social groups and the notion of rights in Islamic societies. Have the value systems enacted by early Muslim leaders and scholars influenced Muslims’ understanding of the notion of rights, and if so, how?
