In order to be both valid and usable, says Ahmad (Islamics, Macalester College, Minnesota) theoretical legal reasoning must maintain a structure for legal thought that both preserves the integrity of the legal system in which it functions, and accommodates the variety and diversity of reality. He explains the basic structural inter-relations of theoretical and practical legal reasoning in Islam as set out in medieval jurisprudence. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)