Vocabulary. 1. predominantly – особенно, преимущественно

1. predominantly – особенно, преимущественно

2. the main common feature – главная общая черта

3. to aim to cover all areas of life – иметь целью охватить все сферы жизни

4. revolutionary council – революционный совет

5. nonetheless – несмотря на, однако

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1. What do numbers 50, 900, 450 mean in the text?

2.What legal systems do Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates belong to?

Muslim Law – is an autonomous legal system which is of a religious nature and predominantly based on the Koran. The number of Muslim countries is growing (now there are more than 50 Muslim states the population of which is about 900 million people), and the main common feature is not merely spiritual: the Islamic religion aims to cover all areas of life. Countries belonging to this system are: Saudi Arabia, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and others.

In its strongest formulation, some Islamic scholars state that law cannot exist outside religion and therefore the state has no power to legislate. But in practice the religion is found in the countries with very different histories, where formal legal systems differ much.

Hindu law. Unrivalled in age, the Hindu law found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia and parts of East Africa is contained in a literature which is vast and complex. In the countries mentioned, however, it governs only personal and family relations and its family law has been codified and much amended, especially in India. Nonetheless it can affect the lives of some 450 million people.