TRACES OF ISLAM IN US LEGAL FRAMEWORK: A CASE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON’S PERSONAL COPY OF HIS QUR’AN

Abstract

Contrary to the thinking and perception of many Muslims that the United States of Americaisone of the evil empires ever existed on earth due to what is being exhibited by various USadministrations in the past few decades of clear biases against Muslims and Muslimnations andmany atrocities committed against them including vilification and demonization of Muslimsaround the world. It’s still argued that America has attained this status of a Superpower duetoitsinclination towards justice and rule of law and its quest for human rights around the globe. Couldthere be any chance that the foundations of US justice system have relationship or commonalitywith Islam? This paper examines, compares and contrasts articles in US constitution to determinetheir similarities with Islam’s holiest sources of law; the Qur’an and the practical exampleofProphet Muhammad (Sallallah ‘Alayhi Wasallam). This paper has revisited the famous copyofQur’an owned by one of the America’s Founding Fathers Mr. Thomas Jefferson whoalsohappened to be the 3 rd President of the United States of America (1800-1808). In doingsothepaper is seeking to understand the extent of impact that Thomas Jefferson had as a result of hisownership of a copy of Qur’an during the critical time of the struggle of the Americanindependence from their colonial powers back in the mid-eighteenth century until it attaineditsfull independence in 1776. Related articles and literature on the subject have been articulatedandreviewed. The paper confidently concludes with findings of similarities between certaincorevalues of American justice framework with Islamic core values.