Islamic Law in Norman Sicily
As the Normans moved their capital from Apulia to Palermo, the Normans found themselves surrounded on an island where the Muslim Berbers in the region established an administrative around Islamic law. Instead of imposing their own administrative system on the local Berbers, the Norman instead adapted and retained their system. This unique adoption of Islamic law in a Christian kingdom favored both the ruling Normans and the local Muslim population. Thanks to this decision, the influence of Muslim skills, thrift, and influence benefitted the kingdom by facilitating its progress and expanding its power politically and economically.
When further discussing the Norman adoption of Islamic law, we can also look at the decision to not replace local Muslim leaders with Norman or Christian ones. These local rulers maintained full control of the finances, treaty negotiations, administration of justice, and education systems. By doing this, the Normans were also able to enact new changes through local Muslim leaders. One example of Norman adoption of Islamic law was the practice of jizyah, which was a tax collection on people who lived under Muslim rule but did not follow the Muslim faith. By modifiying this tax, the Normans utilized this tax on the local population of Sicily, essentially creating a reliable and expansive source of revenue considering the amount of Muslims, Jews, and Byzantine Greeks living in the region.