Ex oriente lux

In the Middle Ages, Islamic culture and law influenced Southern Europe due to the Muslim rule in southern Spain and Sicily. Castile introduced countrywide legislation, called Libro de las Leyes or Siete Partidas, which was influenced, among others, by the Muslim kingdom of al-Andalus in southern Spain. In turn, this process of creating countrywide legislation must have influenced the entourage of Kristina, daughter of King Håkon Håkonsson, who was sent to Spain in 1257 to marry the brother of King Alfonso X of Castile. The 12th and 13th centuries witnessed significant exchanges of ideas between the Muslim world and Europe, including philosophy, theology, and law. In the 8th century, Muslim scholars translated ancient Greek philosophical works into Arabic, which were then translated from Arabic into European languages. It was thanks to these translations that Greek philosophy, especially Aristotle, was rediscovered by Europeans. By the mid-13th century, Islamic culture had become a key part of a common Eurasian culture of learning. A major aspect of Islamic legal culture was sharia (Islamic law), which was developed from the 9th century onwards, based partly on the Koran but mostly on later sources and interpretations, as the Koran itself provides few clear legal rules. Sharia was also influenced by both customary laws and more formal legal traditions, especially the Roman/Byzantine tradition. By the 13th century, it had covered all aspects of life and was used alongside non-religious law. Parallels between sharia and the Laws of the Land can be found at various levels, such as the relationship between religious laws, local customs, and state laws. There are also similarities at a more granular level, such as daughters inheriting half of what sons did. The reasons for these similarities are largely unknown and require further research.