The Jurist Ebu’s-su"ud (c.1490-1574) occupies a key position in the history of Islamic law. He was a scholar who, for 40 years, occupied successfully the senior judicial positions in the Ottoman Empire. Confronting the problem of reconciling classical Islamic jurisprudence with the day-to-day legal needs of an empire, he earned an enduring reputation as the jurist who harmonized the Holy Law of Islam with secular practice. This work examines the substance of this reputation by showing, through Ebu’s-su"ud’s writings, how he adapted classical Islamic legal doctrine to contemporary needs.