This article examines The Arabian Nights through the lens of Islamic legal culture, focusing on the intersection of law, society, and narrative. Using Husain Haddawy’s 1990 English translation of the fourteenth-century Syrian manuscript, it explores how the tales depict and interrogate core aspects of family law, including marriage contracts, divorce (particularly khulʿ), and inheritance. The analysis situates these narratives within the broader nomothetic tradition of Islam, in which Sharīʿa functions as a comprehensive moral–legal system, and considers the tensions between divine law and local custom (ʿurf) in medieval Islamic societies. Drawing on scholarship in Islamic law and literary studies, the study highlights how legal themes are central to plot development, serving both as narrative drivers and as vehicles for moral pedagogy. By examining tales such as “The Tale of the Three Apples,” “The Story of Prince Camaralzaman and Princess Budur,” and “The Tale of the Hunchback,” the article demonstrates that The Arabian Nights not only reflects historical legal practices but also critiques judicial corruption, gender inequality, and the politicization of justice. The findings suggest that these narratives functioned as popular legal education, transmitting legal norms and ethical ideals to diverse audiences. Ultimately, the study argues that The Arabian Nights offers a sustained meditation on the possibilities, limitations, and moral imperatives of justice in an imperfect world.