Question of the week from my Islam Q & A series. Please share with family and friends especially kids. For more information and to browse questions on my website or sign up for my email list at:
Q: What is Sharia everyone is worried about?
A: Shariah is a Arabic word which means canal of water. As a term it means law which is given by Allah the Almighty to humanity to follow it in private, public life, in areas of creed, worship, family and social life financial issues, rule of law and criminal code. Mostly it is misunderstood first than limited in two issues; punishment, and misbehaving with women. Source of Shariah is Quran,The revealed book of God to last prophet Muhammad PBUH and tradition of Prophet. Jurist played their role to understand the text and extract rulings from it and than applying it in new issues. This is called Fiqh. Shariah is a Devine guidance when Fiqh is human way to understand it. Muslims believe in Shariah as a source of guidance, but practically they follow it in different countries according to their limitations. As minority their most concern is personal law, moral values and worshiping part of Islam living anywhere around the world.
Muslims who follow Sharia, don’t intend to spread it in the society. They want to life their own lives abide by Sharia.
Sharia is not a man made law but a part of Islamic constitution and is also part of Islamic jurisprudence. It only applies for Muslim countries governed by Muslim rulers.
Practicing Sharia is a part of the law. Like every country has a constitution, Sharia is code of conduct for any Muslim. Simply put….way of life for Muslims. It defines how a Muslim marries, divorces, lives their life, have inheritance, has rights of kinship, spends and deliver religious rituals.