"Sharia is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition."
The Islamic legal system derived from the Quran and Hadith that governs all aspects of Muslim life.
The Quran: The central religious text of Islam, believed to contain the word of God as revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel.
Hadith: The collection of sayings, actions, and approvals attributed to Prophet Muhammad, which serve as a secondary source of Islamic law.
Sunnah: The example and tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, which guides the behavior of Muslims.
Sharia: The Islamic law system derived from the Quran and Hadith, which covers all aspects of life, both spiritual and temporal.
Fiqh: The human interpretation and application of Sharia in various situations, which is based on legal principles and methodologies.
Usul al-Fiqh: The principles and methodologies of Islamic jurisprudence, used in deriving Islamic law.
Ijma: The consensus of opinion among Islamic scholars, which is accepted as a source of Sharia.
Qiyas: The process of analogical reasoning, which involves applying a known ruling to a new problem that shares the same legal cause.
Maqasid al-Sharia: The higher objectives of Islamic law, which aim to preserve the five essentials of human life: religion, life, intellect, progeny, and property.
Ijtihad: The process of independent reasoning and interpretation, which is used to derive new rulings for contemporary problems not addressed in classical texts.
Ahkam: The legal rulings that outline the duties and obligations of Muslims, including matters related to worship, social and economic transactions, and criminal offenses.
Islamic Finance: The banking and financial practices that comply with Sharia principles, which prohibit interest-based transactions and promote ethical investment.
Tafsir: The interpretation and commentary of the Quran, which helps to reveal the deeper meanings and context of the scripture.
Sirah: The biography of Prophet Muhammad, which provides insight into his life, teachings, and character.
Islamic History: The study of Islamic civilization and culture, which covers a wide range of topics, from religion and politics to literature and art.
Comparative Religion: The comparison of Islam with other religious traditions, which helps to gain a better understanding of its beliefs and practices in a global context.
Contemporary Issues: The analysis of current events and problems facing the Muslim community, which requires the application of Islamic law and ethics in a rapidly changing world.
Hanafi: This school of Islamic Law is named after Imam Abu Hanifa, who was one of the most prominent scholars of Islam. The Hanafi school of thought is the most popular one among Sunni Muslims and is prevalent in regions like Turkey, Central Asia, and South Asia. The Hanafi school is known for its rationalism, flexibility, and acceptance of local customs and practices.
Maliki: The Maliki school of Islamic Law is named after Imam Malik and is prevalent in North Africa, West Africa, and some parts of the Middle East. The Maliki school is known for its emphasis on the practices of the people of Medina, where the Prophet Muhammad lived after migrating from Mecca.
Shafi'i: The Shafi'i school of Islamic Law is named after Imam Shafi'i, and it is popular in Southeast Asia, Egypt, and the Levant. The Shafi'i school is known for its emphasis on Quranic text and the prophetic traditions.
Hanbali: The Hanbali school of Islamic Law is named after Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and is prevalent in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East. The Hanbali school is known for its rigid adherence to the Quran and Sunnah and is considered the most conservative and strict school among the Sunni Muslims.
Ja'fari: The Ja'fari school of Islamic Law is also known as the Shi'a school of law and is named after Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, the sixth Shi'a imam. The Ja'fari school is prevalent in Iran, Iraq, and other Shi'a majority regions. The Ja'fari school is known for its emphasis on reason and intellect and draws heavily from the teachings of the prophet's family.
"Traditional theory of Islamic jurisprudence recognizes four sources of Sharia: the Quran, sunnah (authentic hadith), qiyas (analogical reasoning), and ijma (juridical consensus)."
"In Arabic, the term sharīʿah refers to Allah's immutable divine law and is contrasted with fiqh, which refers to its human scholarly interpretations."
"Sharia has never been the sole valid legal system in Islam, and has always been used alongside urf (customary law) from the beginning."
"Traditional jurisprudence (fiqh) distinguishes two principal branches of law, ʿibādāt (rituals) and muʿāmalāt (social relations)."
"Four Sunni Madhhab (legal school of Sunni Islam), Hanafi, Maliki, Shafiʽi, Hanbali and Zahiri, developed Sunni methodologies for deriving Sharia rulings."
"Its rulings are concerned with ethical standards as much as with legal norms, assigning actions to one of five categories: mandatory, recommended, neutral, abhorred, and prohibited."
"Elaborated over the centuries by legal opinions (fatwas) issued by qualified jurists (muftis) and historically applied in Sharia courts by ruler-appointed judges."
"ʿIbādāt (rituals) and muʿāmalāt (social relations), which together comprise a wide range of topics."
"The manner of its application in modern times has been a subject of dispute between Muslim fundamentalists and modernists."
"There are progressives who argue that Sharia is compatible with democracy, human rights, freedom of thought, women's rights, and banking."
"The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (ECtHR) ruled in several cases that Sharia is 'incompatible with the fundamental principles of democracy.'"
"While the constitutions of most Muslim-majority states contain references to Sharia, its rules are largely retained only in family law."
"Judicial procedures and legal education have likewise been brought in line with European practice."
"The Islamic revival of the late 20th century brought calls by Islamic movements for full implementation of Sharia, including hudud corporal punishments, such as stoning."
"Legal schools have emerged, reflecting the preferences of particular societies and governments, through their work on the theoretical (usul) and practical application (füru/fetva) of laws and regulations."
"Sharia has always been used alongside urf (customary law) from the beginning."
"While the constitutions of most Muslim-majority states contain references to Sharia, its rules are largely retained only in family law."
"Its rulings are concerned with ethical standards as much as with legal norms, assigning actions to one of five categories: mandatory, recommended, neutral, abhorred, and prohibited."
"Sharia courts [were] historically applied by ruler-appointed judges."