"Sharia is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition."
This subject is concerned with the application and enforcement of religious law - how crimes are punished, what evidence is needed, and what factors are taken into account when applying the law. It also focuses on the roles of religious courts and religious police in enforcing the law.
Sharia Law: This is the code of conduct that governs the practices and beliefs of Muslims.
Hadith and Sunnah: These are collections of sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad, which help to interpret and apply Sharia Law.
Hadd Punishments: These are the prescribed punishments for offenses such as theft, adultery, and apostasy.
Ta'zir Punishments: These are discretionary punishments that can be imposed by judges to punish lesser offenses.
Qisas: This principle states that the punishment for a crime should be equivalent to the harm caused by the crime.
Tawbah: This is the concept of repentance in Islamic law.
Hudud: These are the prescribed punishments for offenses that are considered to be against God.
Qanun: This is the legal code that governs civil and criminal issues.
Diya: This is a form of compensation that can be paid to victims of crime.
Fatwa: This is a legal opinion or ruling issued by a religious scholar on a particular issue in Islamic law.
Excommunication: It is a punishment where an individual is ostracized from the religious community, and they cannot partake in any religious rites and cannot attend the religious gatherings.
Fasting: It is a voluntary act of abstaining from food and drink for a specific period as a form of penance or as a way to seek forgiveness.
Haraam: Certain acts and foods are considered Haraam in some religions. It is the act of forbidding something, which is perceived as a sin.
Sacrifice: It is an act of offering something valuable to God or a higher power, as a form of apology, gratitude or as a symbol of devotion.
Stoning: It is a form of execution where an individual is pelted with stones until they die.
Whipping: It is a punishment where the offender is beaten with a whip or a rod, as a form of retribution.
Beheading: It is a form of execution where the offender's head is cut off from their body.
Cutting off the Hands: This punishment involves cutting off the hands of an offender for breaking certain laws or engaging in sinful acts like theft.
Imprisonment: It is a form of punishment where the offender is confined to a specific place or cell for a specified period.
Ta'zir (discretionary punishment): It is a punishment that is left to the discretion of the judge, who uses their knowledge of Shariah law to decide on the most appropriate punishment.
Uzla (Self-isolation): This is a form of punishment where the offender is forced to isolate themselves from society, and they are not allowed to meet anyone.
Banishment (Deportation): It is a form of punishment where an individual is expelled or exiled from a particular place or country.
Monetary fines: This punishment involves making the offender pay a certain amount of money as a form of retribution for a wrongdoing.
Koranic recitation: It is a punishment where the offender is required to recite the Koran for a specific period as a form of repentance.
"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."