1. What is the Islamic Shariah?
The Islamic Shariah is the Islamic law which
applies to all aspects of the life of a Muslim. The Shariah includes all
aspects of life, from daily activities, ibadah (worship),
criminal law and everything else. It is obligatory on every Muslim to respect
and follow the Islamic Shariah in every aspect of their life. It is also
obligatory on Muslim nations to implement the Islamic Shariah, and make it
the source of all law and legislation.
2. What are the sources of the Shariah?
The main sources of Shariah as explained by the scholars are
the following:
- The Holy Qur'an
- The Sunnah of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him)
- The ijma' (consensus) of Islamic scholars
- The ijtihad (opinion of the Islamic scholars based on their knowledge and research)
For a Muslim, all matters, laws and legislation must be
according to the Islamic Shariah to be acceptable. The previously mentioned
sources of the Shariah must be used in the order they were given. A verdict on
any issue is first researched in the holy Qur'an, then the Sunnah of Prophet
Mohammad (pbuh). If no verdict can be found in these two sources, then the
scholars of Islam must look at the issue, research and study it, and come up
with a suitable verdict.
Islamic scholars have their own scientific methods that they follow in order to
extract a verdict. This science is called usool al fiqh, and
is a very large subject that can be studied in hundreds of Islamic books.
3. Why should Muslims implement the Islamic Shariah in their lives?
The Islamic Shariah represents the will of
Allah (swt) and His messenger Mohammad (pbuh). As Muslims, we must go
about all matters according to the will of Allah (swt). In the holy Qur'an,
Allah (swt) has revealed to humanity many verdicts and solutions to many
of the problems faced by us. In order to be a true beleiver in Allah (swt),
and in order to worship Allah (swt) only, we must follow the guidance of
Allah (swt).
The holy Qur'an also instructs us to follow the messenger of Allah (swt), prophet
Mohammad (pbuh). There are many ayat to this effect, which are discussed
under a separate article. Therefore, the will of Allah (swt) is for us to
worship Him by following His guidance as revealed in the holy Qur'an and
in the Sunnah of prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
Finally, there are many issues that are not
covered by the holy Qur'an and the Sunnah. However, the Qur'an and the
Sunnah provide the necessary guidelines to allow Muslims to come up with
proper verdicts for any and all issues. Therefore, when a verdict about a
certain issue is not found in the Qur'an or the Sunnah, the scholars of
Islam research this issue and come up with the best possible verdict to
make the life of Muslims easier and keeping in mind the best interest of
the Islamic Ummah.
Therefore, all Muslims should live their lives according to the Islamic
Shariah. Muslim nations should strive to implement the Islamic Shariah in
all matters. All laws, legislation, trade, politics and all other matters
should be conducted according to the Shariah.
Many nations today rely in their so called
"constitutions" on foreign systems of law. Many nations where the majority
of inhabitants are Muslims derive their law from western systems of law,
such as French or British law. This includes all matters including
criminal law and even family law!
How can we continue to abandon the law of Allah (swt) and rely on the man made law?
