Question
What is Sharia?
Short Answer
Sharia is the revealed way Allah has prescribed for His servants to follow. It includes worship, belief, moral conduct, family life, financial dealings, justice, and other commands and prohibitions. It is much broader than criminal punishments.
Why This Question Matters
The word 'Sharia' is often encountered in political discussions or news coverage, where it may be presented as though it means only a criminal code. The Qur’an uses the term in a much broader religious sense: the revealed way that Allah commanded His Messenger ﷺ to follow.
Islamic Perspective
Allah tells Muhammad ﷺ that He placed him upon a Sharia and commanded him to follow it rather than the desires of those who do not know. Sharia therefore begins with revelation and submission to Allah, not with a particular modern political system. The Qur’an contains commands concerning prayer and zakah, marriage and family rights, inheritance, debts and contracts, justice, lawful and unlawful conduct, and many other parts of life. Some rulings are explicit in the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah, while other applications require qualified Islamic scholarship. Sharia is therefore the revealed guidance by which Muslims worship Allah and seek to live in obedience to Him.
Key Points
- Sharia is rooted in revelation from Allah.
- Muhammad ﷺ was commanded to follow the Sharia Allah revealed.
- Sharia includes worship and religious obligations.
- It includes moral and family guidance.
- It includes financial dealings and contracts.
- It includes justice and social responsibilities.
- Criminal punishments are not the whole of Sharia.
- Detailed application of some rulings requires qualified knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence.
Supporting Evidence
- Qur’an 45:18 states that Allah placed Muhammad ﷺ upon a Sharia from His command and told him to follow it rather than follow the desires of those who do not know.
- Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Qur’an 45:18 explains this as following what Allah revealed to Muhammad ﷺ from his Lord.
- Qur’an 2:43 commands prayer and zakah.
- Qur’an 4:4 establishes the wife’s right to her marriage dowry.
- Qur’an 4:7 establishes prescribed inheritance rights for men and women.
- Qur’an 2:282 gives detailed guidance concerning debts, writing agreements, and witnesses.
- Qur’an 4:135 commands believers to uphold justice even against themselves or close relatives.
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