| By fizzaarif,
on 03-12-2003 14:33
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Whenever a woman gets stoned in a Muslim country, one may think of the term “Shariah,” which translates to divine law. Before discussing the concept of Shariah, one must understand that the religion of Islam is not a mere monotheistic religion with a set of beliefs; on the contrary, it is a way of life. Hence, the Shariah not only contains the rules of individuals, but also rules for the society.
It forms the basis for relations between man and God, between individuals whether Muslim or non-Muslim, as well as between man and things which are part of creation. The Shariah provides the means to resolve conflicts among individuals, and between the individual and the state. God has actually warned us from following rules that are man-made -
“And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allahs way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie.” (Quran 6:113)
There is no dispute among the prominent scholars of Islam that the Quran is the main basis of the Shariah, but the Sunnah (or the traditions of the Prophet) is also used in conjunction with the Quran. The law of Islam or Shariah is ideological and universal. It is also dynamic. However, the derivation of the Shariah is very clear and simple; it is only formulated direct by God, or by those who divinely come to power as explained here –
”Believers, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority among you. If you have a dispute about anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Day o f Resurrection. That is good and its outcome will be better". (Quran, 4:59).
If Allah set laws for the perfect operation of the natural world, then He must also have given humans a set of laws to help them achieve their spiritual potential as well. All the different regulations God has imposed on nature work together. Therefore, by following the Shariah, man will truly be one with the universe. There are numerous amounts of benefits that come hand in hand by following the laws prescribed by God. Now, one may think Islam is suppressive and irrespective towards other religions. But what most, including Muslims, fail to understand is that under true Shariah, minorities and other religions are respected and protected. This is evident when the Muslim empire was at its prime.
For example, the Jews attained all kinds of freedom under Muslim rule. In fact, some historians declare that time-period as the "Jewish Golden Age." In addition, laws that are specifically prescribed to Muslims are not always applicable to non-Muslims unless it has a direct effect on society because the society comes before the individual. Is there a Muslim country that follows complete Shariah? No there is not, but some are striving for that perfection such as the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran is not perfect, but one should consider that the current Islamic government is relatively new. If we look at the progress since the creation of the current government, there have been more reforms in the past twenty or so years, which by the way took the United States nearly two hundred years (i.e. women rights to vote and hold office).
Rules and regulations may change in a Shariah society, but only if it lies within the folds of Islam. There are other countries as well including Saudi Arabia. One may also note it is no easy task implementing proper Shariah. Laws that are enforced must be impartial without showing bias towards any individual or group and it should be within the framework of Islam. Only such rules and regulations can have the sanction of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet.
The main purpose of Shariah is not to enforce certain rules on people but to spread justice. Justice is the resulting product a society obtains, and the by-products of this justice are freedom and happiness. According to Muslims, the Shariah system is the only system. Before one makes judgments and so forth, one must study the concept itself. We must all strive to learn the truth.
References Quran Philosophy of Islam by Dr M. Husayni Behishti and Dr M. Jawad BahonarIslamic Institute of Theology
Last update : 03-12-2003 14:33
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