# sharia

> Islamic law

**Wikidata**: [Q482752](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q482752)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharia)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/sharia

## Summary
Sharia, also known as Islamic law, is a comprehensive legal and ethical framework derived from the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. It serves as both a religious and legal system, governing personal, social, and political life in Islam. As a foundational concept, it shapes the ummah (global Muslim community) and informs practices from worship to governance.

## Key Facts
- Sharia is classified as a legal system, academic discipline, and form of government.
- It is a subset of religious law, distinct from secular legal frameworks.
- Core related concepts include the Five Pillars of Islam (established 631 CE), madhhab (schools of jurisprudence), and ritual purity.
- Key practices governed by Sharia: Zakat al-Fitr (charity), Islamic marital jurisprudence, and hudud (fixed punishments).
- Notable scholars: Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855), and Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926–2022).
- Modern institutions: Islamic University of Madinah (founded 1961).
- Aliases: Muslim law, shariah, shari'a, syariah, etc.
- Wikidata sitelink count: 124; Wikipedia title: "Sharia".
- Governs aspects of Islamic clothing, blasphemy, and adoptional jurisprudence.

## FAQs
- **What is Sharia?** Sharia is Islam’s divine law, derived from the Quran and Hadith, guiding moral, legal, and religious practices.
- **Who interprets Sharia?** Islamic scholars (e.g., Ibn Taymiyyah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal) and jurists across madhhab schools.
- **Is Sharia only about punishment?** No—it encompasses worship, family law, ethics, and governance, with hudud (punishments) being one subset.
- **How does Sharia relate to government?** It has historically informed Islamic governance models, including concepts like Aman (security) and hakam (arbitration).
- **What are its academic connections?** Studied as an academic discipline at institutions like the Islamic University of Madinah.

## Why It Matters
Sharia is central to Islamic identity, providing a unified ethical and legal framework for over 1.8 billion Muslims globally. It addresses both spiritual and worldly affairs, from prayer rituals to financial ethics (e.g., zakat). Its interpretation has shaped centuries of jurisprudence, influenced political systems, and remains a cornerstone of Islamic scholarship. Debates over its application—whether in secular states or theocratic regimes—reflect its enduring relevance in modern discourse on law, religion, and human rights.

## Notable For
- **Comprehensive Scope:** Governs worship, family, crime, and statecraft.
- **Scholarly Tradition:** Developed through centuries of fiqh (jurisprudence) by figures like Al-Buwayti and Ibrahim al-Nakhai.
- **Adaptability:** Interpreted through diverse madhhab schools (e.g., Hanbali, Shafi’i).
- **Cultural Impact:** Shapes Islamic art, education, and social norms (e.g., Islamic clothing).
- **Global Influence:** Informing laws in over 50 Muslim-majority nations, from Morocco to Indonesia.

## Body

### Definition and Scope
Sharia, meaning "the path to water" in Arabic, is Islam’s divine law as revealed in the Quran and exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah. It is not a codified legal system but a dynamic framework interpreted by scholars (ulama) through ijma (consensus) and qiyas (analogical reasoning). Its scope includes ibadat (rituals), muamalat (social interactions), and hudud (fixed penalties for crimes like theft or adultery).

### Related Concepts and Fields
- **Religious Law:** A subset of religious law, distinct from canon law or Halakha.
- **Academic Discipline:** Taught in institutions like the Islamic University of Madinah (est. 1961) and studied by scholars such as Khaled Abou El Fadl.
- **Governance:** Historically underpinned Islamic caliphates and modern theocracies (e.g., Iran). Concepts like Aman (security guarantees) and hakam (mediation) inform conflict resolution.

### Scholars and Theologians
- **Foundational Figures:** Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780–855), founder of the Hanbali school; Ibn Taymiyyah (1263–1328), influential in Salafi thought.
- **Theologians:** Abd al-Karīm al-Qushayri (d. 1072), scholar of Sufism and jurisprudence.
- **Modern Interpreters:** Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926–2022), who addressed contemporary issues through fatwas; Bilal Philips (b. 1947), a Salafist scholar.

### Practices and Rituals
- **Five Pillars of Islam:** Established 631 CE, these foundational acts (shahada, salah, zakat, sawm, hajj) are mandated by Sharia.
- **Zakat al-Fitr:** A mandatory charity given at Ramadan’s end, emphasizing social welfare.
- **Ritual Purity:** Governs wudu (ablution) and ghusl (full-body purification) for prayer.
- **Islamic Clothing:** Modesty norms (hijab, niqab) derived from Quranic verses (e.g., 24:31).

### Legal and Penal Aspects
- **Hudud:** Fixed punishments (e.g., Rajm/stoning for adultery) requiring strict evidentiary standards.
- **Mubah:** Actions neither encouraged nor prohibited (e.g., consuming honey).
- **Blasphemy:** Addressed through laws protecting Islamic sanctities, varying by jurisdiction.

### Governance and Society
- **Ummah:** Sharia binds the global Muslim community under shared moral and legal principles.
- **Madhhab:** Four major Sunni schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali) and Jafari (Shia) reflect interpretive diversity.
- **Islamic Marital Jurisprudence:** Regulates marriage (nikah), divorce (talaq), and inheritance, emphasizing fairness and kinship ties.

### Historical and Modern Context
- **Development:** Evolved through classical scholars like Al-Buwayti (d. 874) and Urwah ibn Zubayr (644–713).
- **Reformism:** Scholars such as Fazlur Rahman Malik (1919–1988) advocated contextual reinterpretation.
- **Contemporary Debates:** Tensions between traditionalist adherence (e.g., Salafism) and modernist reform (e.g., Khaled Abou El Fadl’s work on human rights).

### Institutions and Education
- **Islamic University of Madinah:** A key center for Sharia studies, founded in 1961 in Saudi Arabia.
- **Scholarly Roles:** Ulama (scholars) and muftis (jurists) issue fatwas to apply Sharia to contemporary issues.

### Comparative and Critical Perspectives
- **Non-Muslim Scholarship:** Robert Eisenman (b. 1937) and Haleh Afshar (Baroness) have analyzed Sharia’s historical and sociopolitical roles.
- **Criticisms:** Debates over hudud punishments and gender equity (e.g., testimony weight in court) reflect diverse interpretations of Quranic verses.

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. Deutsche Biographie
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
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5. BBC Things
6. [Source](https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/seriat)
7. National Library of Israel
8. KBpedia
9. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)