Islamiclaw

Islamic law, commonly referred to as Sharia, is a legal framework used by Muslims to regulate religious duties, personal conduct, and various aspects of public life. It is not a single codified code but a scholarly tradition in which jurists interpret divine guidance to formulate practical rulings. The term Sharia denotes the divine path or law, while fiqh refers to human understanding and interpretation of that law.

The core sources of Islamic law are the Quran and the Sunnah, which record the words and practices of the Prophet Muhammad. These primary texts are supplemented by consensus (ijma) among learned scholars and analogical reasoning (qiyas) to extend rulings to new situations. Other influences include local custom (urf), public welfare (maslaha), and, in some schools, juristic preferences (istihsan). The system thus combines revelation with reason, producing a dynamic but historically rooted legal tradition.

Islamic law addresses a broad range of issues, including worship, family matters, contracts, property, and crime. Acts are categorized into five levels: fard (obligatory), wajib (strongly recommended or obligatory in some schools), mustahabb (recommended), mubah (permissible), and haram (forbidden). Criminal law in classical texts features hudud punishments for certain offenses, though modern applications vary widely across jurisdictions. Family and civil matters often reflect the jurisprudence of major schools known as madhahib, especially Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali, whose rulings can differ on specific points of law.

In contemporary practice, many Muslim-majority countries blend Sharia with secular frameworks, constitutions, and civil codes. This results in diverse legal systems that reflect foundational theory, reformist ideas, and local traditions, while ongoing scholarship and debate continue to shape its evolution.