In a lot of the debates I have seen on RF and elsewhere about Shari'a, it seems that a staple in almost all of them is a lack of establishing what Shari'a means and what it includes prior to or while debating it. Were it not for the possibility that this thread will turn into a debate, I would have posted it in Interfaith Discussions. As things stand, though, I'm going to post it in Religious Debates.
The first thing to clarify here is that "Shari'a law" is a redundant term: in Arabic, shari'a already means "law." Hence Shari'a in uppercase is Islamic law. Saying "Shari'a law" is basically like saying "electronic smartphone" or "Internet website." Semantically, shari'a means "a source of water" or "a straight path."
With the above out of the way, it is crucial to point out that Shari'a is absolutely not merely the Islamic penal code; it is not exclusively about lashing, cutting off thieves' hands, stoning, or imposing a tax on non-Muslims. Shari'a comprises all of Islamic law, so it includes rules and teachings addressing matters such as praying, fasting, paying zakat, performing pilgrimage, dividing inheritance, and even being kind to one's parents.
When you hear, say, American or European politicians talking about Shari'a, you will probably rarely hear them talk about anything other than stereotypical aspects thereof, such as stoning and cutting off thieves' hands. This is a superficial understanding of Shari'a that seems to be rather popular as a weaponized political and religious tool, and while Shari'a does have a detailed penal code, it is, as mentioned above, far from being the only thing that constitutes it or even most of what constitutes it.
In the Qur'an, the word shari'a means "an ordained way" or "a defined religious path":
Source of translation: Surah Al-Jathiyah [45]
Since Islamic law deals with the entirety of how a person is supposed to live their life, it is accurate to say that giving to charity, striving to be on kind terms with one's family and relatives, and even being honest in one's dealings are acts that conform to Shari'a—at the very least, the most mainstream interpretations thereof.
So, while there is truth to the view that Shari'a has a strict penal code, it is not the whole truth, nor does it define the entirety of Shari'a. As the backbone of a person's way of life, Shari'a is an entire system dealing with different aspects of life, from state law to the personal details of everyday life. It is, in other words, the "ordained way" of the religion of Islam.
The first thing to clarify here is that "Shari'a law" is a redundant term: in Arabic, shari'a already means "law." Hence Shari'a in uppercase is Islamic law. Saying "Shari'a law" is basically like saying "electronic smartphone" or "Internet website." Semantically, shari'a means "a source of water" or "a straight path."
With the above out of the way, it is crucial to point out that Shari'a is absolutely not merely the Islamic penal code; it is not exclusively about lashing, cutting off thieves' hands, stoning, or imposing a tax on non-Muslims. Shari'a comprises all of Islamic law, so it includes rules and teachings addressing matters such as praying, fasting, paying zakat, performing pilgrimage, dividing inheritance, and even being kind to one's parents.
When you hear, say, American or European politicians talking about Shari'a, you will probably rarely hear them talk about anything other than stereotypical aspects thereof, such as stoning and cutting off thieves' hands. This is a superficial understanding of Shari'a that seems to be rather popular as a weaponized political and religious tool, and while Shari'a does have a detailed penal code, it is, as mentioned above, far from being the only thing that constitutes it or even most of what constitutes it.
In the Qur'an, the word shari'a means "an ordained way" or "a defined religious path":
Qur'an 45:18 said:Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.
Source of translation: Surah Al-Jathiyah [45]
Since Islamic law deals with the entirety of how a person is supposed to live their life, it is accurate to say that giving to charity, striving to be on kind terms with one's family and relatives, and even being honest in one's dealings are acts that conform to Shari'a—at the very least, the most mainstream interpretations thereof.
So, while there is truth to the view that Shari'a has a strict penal code, it is not the whole truth, nor does it define the entirety of Shari'a. As the backbone of a person's way of life, Shari'a is an entire system dealing with different aspects of life, from state law to the personal details of everyday life. It is, in other words, the "ordained way" of the religion of Islam.