Syariah

Sharia, often referred to as Syariah in some regions, is the body of religious law that forms part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the primary sources of Islam, namely the Qur'an, which Muslims believe to be the direct word of God, and the Hadith, which are the sayings and practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Beyond these core texts, Sharia is also informed by other sources, such as the consensus of Islamic scholars (ijma) and analogical reasoning (qiyas). It is not a single, codified legal system but rather a comprehensive framework of principles and guidelines for life, encompassing a wide range of topics from personal worship and ethics to family law, finance, and criminal justice.

The main objective of Sharia is to provide a path for Muslims to live a righteous life in accordance with God's will. It outlines five major goals: the protection of religion, life, intellect, family, and property. This framework categorizes human actions into five categories: obligatory, recommended, permitted, discouraged, and forbidden. While it provides a foundation, the actual application and interpretation of Sharia, known as fiqh, has varied over time and across different cultures, leading to the development of various schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence. This is why the specific legal systems in Muslim-majority countries that incorporate Sharia can differ significantly.