Islam or Shariah Law - Essay Example

Islam or ‘shariah’ law governs under the Islamic code mentioned in the Quran and Hadiths. It is supposed to be the legal and moral code for every Muslim, comprising of religious matters financial positions and every day issues. Since the instigate of the 21stcentury many Muslim countries including Malaysia, Indonesia morocco and Pakistan, encouraged and responded to democracy and voiced their opinions of it being a much better system to govern countriesWhether the current sociopolitical and cultural settings are compatible with the ‘shariah’ law is the main point which plagues many Muslim men and women.

The difficulties faced by Muslims all over are due to the confusion over the legal systems i.e. whether to follow the Islamic mode of punishment or to follow the state; whether the correct method of trade is the Islamic way (free of credit) or to follow the commercial and state policies. There have always been debates over the judicial system whether as to give harsh punishments or let the constitution decide? The debate goes on between political leader and scholars. Some Muslimscholarsbelieve that the amalgamation of ‘shariah’ laws in the legal system of a country is the best way to actually observe the Islamiclaws.

One example of this is the fact that polygamy is punishable in several countries, but allowed by Islamic law. In India cows are considered sacred but they are part of the Islamic sacrificial ritual of Eid where they are slaughtered. These are situations where a Muslim cannot act based on his religion alone and has to consider the state laws first. The reaction of “secularizingIslam” has not always been a pretty sight. Just last year the Archbishop of Canterbury was fiercely scrutinized by the Government and the political circle, his own Church and other religions after he supported the adoption of a few ‘shariah’ laws in the British system.

While some British Muslim scholars ignored it saying it will not and does not have enough votes by the community. The main point is that most nations support secular systems which are not compatible with Islamic law. The fact that the Archbishop was so heavily criticized shows that the majority in these nations do not support any such laws either. Muslims are therefore stuck in a situation where they must choose whether they wish to conform to the state law or follow their own.