Sharia Law in Islam - Essay Example

Sharia Law in Islam Sharia is a set of principles followed by the believers of Islam. It has been derived from two main sources; the Holy book of Islam (Quran), and Prophet Muhammad’s actions and way of living (Sunnah). Many people believe that Sharia is made up of extremist rules that imply severe physical punishment for certain sinners, strips women from certain rights, and is trying to take over the jurisdiction of non-Islamic countries. However, many Muslims believe that Sharia is significant in Islam because, as majority of it is the word of Allah, it gives them guidance to go about the world righteously. Moreover, they argue that the set of rules given in Sharia are not necessarily extremists, and that there are positive reasons behind them. This paper contains some Sharia-opposing charges from a modern point of view, which are retaliated by Sharia-supporting facts taken from various sources (Maqsood; Cohen; Ali). One of the main criticisms of Sharia is the extremism regarding punishment for those who have sinned. Many believe that it is inhumane to cut off the hands of thieves, or to throw stones at those who have committed adultery. They prefer giving such sinners sentences to prison or some other forms of legal punishments, instead of such brutal acts of violence. However, those who believe this are not well informed about the exact Sharia law concerning such offenders. According to Sharia, such measures are usually the only extreme penalty taken (if the offender’s hand is cut off, no other penalty will be given to him/her). Some Muslims even feel that this punishment is justified because they feel more sympathy for the victims of theft, rather than the thief. However, Sharia is not so strict, due to the fact that this punishment is not given to those stealers who prove that they have stolen only because they were in dire need. Although cutting the hands of the offender might seem harsh, Muslims believe that this measure prevents further such acts from happening. The Middle East, where Sharia is mostly practiced, does not contain one-handed people. This shows how effective such a punishment is in warning potential thieves, and why Sharia is considered so important in Islam (Maqsood). Another charge brought against Sharia is the punishment given to women who have had an illicit affair. For instance, there was a case of a woman in Nigeria who was in danger of being stoned by angry villagers because she was accused of adultery. However, after being taken into custody and judged by Sharia law, she was given a chance to appeal and explain herself. Moreover, adulterers are not first stoned and asked questions later; in order to be sentenced to death, adulterers first have to be clearly identified by four witnesses who have seen the act taking place by the couple. This virtually rules out the penalty, as adultery is taken as an act that is done secretly, not in front of others. Therefore, Sharia does offer guidelines on the conditions of giving such a ‘cruel’ penalty. Moreover, such strict action is taken against adulterers because Sharia considers family more important, unlike the West which puts emphasis on finding ‘sexual satisfaction’. Sharia is regarded as an integral part of Islam because it is against the idea of a million unborn children being aborted by single women each year (Maqsood). Sharia also provides the reason for various practices favored by it, such as early marriages. According to Sharia, girls cannot get married till they reach the age of puberty. Puberty usually hits them before the age of sixteen, and those girls capable of giving birth are technically regarded as women. Even though Prophet Muhammad got married to Ayesha when she was merely six years old, they did not have any physical relationship till she reached the age of puberty. Following the Prophet’s example is a major part of Sharia, which is why it is considered to be important. Moreover, Muslims believe that it is better to get their children married off on reaching puberty, in order to prevent them from indulging in affairs before marriage. However, some human rights activists are greatly opposed to marriages taking place at the tender age of puberty. They say that it ‘decriminalizes genital mutilation’, and is overall unfair to women of such ages. In some Muslim South Asian countries, girls who reach puberty are forced into marriage, or falsely tricked into signing marriage contracts. Such acts certainly depict Sharia in a bad light. On the other hand, as such forced and false marriages are prohibited in Sharia, the Islamic countries which practice such marriages cannot be said to be following Sharia. Therefore, Sharia differentiates right from wrong, and there is a genuine moral reason for each of its rulings (Maqsood; Cohen). Sharia was defined as a ‘legal-political-military doctrine’ in a report by the Centre for Security Policy. The report said that Muslims should have their freedom of religion and freedom of speech curbed. This is because most anti-Sharia bodies say that rules of Sharia are being imposed on the jurisdiction of other countries. However, Sharia is greatly concerned with personal religious following, such as fasting and praying, not national laws. It is integral for Muslims as it guides them towards becoming good Muslims and itself forbids compulsion on others. Without Sharia, Muslims cannot go about their lives per Islam’s guidelines, and thus might get deviated from their religion (Rashid; Ali). Sharia is taken to be an essential part of Islam as it provides specific guidelines regarding various concepts. Some of its concepts are considered to be too harsh, such as cutting off the hands of thieves, and stoning adulterers. Even its views regarding marriage are considered to be wrong by human rights activists. However, the rulings of Sharia are taken to be very important to Muslims due to various reasons, such as preventing certain crimes from taking place in the future, such as stealing, adultery and abortions. Moreover, Sharia law does not require to be imposed on non-Sharia following countries because it is mainly concerned with the Muslims’ way of living, rather than national law. Works Cited Ali, Wajahat. “Understanding Sharia Law”.The Huffington Post: Religion. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. Cohen, Roger. “Shariah’s Limits”.The New York Times: The Opinion Pages. 2012. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. Maqsood, RuqaiyyahWaris. “A Personal View of Sharia”.BBC: Religions. 2009. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. Rashid, Qasim. “Shariah Law: The Five Things Every Non-Muslim (and Muslim) Should Know”. The Huffington Post: Religion. 2011. Web. 24 Mar. 2013. Read More