Short answer: Sharia (also spelled shariah or shari'a) is the path of guidance Allah has set for Muslims, taken from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. It covers far more than courts and punishments: most of it is about worship, such as prayer, fasting and zakat, and about daily life, such as food, family, trade, honesty and manners. The detailed rules that scholars derive from it are called fiqh, and they have been worked out mainly through four Sunni schools of law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali.
What the word Sharia means
In Arabic, shari'ah first meant the path that leads to a watering place, the way to the water that keeps you alive. It came to mean the way of life God lays down for people. The word itself is in the Quran:
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ فَٱتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٨﴾
Summa ja'alnaaka 'alaa sharee'atim minal amri fattabi'haa wa laa tattabi'ahwaaa'al-lazeena laa ya'lamoon
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.
Quran 45:18 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Jathiyah
The Quran also says each prophet's community was given its own law (5:48). The core beliefs never changed, but the details of law did, until the final Sharia brought by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Sharia and fiqh: what is the difference?
People often use the two words for the same thing, but scholars separate them:
| Sharia | Fiqh | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The guidance revealed by Allah in the Quran and Sunnah. | The human understanding of that guidance: the detailed rulings scholars derive from it. |
| Who makes it | Allah, through revelation. | Qualified scholars (mujtahids), through careful study. |
| Can it be wrong? | No. | A scholar can be mistaken, which is why different schools can reach different answers. |
| Example | "Establish the prayer." | Exactly when Asr begins, what breaks wudu, how to make up a missed prayer. |
The Prophet ﷺ himself promised reward for honest effort in this work, even when a scholar gets it wrong:
إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ، وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ
When a judge rules, strives to reach the right answer and is correct, he has two rewards. When he rules, strives and is mistaken, he has one reward.
Sahih al-Bukhari 7352; Sahih Muslim 1716 · narrated by Amr ibn al-As · sahih
Where Sharia comes from
- The Quran, the word of Allah. About a few hundred of its verses deal directly with law; the rest are about faith, stories and character.
- The Sunnah, what the Prophet ﷺ said, did and approved, recorded in the hadith. It explains the Quran: the Quran says "pray", and the Sunnah shows how.
- Ijma', the agreement of the qualified scholars of the community on a ruling.
- Qiyas, reasoning by analogy: applying a ruling to a new case that shares the same cause. For example, scholars ruled all intoxicating drugs haram because they share the cause of the ban on wine.
The schools agree on these four, and differ on some further methods:
Besides the four sources, the Hanafi school uses istihsan (preferring a stronger evidence or a public need over a strict analogy) and gives real weight to 'urf, the established custom of a place, where it does not contradict a text. Imam Abu Hanifa also set strict conditions for accepting a single-chain hadith that seems to clash with clear principles.
Other madhhabs
- Maliki
- Gives great weight to the practice of the people of Madinah ('amal ahl al-Madinah) and uses maslahah mursalah, the public good where no text speaks.
- Shafi'i
- Imam al-Shafi'i set out the method of usul al-fiqh in his book al-Risalah and rejected istihsan as the Hanafis used it, relying on the four sources.
- Hanbali
- Keeps close to the texts and to the fatwas of the Companions, and prefers even a weak hadith to analogy.
The five kinds of ruling
Scholars sort every action into one of five categories:
| Ruling | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fard (obligatory) | Rewarded if done, sinful if left. The Hanafis also have a level just below it, wajib. | The five daily prayers; the Hanafis count witr as wajib. |
| Sunnah or mustahabb (recommended) | Rewarded if done, no sin if left. | The sunnah prayers, the miswak. |
| Mubah (permitted) | Neither rewarded nor sinful in itself. | Most food, clothing and daily choices. |
| Makruh (disliked) | Better to avoid. The Hanafis split it into makruh tahrimi, close to haram, and makruh tanzihi, mildly disliked. | Eating raw garlic before going to the mosque. |
| Haram (forbidden) | Sinful if done, rewarded if avoided for Allah's sake. | Alcohol, interest (riba), lying, backbiting. |
The default in daily matters, such as food and dealings, is that things are permitted unless a text forbids them. In worship it is the reverse: an act of worship needs a basis in revelation.
What Sharia covers
- Worship ('ibadat): purification, prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj. This is the first and largest part of every fiqh book.
- Dealings (mu'amalat): buying and selling, loans, partnerships, contracts and the ban on interest.
- Family: marriage, the rights of spouses, children, divorce and inheritance. See rights of husband and wife and the inheritance calculator.
- Food and dress: halal and haram food, modesty.
- Crime and justice: courts, evidence, and the small set of fixed punishments (hudud).
- Manners (adab): greeting, eating, visiting the sick, speech and neighbourliness.
The goals of Sharia
Scholars such as al-Ghazali and al-Shatibi explained that the rules of Sharia serve five essential goals (maqasid): protecting religion, life, intellect, family and lineage, and wealth. A ban on alcohol protects the mind; the law of inheritance protects wealth and family; the rules of war protect life. And the whole Sharia is built on ease, not hardship:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ﴿١٨٥﴾
Shahru Ramadaanallazeee unzila feehil Qur'aanu hudal linnaasi wa baiyinaatim minal hudaa wal furqaan; faman shahida minkumush shahra falyasumhu wa man kaana mareedan aw 'alaa safarin fa'iddatum min ayyaamin ukhar; yureedul laahu bikumul yusra wa laa yureedu bikumul 'usra wa litukmilul 'iddata wa litukabbirul laaha 'alaa maa hadaakum wa la'allakum tashkuroon
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
Quran 2:185 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Baqarah
That is why the Sharia has so many concessions: shortening prayers when travelling, not fasting when ill, praying sitting when you cannot stand. "He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty" (22:78).
The four schools of law
| School | Founder | Died | Followed mainly in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanafi | Imam Abu Hanifa | 150 AH / 767 CE, Baghdad | South Asia, Turkey, Central Asia, the Balkans, and many Muslims in the US and UK |
| Maliki | Imam Malik ibn Anas | 179 AH / 795 CE, Madinah | North and West Africa, and the UAE and Kuwait |
| Shafi'i | Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i | 204 AH / 820 CE, Egypt | Egypt, East Africa, Yemen, Southeast Asia, Kurdistan |
| Hanbali | Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal | 241 AH / 855 CE, Baghdad | Saudi Arabia and Qatar |
The four schools respect each other as valid readings of the same Sharia. They agree on the great majority of questions and differ on details, such as where to place the hands in prayer or whether touching a woman breaks wudu. Most Muslims follow one school for consistency. AmalKit shows the Hanafi view first and the others where they differ.
What about the punishments?
The hudud, the fixed punishments for a few crimes such as theft and adultery, are what most headlines mean by "Sharia law". They are a small part of the law, and Islamic law made them very hard to apply. Adultery, for example, needs four upright eyewitnesses to the act itself, which almost never happens, or a free confession that can be withdrawn. Jurists of all schools held the principle that any real doubt cancels a hadd punishment, a saying reported from the Prophet ﷺ and from Companions such as Umar and Ibn Mas'ud (the chain to the Prophet ﷺ is weak, but the principle is agreed). Hudud may only be applied by a legitimate court in a Muslim state, never by individuals.
Sharia for Muslims in America, Britain and the Gulf
For a Muslim in New York, London or Dubai, Sharia is mostly personal: praying on time, fasting, paying zakat, eating halal, keeping promises and being honest in business. Sharia itself tells Muslims to obey the law of the country they live in, because they have agreed to it, and keeping agreements is a religious duty:
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعُقُودِ ۚ أُحِلَّتْ لَكُم بَهِيمَةُ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ غَيْرَ مُحِلِّى ٱلصَّيْدِ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُمٌ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَحْكُمُ مَا يُرِيدُ ﴿١﴾
Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanoo awfoo bil'uqood; uhillat lakum baheematul an'aami illaa maa yutlaa 'alaikum ghaira muhillis saidi wa antum hurum; innal laaha yahkumu maa yureed
O you who have believed, fulfill [all] contracts. Lawful for you are the animals of grazing livestock except for that which is recited to you [in this Qur'an] - hunting not being permitted while you are in the state of ihram. Indeed, Allah ordains what He intends.
Quran 5:1 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Maidah
Muslims in the West do not seek to apply Islamic criminal law to anyone. Some use voluntary religious councils for marriage contracts, Islamic divorce or mediation, within the law of the land. A fatwa is a scholar's answer to a question: it guides the person who asked, but it is not a law passed on others.
FAQ
What is the meaning of shariah?
Shariah literally means the path to a watering place. In Islam it means the way of life Allah has laid down in the Quran and the Sunnah, covering worship, family, dealings, manners and justice.
Is Sharia law in the Quran?
Yes. The Quran uses the word in 45:18: "Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way (shari'ah) concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it." The Quran and the Sunnah are the two primary sources of Sharia.
What is the difference between Sharia and fiqh?
Sharia is the guidance revealed by Allah. Fiqh is the scholars' understanding of it: the detailed rulings they derive, which can differ between schools.
What are the 5 goals of Sharia?
Protecting religion, life, intellect, family and lineage, and wealth. Scholars such as al-Ghazali and al-Shatibi explained that the rules of Sharia serve these goals.
Do Muslims in America follow Sharia?
Yes, in the sense that they pray, fast, give zakat, eat halal and keep their dealings honest. Sharia also tells them to obey the law of the land, and they do not seek to apply Islamic criminal law.
What is a fatwa?
A fatwa is an answer by a qualified scholar (mufti) to a question about Islamic law. It guides the person who asked but is not a binding law on everyone.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Sources
- Quran 2:185, 5:1, 5:48, 22:78 and 45:18, translation by Sahih International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7352; Sahih Muslim 1716.
- On the principle that doubt averts the hudud: Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Hudud, from Aishah, with a weak chain; and reports from Umar and Ibn Mas'ud in Ibn Abi Shaybah's Musannaf.
- On the goals of Sharia: al-Ghazali, al-Mustasfa; al-Shatibi, al-Muwafaqat.
- On the Hanafi method: al-Sarakhsi, al-Usul; Ibn Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar, introduction. On the Shafi'i method: al-Shafi'i, al-Risalah. The other schools are summarised from their standard works.
Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English translation by Sahih International. Hadith gradings are those of the hadith scholars named; where a hadith number is not given, the collection and narrator are cited instead.