My Thoughts on Shari'ah

Asalaam alaikum ar ramatuallahi wa barakatuhu. I pray that this finds all of you out there in good health and eemaan. A week or so ago while I was at work, I was approached by a man who had a genuine "Muslim question". He asked me, "Do all Muslims believe in Shari'ah?" To which I replied, "Shari'ah is the divine law of God. It's His law, so as Muslims, we should all believe in it." He said, "Oh, really?" I told him that "shari'ah law isn't the evil thing that the west has made it out to be."

It has been predominately associated with Islam and has been given a bad wrap by many people, especially in the US. I have heard many of those who oppose it stressing about how it shouldn't be legalized or recognized but those people don't understand what shari'ah is, how it works or that it would ultimately have little to no effect on those who aren't Muslim.

Some background on Shari'ah for my non-Muslim friends.

Shari'ah was revealed by Allaah in the Holy Qur'an and deals with many topics including crime, politics and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, every day etiquette and fasting. There are varying interpretations of shari'ah law but in its strictest definition it is considered the infallible law of God while the human interpretation of the laws are known as fiqh.
The two primary sources of shari'ah law are versus in the Qur'an and the examples set by Prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Where shari'ah is recognized, it is interpreted by Islamic judges and the responsibilities of the religious leaders (imams) varies. If questions arose that weren't directly addressed in either of the two primary sources, the religious scholars are looked to to form fitting rulings.

 ** This isn't everything about shari'ah but in sha Allaah it's enough to spark interest in the subject and give people a starting point to their own research**

Now here comes the part where I voice my opinion because by now, you should know that I have one (haha!).

Many states (including mine!) and countries have chosen to ban shari'ah law. While I do understand the fears that a lot of people have regarding it and yes, I do understand that in many countries, there are accounts of abuse and/or neglect because of a possible light or lack of punishment for certain crimes. However, for those of us who wish to practice our faith completely, we should have the opportunity to follow the laws of Allaah. Now, while I also understand that God's divine law is the ultimate law above all others, and technically, submission to local laws can be seen as putting man over God, I'm not saying that we should disrespect the local laws of our city/state/country. I am only saying (remember, this is my opinion and it may or may not be shared by anyone else) as long as we are following those laws and we are not harming anyone, partaking in illegal activities or committing crimes, we should be allowed to follow the laws that Allaah has written for us.

I truly and sincerely hope that this clears up some things or at the very least sparks some interest in the subject and initiates research and thought on the subject in sha Allaah. Please remember that this is my opinion and my page. I do not expect anyone to agree with me. Also, sisters please feel free to add comments containing any other pertinent information that you think others would like to know regarding this subject. Your thoughts are always welcome!