The Origin of the Shia - Part Two : Re: Shariah

» Binte - Re: Shariah

In response to Again posted by Pinky102:

Yes, Shariah is the word used for Islamic Law. It seems to conjure up images of horrific drownings in family swimming pools, especially since the publication of books that expose the secret lives of Muslim women. These acts by the way, have no place in Islam - they are culture based.

Basically, Shariah refers to the Laws a Muslim is required to follow. Praying five times a day, fasting and going for Hajj are the more common ones. Then, there are laws on how to do business, on governing should a territory be ruled by Muslims, on the rules of war and conflict, on social rights etc.

The Shariah covers all aspects of life, which gives us the definations of Islam such as: 'a code of living' or 'a way of life'. It isn't just a set of dogmatic beliefs and rites.

Regarding Shias and Sunnis, the basics are the same, but differences arise because of the issue of Imams that I mentioned.

For Sunnis, as the centuries passed, they had the Qur'an and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) but when they were confused over an issue or did not know how to apply it to the current times, they were forced to come up with new ideas - thus, the birth of the four Sunni Schools of Thought. Many other Sunni's believe that every person can choose to interpret a law as they understand it.

For Shias, the presence of an Imam in every time, meant that they could turn to that Imam for clarification and many of the finer points were discussed and developed over the years after the death of Muhammad (pbuh). Because all the Imams were Divinely appointed, there is a steady consistancy in what they said and so there is little confusion over the Shariah for the Shias.

The Shia believe that the 12th Imam is still alive and in seclusion according to the Will of God. They await his re-appearance in much the same way the Christians await the coming of Jesus. You may have heard of him - he is called The Mahdi.

In his absence, a scholar is chosen to clarify any problems that a Shia may have in understanding the Shariah. This scholar does not create a law or change it. He is chosen because of his knowledge of the historical records of traditions and his understanding of the concepts of the Qur'an. He only applies this vast knowledge in solving problems.

-- posted by Binte