Sharia Law
Sharia is Islamic Law. It is the religious legal system that governs the political, social and moral duties of faithful Muslims. It is what is meant by "God's Law."
The Sharia was derived from the Sunnah - the way of life of Muhammad as recorded in the Hadith (traditions). It pulls various Quran verses and historical narrations into an organized body of rules. Although Muslims as individuals often decide which parts of Sharia to follow or ignore, the Quran says that it is not fitting for a believer to choose for themselves (i.e., disregard) any matter already decided by Allah. Likewise, a government that limits God's Law in any way is an enemy of Allah and must be fought. The establishment of Sharia is the fundamental objective of every Islamic terror group. Once an Islamic state is in place, the Quran (9:29) and Sharia (o9.8) make it mandatory for Muslims to fight those Jews and Christians who will not convert or accept inferior status. This reality is left out by proponents of Sharia in the West, who hide behind the cloak of religion and expose only the more benign personal rules (such as those dealing with prayer and hygiene). This is to make it appear as if detractors are religious bigots whose real problem is intolerance for a different set of beliefs about God and worship. In fact, Sharia is explicitly opposed to religious freedom, freedom of conscience and the free exchange of ideas. It is violent, openly bigoted toward non-Muslims, discriminatory, and unflinchingly sexist. Large sections deal with the practice of slavery. None of this changes by affixing a "phobia" label or otherwise insulting detractors. The following sections highlight what Sharia actually says about important issues. References are to the classic manual, Reliance of the Traveller, considered one of the soundest translations of Islamic law.
Freedom of Conscience and the Free Exchange of Ideas
When a person who has reached puberty and is sane voluntarily apostatizes from Islam, he deserves to be killed. There is no indemnity for killing an apostate (since it is killing someone who deserves to die). Acts that define "leaving Islam" and being subject to execution are listed in o8.7. They include:
- to intend to commit unbelief, even if in the future - to deny the existence of Allah... or any of his attributes - to be sarcastic about Allah's name, his command, his interdiction... or his threat - to deny any verse of the Quran - to mockingly say, "I don't know what faith is" - to believe that things in themselves or by their own nature have any causal influence independent of the will of Allah
Women
A woman may not "conduct her own marriage", meaning that she is not free to marry by choice.
A male guardian is required to validate the marriage agreement.
A woman is not free to choose her guardian. It is assigned by family relation. Once she is married, she becomes the charge of her husband's guardianship.
A woman may not marry a non-Muslim man (Quran 2:221). An untranslated portion of the Sharia even forbids an Arab woman from marrying a non-Arab man.
A woman has no right to custody of her children from a previous marriage when she remarries.
It is obligatory for a woman to let her husband have sex with her immediately when he asks her... and she can physically endure it.
It is not lawful for a wife to leave the house except by the permission of her husband.
When a husband notices signs of rebelliousness in his wife, he warns her in words. If she commits rebelliousness, he keeps from sleeping with her without words, and may hit her, but not in a way that injures her, meaning he may not break bones, wound her, or cause blood to flow.
The indemnity for the death or injury of a woman is one-half the indemnity paid for a man.
Divide the universal share so the male receives the portion of two females (Rule of inheritance based on the Quran 4:11)
It is unlawful for women to leave the house with faces unveiled
Sex and Honor Killing
The following are not subject to retaliation:
a father or mother (or their fathers or mothers) for killing their offspring or offspring's offspring
The penalty for adultery is stoning. The penalty for unmarried sex (fornication) is 100 lashes
Slavery
A large section of the Sharia is devoted to codifying the practice of slavery (k32.0). The Reliance of the Traveller omits these rules from the English language translation, perhaps to obscure the comfortable relationship between Islam and slavery. However, parts from other sections address both the capture of slaves and the sanctioning of forced conversion under obvious duress.
When a child or a woman is taken captive, they become slaves by the fact of capture, and the woman's previous marriage is immediately annulled.
When an adult male is taken captive, the caliph considers the interests (O: of Islam and the Muslims) and decides between the prisoner's death, slavery, release without paying anything, or ransoming himself in exchange for money or for a Muslim captive held by the enemy. If the prisoner becomes a Muslim (O: before the caliph chooses) then he may not be killed, and one of the other three alternatives is chosen.
Whoever enters Islam before being captured may not be killed or his property confiscated, or his young children taken captive.
Theft
A person's right hand is amputated, whether he is a Muslim, non-Muslim subject of the Islamic state
Art and Music
Musical instruments are condemned.
One should know that singing or listening to singing is offensive (with the exception of songs that encourage piety.
Every maker of pictures will go to the fire, where a being will be set upon him for each picture he made, to torment him in hell
Pictures imitate the creative act of Allah (when they are of animate beings).
It is unlawful to decorate walls with pictures (generally interpreted as pictures of animate beings.
Research Links
Sharia Law in Nigeria
