Sharia or Islamic Law

I wrote in a previous article about Sharia, but this time I will go more in detail describing the Sharia.

The Sharia is the moral code or religious law of a prophetic religion, and is largely associated with Islam.

Sharia deals with various subjects like: crime, politics, economics, personal matters like sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, everyday etiquette and fasting.

Through history, various Islamic schoolers focused on study of the Sharia and interpreting religious texts like the Koran and the Sunnah (the example of the life of Mohammed).

Sharia, full of violence

The Sharia is said to be implemented in the following countries: Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Iran, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The typical aspect of the Sharia in those countries is the extreme physical punishments, like flogging, stoning, amputation of limps and beheadings.

There are two sources, from where the Sharia is defined: 1. The Koran 2. The life of Mohammed in the Sunnah

The Sharia is interpreted by Islamic Judges (qadis) with various responsibilities for the religious leaders (imams).

A strange example of implementing Sharia law is in Britain: the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal makes use of sharia family law to settle disputes, but this incomplete implementation is controversial for all parties involved. Furthermore implementing Sharia law is problematic in many countries throughout the world, because it conflicts with civil law and Sharia can't exist together with any other law. Issues of enslavement, (extreme) physical punishments, sexual intercourse with minors, calls for violence, oppression, death and destruction is all unacceptable internationally.

The Sharia, which is sourced from the Sunnah, is the most extreme form of Sharia. Islamic extremists like within the ISIS organization are practicing that form of Sharia. Islamic schoolers throughout history, dedicated their lives on the study of the life of the Prophet, Mohammed, which is described in detail in the Sunnah. Every aspect of his life, is an example for every Muslim and is defined in the Sharia. The Sharia allows to have sexual intercourse with minors, little girls younger then 10 years. Reason for that 'law' is that Mohammed had intercourse with such girl, according the Sunnah, so that's permissible for any Muslim living according the Sharia.

The implementation of the complete Sharia is ordered when there is a truly Islamic State (caliphate) declared. Before such state is declared, only 15% of the Sharia is implemented or followed. But the caliphate must implement the Sharia by the letter, no interpretations.

The head of the caliphate is called the caliph. To be the caliph, one must meet conditions outlined in Sunni law. That means being a Muslim adult man of Quraysh descent; exhibiting moral probity and physical and mental integrity; and having authority. For the current caliphate (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), the caliph is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Islamic State implements the Sharia based on the Sunnah.

Al-Qaeda believes in creating an Islamic State, but staged-wise. The ISIS believes implementing the Islamic State immediately when they managed to grab territory from others, like we've seen in July 2014.

The beheadings, crucifixions and other practices, defined in the Sharia is practiced in the Islamic state, but not by al-Qaeda. The reason is the existence of the Islamic State, where it is required to implement the Sharia, and al-Qaeda doesn't have an Islamic state (yet).

Conclusion A moral code is not necessarily bad and living according that code is not new. In the western civilization it's not unknown to live according a moral code.

The moral code, which is based on the bible, is also not bad. That religion, and for others it's a ideology, is based on love, compassion and forgiveness.

The moral code based on the Koran, and especially the Sunnah, that is different.

In practice, Sharia is implemented throughout the world, covering 15% of the total content of the total Sharia. In any western country, it's impossible to implement the Sharia in its total, except in the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.

The Sharia is many times labeled as barbaric and practiced 1,400 years ago in the Middle East and parts of Africa. That might be so, but its propaganda is spread through the social media, using mobile and smart phones and computers connected to the Internet. It's using the globalization to spread the propaganda to the world population with a high level of success.

Most of the people on earth, billions of us, know the name ISIS and the Islamic state. Tens of thousands support the Islamic state by joining it from all over the world. Millions, probably tens of millions support the ISIS passively.

By broadcasting the implementation of parts of the Sharia by for example beheading people, ISIS manages to bring the message home. The message is propaganda and fear, but also division and confusion, manipulation and despair. The ISIS is doing anything to trigger a military response of the local superpowers to trigger an ancient prophecy, which will start the campaign to world domination of Islam.