IslamicLaw

Sharialaw[is]rootedinthesenseofdoingGodswillintheordinarythingsof law
Dr.RowanWilliams,ArchbishopofCanterbury

ItwasthesewordsandthesuggestionthattheadoptionofcertainaspectsofSharialawinto theBritishlegalsystemwasinevitablethatcatapultedIslamiclawintothepublicspotlight andsparkedoutrageinthenationalpress.1WhilesomepapersaccusedShariaLawof conjuringupimagesofstonings,amputations,lashingsandexecutions2,manyMuslimsand eventheLordChiefJusticerushedtoitsdefence3.Inordertoassesstheveracityofthese accusationsagainstSharialawitisnecessarytoexaminethehistoryandinterpretationofthe lawinvariousculturalcontexts. BriefHistoricalOverview UnlikemodernEuropeanlaw,Shariagovernsnotonlytheinteractionsbetweenfellowmen, butalsobetweenmanandGod.Consequentlyitcontainsdetailedlegislationonprayer,ritual washingandevenshowingoffingoodworks,inadditionaltothemorefamiliaraspectsof civilandcriminallaw. Theselawsoriginatedinthe7thcenturydesertoasisofMedina,whereMohammedhadfled toavoidpersecutionfromtheMeccans.Here,Mohammedwasemployedasamediatorto negotiatepeacebetweenthewarringJewishtribes,usingbothhisownjudgementand Quranicrevelations.4 AllofMohammedslegalrulingsaswellasdetailsofhispersonallifeandpublicsermons weremeticulouslyrecordedbyhiscompanionsandcompiledintoabodyofknowledge knownasthehadith.TogethertheQuranandhadithformthecanonicalbasisofSharia law. Tojudgecasesnotexplicitlycoveredbyeitherofthesetexts,qualifiedjuristsarepermitted tousetheirownijtihadorlogicalreasoningtometeoutjusticeinaccordancewithIslamic principles.Collectivelybodiesofappropriatescholarscanalsodemocraticallyresolvea contentiousissuethisiscalledijma,literallytranslatedascommunityconsensus.The juristsverdictwilleffectivelycreateaprecedenthoweverunliketherulingsofthePope thesedecisionsarenotimmutable. ThefourtraditionalSchoolsofJurisprudence Reasonisarbitraryandwillvaryfrompersontoperson,becausetodifferis inherentintheminds,willsandpreferencesofhumanbeings
IbnQutayba,8thcenturyHanbaliScholar

Basedonthesesourcesoflaw,fourmainschoolsofjurisprudenceemergedinmedieval SaudiArabia,whicharenamedaftertheirfoundersImamAhmadIbnHanbalImamAbu HanifaImamMalikandImamShafi.Theseschoolsarebroadlysimilarand75%oftheir

conclusionsareidentical.5Disparityintheirlegalrulingsstemsfrommethodological differencesintheiranalysisofthekeytextsthisisexemplifiedintheShafisandHanbalis interpretationofthehadith. Asthehadithcompriseshundredsofvolumesfromnumerousandoftencontradictory sources,thefourschoolsdevelopedthescienceofhadith(Ulmalhadith).Thisenabledthem todeterminetheveracityofindividualhadithandhencedeliverconsistentjudgements.To copewithapparentcontradictions,Shafisadvocatelogicalreasoningandassertthatthe opposinghaditheithersetboundariesforthedegreeofflexibilitypermittedonanissuethey bothapplybutindifferentcircumstancesoroneabrogatestheother.Conversely,the Hanbalisbasethereliabilityofhadithonthestrengthoftransmissioni.e.thedegreeof temporalandpersonalclosenesstoMohammed.6 SuchdiversityoflegalthoughtistraditionallywelcomedintheIslamicworldandMuslims arefreetochoosewhichschooltoascribeto.Thisreligiousorthodoxywasendorsedby MohammedwhostatedthatWhenarulerexertshimselftoarriveatthecorrectruling,and iscorrecthegetstworewardsandwhenheismistakenhegetsonereward.7 TraditionalInterpretationofIslamicLaw TheShariawaseternalnotinitsletter,butitsspirit
IsmailalFaruqi,20thCentury,Philosopher

Today,moderateadherentsoftheShafi,MalikiandHanafischoolsarescatteredacross Indonesia,centralAsiaandNorthAfricawhilethemoreconservativeHanbaliinspired MuslimsresideinSaudiArabia. MostMuslimsagreethatitisthespiritofSharialawthatissacrosanctandhenceindividual lawsaremutableovertimeforapplicationwithindifferentculturalcontexts.8Consequently theywelcometheshiftawayfrompunishmentslikestoningsandamputations,whichthey arguewerelegitimateintheturbulenttribalsocietyof7thcenturyMedina,butare inapplicableinthemodernworld. In2006Diyanet,thehighestIslamicreligiousauthorityinTurkeyannounceditwasremoving severalcontroversialhadithfromtheircollectionincludingIfawomandoesntsatisfyher husbandsdesires,sheshouldchooseherselfaplaceinhellTheyarguedthatsuch statementswereincompatiblewithMohammedswelldocumentedrespectforhisown wivesandthatlogicandcommonsenseshouldtakeprecedenceoverthechainof transmissionwhenauthenticatinghadith.9 LiteralistInterpretationofIslamicLaw:Wahhabism Throwreasontothedogs,itstinksofcorruption
SloganpaintedontheMinistryforthePreventionofViceandPromotionofVirtue, Kabul1998

AlthoughlooselyrootedintheHanbalitradition,theliteralistandoftenextreme interpretationsofSharialawbearlittleresemblancetoclassicalIslamicjurisprudence.

Wahhabism,theultraconservativeformofIslampracticedinSaudiArabiadidnoteven existuntilthe18thcenturywhenAbdalWahhabpreachedagainsttheperceivedmoral declineintheregion.10 WahhabsfollowersbelievethatIslamhasbeencontaminatedwithwesternvaluesandcan onlybepurifiedbyrejectingallmoderninnovationsandattemptingtorecreate7thcentury Meccansociety.TheyinterprettheQuranandhadithliterally,withlittleconcernforlogicor commonsenseandrejectallijmaconductedafterthethirdgenerationofMohammeds companions. UnsurprisinglythisextremeformofIslamiclawoftenbreedsintoleranceandviolence.Many WahhabiterroristsincludingOsamabinLaden,considermoderateMuslimsand governmentstobeunbelieversandpuppetsofforeignpowers.Asaresulttheyhadfew qualmsaboutbombingRiyadh,IslamabadandKhartoum,inadditiontotargetsonWestern soil. Literalvs.traditionalinterpretation:ThecaseofPolygyny Youmaymarrytwoorthreeorfourwomenwhomyouchoose.Butifyou apprehendthatyoumightnotbeabletodojusticetothem,thenmarryonlyone wife Youwillneverbeabletodoperfectjusticebetweenwivesevenifitisyourardent desire
Quran4:3and4:129

TogetherthesehadithjustifypolygynyinIslamicsociety,howevertheirexactinterpretation hasaprofoundeffectontheresultinglaws.Rationalscholarslogicallyexamine Mohammedspersonalbehaviourtofurtherelucidatethesehadiths.Studyingthehistory revealsthatpolygynywasfirstintroducedtoensurethewellbeingofwarwidowsafterthe devastatingbattleofUhud.AlsoMohammedmarriedonedivorceetopreventherbecoming asocialpariah,anotherwomantosaveherfromdestitutionandathirdtoprotectherdignity asaprisonerofwar.4Hencethescholarsdeducethatpolygynyispermittedinexceptional circumstancesandthewelfareofthewivesisparamount. Usingthisideology,KingMohammedVIofMorocco,deemedpolygynylegalprovided strictcriteriawereapplied.Theseincludedtheprovisionthatthewivesmustbetreated equallyinallspheresoflifeandthatexistingwivesconsenttothenewmarriage.11 HowevertheSaudiArabiananalysisofthesehadithyieldsverydifferentlawsandhence socialconsequences.Interpretingthetextsliterally,Wahhabijuristsassertthatpolygynyis legitimate,themaximumnumberofwivespermittedisfourandthattheymustbetreated equally.Inpracticethismeansthatthewivesaregivenequalfinancialsupport.Oftenexisting wivesareunawarethattheirhusbandhasremarriedsuchpracticestypicallyleadtosocial problemsforboththewomenandchildren. WhenaskedbytheUNtojustifyitsstanceofpolygyny,theofficialSaudidelegation explainedthatSometimesthesexualappetiteofamanisnotsatisfiedbyhiswifeandhe

musttakeanotherwifetosatisfythis.12Clearlythisattitudedoesnotreflectthespiritofthe laworconformtoMohammedsexample. TheRoleofPolitics:IslamandIslamism RevolutionaryIslamattackstherulingclassesinordertoachieveamore equitableredistributionofwealth"andistheonly"transnationalforcecapableof standinguptotheenslavementofnations."

CarlostheJackal,RevolutionaryIslam

Ironically,althoughextremistMuslimsclaimtopurifyIslamfrompaganinfluences,their dismissaloftraditionalscholarshipconvenientlyallowsthemtomanipulateShariatosuittheir ownpoliticalagenda. AnalysingBinLadenscommentsconcerningtheformationofanIslamicstateandthe eliminationofWesternculture,revealsaphilosophymoreakintocommunismthanIslam.By publicisinggenuinesocialinjusticesincludingWesternimposedsanctionsagainstIraqthe plightofthePalestiniansandthe2003Iraqinvasion,theyattractworldwidesympathyfrom theMuslimcommunity.SuperimposingtheirtwistedversionofShariaonthisideologyadds aveneeroflegitimacytotheircauseandanyactsofterrorismcommittedinitsname. Forsomeextremists,Sharialawismerelyaweapontoenforceauthorityandlegitimisetheir ownopinions.Howeverifthelawcontravenestheiropinion,itsrulingsaresuddenly invalidated.Earlierthisyear,SharialawwasimposedinPakistansturbulentSwatValleyat theTalibansrequest,yetwhenajudgeruledagainstaTalibanleaderinacivilcase,hewas incensed.ImmediatelyhecalledMaulanaFazlullah,theheadoftheTalibanintheregion,in anattempttooverrulethedecision.Fortunatelythejudgemanagedtoupholdhisdecision anddiffusethesituationpeacefully.13 PreventingExtremism:TheRoleofEducation AspoliticalIslamorIslamismreliesonarejectionoftraditionalteaching,extremists generallypreyuponthosewithlittleIslamiceducation.TheTalibanthemselvesareaproduct ofthesqualidrefugeecampsofNorthernPakistan,wheremanyAfghansfledtoescapethe civilwar. Similarly,inthe1980sGulfWar,theIraniangovernmentenlistedpoorandbadlyeducated adolescentstoclearminefields.Eachboywasinstructedtomotorcycleacrossthefield, detonatingasmanyminesaspossible.Theboysweretoldmartyrdomwasgloriousandthe plastickeytiedaroundtheirneckswouldadmitthemtoparadise14 Evenin1980sBritain,whentheIslamistgroupsJamaateIslamiandHizbutTahrirwere thrivinginuniversitiesnationwide,theytargetedMuslimswithlittleunderstandingoftheir ownfaith.GenerallytheirrecruitshadnoknowledgeofArabic,hadbarelyreadtheQuran andhadlittleclassicalIslamiceducation15.Byprovidingthemwithcarefullyselectedquotes fromtheQuranandhadith,theywereeasilyindoctrinatedwithIslamistviews. Conclusion

ThroughoutitsrichanddiversehistorySharialawhashadaprofoundinfluenceonthe societiesithasgoverned.Thefreedomofinterpretationestablishedbythefouroriginal schoolsallowsShariasmoralprinciplestobeincorporatedintotheglobalisedmodern world.Howeveritisthisgreatstrengththathasrecentlybecomeaterriblecurse,aspolitical extremistshaveusedatwistedversionofShariatolegitimisetheiratrocities.Tocombatsuch teachings,classicalIslamiceducationisparamountinallowingstudentstoconfidentlyreject unorthodoxideasandanyunderlyingpoliticalagenda.

References
1

GledhillR.(2008).ArchbishopofCanterburyarguesforIslamicLawinBritain.Times,8 February.

BaigA.(2008).Williams:VictoryforTerrorismTheydontliveinanIslamicCountry, Sun,8February
3

WintourP.(2008).ShariaLawcouldhaveUKrole,sayslordchiefjustice,Guardian,4July ArmstrongK.(2001)Muhammad:abiographyoftheprophet.London:PhoenixPress.

KellerN.(1997).RelianceoftheTraveller:ClassicManualofIslamicSacredLaw. AmanaBooksInc.
6 7

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10

11

MoroccoboostswomensrightsURL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3183248.stm[22June2009]
12

UNCommitteechallengesSaudiArabiaonwomensrights.URL: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jebDMWDnbR1BETFadZMcJB5BYkpw[22June 2009]

13

HasanS.SwatTalebanfindShariaachallenge.URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7959100.stm[22June2009] 14 SatrapiM.(2003)Persepolis:TheStoryofanIranianChildhood.JonathanCapeLtd.

15

HusainE.(2007)TheIslamist:WhyIjoinedradicalIslaminBritain,whatIsawinside andwhyIleft.London:Penguin