Islamic Law (Sharia)

What is Islamic law?

Islamic law, often called sharia, is the body of guidance that Muslims believe comes from Allah through the Qur'an and the example of the Prophet, peace be upon him. It covers worship, character, family life, money and conduct, and it is meant to help people live in a way that pleases Allah.

The word sharia (شريعة) literally means a path that leads to water. In Islamic teaching it names the divine guidance itself, while fiqh (فقه) means human understanding of that guidance, worked out by scholars who study the sources. This is why Muslims can differ on details of fiqh while agreeing on sharia in principle.

Sharia is not a single book or a fixed legal code. Most of it concerns personal matters such as prayer, fasting, charity, honesty and family duties, and the way it is applied depends on the country, the school of thought and the scholars involved.

What Fiqh Means

The Arabic word fiqh means understanding. While Shari'ah refers to God's law itself, fiqh is the human effort to understand and apply it. Fiqh is human scholarship, so scholars can reach different conclusions. Fiqh deals mainly with practice; questions of belief, such as the six articles of faith, are covered under Islamic beliefs.

• Shari'ah and fiqhShari'ah is like the destination; fiqh is the map scholars draw to get there. The map can show different routes, but the destination is the same.
• Fiqh and new situationsScholars apply classical principles to new situations, such as cryptocurrency, organ donation and artificial intelligence.

How Scholars Reach Rulings

Sunni scholars commonly list four main sources of fiqh. Arabic terms used on this page are explained in our Islamic glossary.

• The Qur'anThe words of the Qur'an, which Muslims believe were revealed by Allah.
• The SunnahThe example of the Prophet ﷺ, recorded in hadith reports.
• Consensus (ijma)The agreement of qualified scholars on a question.
• Analogy (qiyas)Applying the reasoning behind an existing ruling to a new situation.

The Higher Aims of Islamic Law (Maqasid)

Many scholars describe the purpose of Islamic law through the maqasid, the higher aims that its rulings are meant to protect. The most commonly listed are the protection of faith, life, intellect, family or lineage, and wealth, and some scholars add honour as a sixth.

These aims help scholars think about new questions. When a modern issue is not mentioned directly in the sources, they ask how a ruling would serve or harm these aims, alongside the methods of reasoning described above.

The idea has roots in the work of classical scholars such as al-Ghazali and ash-Shatibi, and it is widely taught today.

The Five Categories of Rulings

Scholars commonly sort actions into five categories. Obligatory acts include the five daily prayers.

The Four Sunni Schools of Fiqh

The four schools (madhabs) are not separate sects. They are schools of legal method for deriving rulings from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and Sunni scholars accept all four as valid.

How Muslims Approach Differences

The schools agree on the basics, such as the five daily prayers and fasting in Ramadan, and differ mostly on details. Many Muslims follow the school common in their community or taught at their local mosque, and most scholars encourage respect for the views of other schools. If you are unsure about a question, ask a local imam or knowledgeable Muslim.

Halal and Haram Food

• Halal meatScholars teach that the animal is slaughtered humanely with God's name mentioned. Schools differ on some details.
• PorkPork and pork products are forbidden (haram).
• AlcoholAlcohol and other intoxicants are forbidden, not only drinking to excess.
• SeafoodMost schools permit seafood, and the Hanafi school differs on some sea creatures, such as shellfish.

For a fuller explanation, see our guide to what halal means.

Marriage, Divorce and Family

The Qur'an describes marriage as a relationship of affection and mercy (Qur'an 30:21).

Marriage

• MahrThe groom gives the bride a gift called the mahr, which is her property. The amount is agreed before the marriage, and schools differ on the details.
• ConsentIslamic teaching stresses that both partners consent to the marriage. Scholars explain the details in different ways.
• Financial responsibilityScholars teach that the husband is responsible for providing housing, food and clothing, and that a wife's own income and property remain hers.

Divorce

Divorce is permitted in Islam, and scholars describe steps meant to protect both partners:

• Trying to reconcileThe Qur'an speaks of appointing an arbiter from each family to help the couple reconcile (Qur'an 4:35).
• Talaq and khul'A divorce can be started by the husband (talaq) or requested by the wife (khul'). Scholars set out procedures for each, and these differ between schools.
• Waiting period (iddah)A waiting period follows a divorce. It allows time to confirm whether the wife is pregnant and for the couple to reconcile. Its length depends on the situation.
• Financial rightsScholars discuss the wife's mahr, support during the waiting period and arrangements for children, with the child's welfare in mind. Details vary between schools and legal systems.

Modesty in Dress

Modesty in Islam is a principle rather than a uniform. It applies to both men and women and covers behaviour, speech and dress.

• Modesty for allIslamic teaching asks both men and women to dress modestly.
• MenMany scholars explain that men cover at least from the navel to the knee, and schools differ on some details.
• WomenMany scholars hold that women cover everything except the face and hands in front of men outside their close family, drawing on Qur'an 24:31 and 33:59. Scholars differ on some details.
• StyleStyles of modest clothing vary between cultures. Many scholars teach that the principle is modesty and coverage rather than one particular garment.

Money, Business and Ethics

Islamic finance aims to follow these principles:

• Riba (interest)The Qur'an forbids riba, which most scholars understand to include interest on loans. Islamic finance uses profit-sharing and similar models instead.
• Gharar (excessive uncertainty)Scholars teach that contracts should be clear, and they generally do not allow selling something you do not own or cannot deliver.
• Avoiding certain industriesIslamic finance avoids investing in businesses such as alcohol, gambling and pornography.
• ZakatZakat is one of the five pillars of Islam: an annual payment, commonly 2.5%, on savings above a threshold called the nisab.

Common misunderstandings about sharia

One common misunderstanding is that sharia is a single legal code that every Muslim country applies in the same way. In reality countries differ widely: some base parts of their laws on classical fiqh, some only in family matters, and many Muslim-majority countries use mainly civil or mixed legal systems.

Another is that sharia is mostly about punishments. Classical scholars wrote far more about worship, contracts, family and ethics than about criminal penalties, and the penalties found in classical texts come with strict conditions that scholars still discuss. For most Muslims anywhere in the world, sharia means how they pray, give charity, eat, earn money and treat others.

A third is that Muslims who live in non-Muslim countries want to replace the local law. Many Muslim scholars teach that Muslims who live as citizens of a country should respect its laws, and most Muslims simply follow their faith in private life.

Islamic law in the UK

In the United Kingdom, the law of England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland applies to everyone. Islamic law has no separate legal standing, and Muslims follow it as a matter of personal faith, in the same way that people of other faiths follow their own religious teaching.

Some Muslims ask scholars or Islamic councils for religious advice, most often about Islamic marriage and divorce. These bodies give religious opinions only. A marriage that is legally registered must still be ended through the civil courts, and a religious ruling does not replace a court decision.

Muslims in the UK and other non-Muslim countries also apply Islamic principles in everyday choices such as halal food, Islamic finance, wills and charitable giving, and they follow the local law alongside them. Our guide to what halal means explains the food side in more detail.

Modern Questions in Fiqh

Contemporary scholars apply classical principles to new questions, and they often reach different conclusions. Here are some examples. For your own situation, ask a local imam or knowledgeable Muslim.

• CryptocurrencyScholars are divided. Some accept it as a digital asset, while others have concerns about its volatility and uncertainty (gharar).
• Organ donationMany contemporary scholars allow donation to save a life, often citing the verse: 'Whoever saves a life, it is as if he saved all of humanity' (Qur'an 5:32). Others are more cautious, and most scholars do not allow selling organs.
• Artificial intelligenceScholars are still discussing AI. Many judge a tool by how it is used, seeing uses such as medical diagnosis and education as positive and harmful uses such as deceptive deepfakes as wrong.
• Photography and videoMany contemporary scholars allow photography and video for purposes such as education, identification and journalism, while others are more cautious. Scholars explain the classical texts on images in different ways.
• VegetarianismEating meat is allowed in Islam but not required, so many scholars see vegetarianism as a personal choice. Scholars also stress kindness to animals.

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