Sharia

The Islamic legal system derived from the Quran and prophetic tradition

Overview

Sharia designates the path of law Islam derives from scripture and the example of the Prophet, elaborated by jurists into schools of interpretation such as the Hanafi and Maliki. It spans worship, commerce, family, and governance, historically administered by specialized courts alongside rulers. Modern states apply it in blends, from family law alone to comprehensive codes, and its method, reasoning from revealed sources, parallels the way common lawyers reason from precedent. Roughly a quarter of humanity lives under legal systems influenced by it.