Definition
All that Allah legislated for His servants — beliefs, worship, manners, and rulings. Broader than fiqh, which is the human understanding of the Sharī‘ah.
Pronunciation: sha-RĪ-‘ah
Etymology & Root
From the root ش-ر-ع (sh-r-‘), originally meaning 'a path leading to water' — the source of life. The Sharī‘ah is the path Allah laid down leading to salvation.
Usage in the Qur'an
'Then We placed you upon a sharī‘ah from the matter, so follow it.' (al-Jāthiyah 45:18)
Scholarly Notes
Scholars list five universal aims (maqāṣid) the Sharī‘ah preserves: religion, life, intellect, lineage, and wealth. Every detailed ruling traces back to protecting one of these.
Common Misconceptions
Many reduce 'Sharī‘ah' in modern discourse to ḥudūd punishments. In reality, it is the entire revealed way of life — most of which is worship, conduct, and personal ethics.
Practical Application
Submit to the Sharī‘ah in matters small and large; do not pick what suits desire and reject what does not.
Search across the corpus
Related Terms
More from Fiqh Terms
Scholarly effort to derive rulings from evidence.
The lesser pilgrimage — performed any time of year.
Obligatory.
Following a scholar's ruling without knowing the evidence.
The minimum wealth threshold making zakāh obligatory.
Fasting — fourth pillar of Islam.