Knowra Sharia Sharia Sharia is the body of religious and ethical principles in Islam, understood as divine guidance for worship, conduct, and social life. Its interpretation and application vary across traditions and historical settings.
Quran : The central scripture of Islam, regarded by Muslims as revelation from God to Muhammad. Sharia draws on the Quran as its primary textual source.
Qiyas : Analogical reasoning that extends a ruling from an established case to a new case sharing its effective cause. Jurists use analogy when a new question lacks a direct textual ruling.
Salah : The prescribed ritual prayer performed by Muslims at set times each day. Rules of worship include the timing and performance of daily prayer.
Secularism : A principle or political arrangement that separates religious authority from some or all institutions of public life. It offers a contrasting account of religion’s place in public law and governance.
Sunnah : The normative example of Muhammad, preserved through reports of his words, actions, and approvals. The Sunnah supplies guidance alongside the Quran.
Ijtihad : Independent juristic reasoning used to derive rulings where authoritative texts do not provide an explicit answer. It is a central means of applying Sharia to changing circumstances.
Zakat : Obligatory almsgiving in Islam, calculated according to rules governing wealth and eligible recipients. Sharia specifies duties of charitable giving and their conditions.
Canon law : The body of laws and regulations governing the Catholic Church and its members. It is a distinct religious legal tradition, not an equivalent source for Islamic rulings.
Hadith : A report describing Muhammad’s words, actions, or approvals, transmitted through a chain of narrators. Hadith collections preserve much of the material used to establish the Sunnah.
Madhhab : A school of Islamic jurisprudence with characteristic methods and inherited legal opinions. Schools organize interpretation into distinct, historically transmitted approaches.
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