What is Sharia law? What does it means? What have the Taliban said?

What is Sharia Law?

It is derived from the holy book of Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah and the Hadith - the deeds and words of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Arabic, Sharia means "clear, well-trodden path for water".

Sharia serves as a way of life for all Muslims to follow, including prayer, fasting and donations to the poor.

It aims to help Muslims understand how to conduct every aspect of their lives according to God’s will.

How are judgments made?

Like any legal system, Sharia is complex and its practice relies entirely on the quality and training of experts.

Islamic jurists provide guidance and judgment. The guideline that is considered a proper legal ruling is called a fatwa.

There are five different schools of Islamic law. There are four Sunni schools: Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanafi, and one Shia school, Jaafari.

The interpretation of Islamic law is subtle according to local culture and customs, i.e. Sharia may appear differently in different places.

What are some of the tough punishments?

Islamic scholars say that Sharia is mainly a code of ethical conduct and worship and charity but a part of it deals with crime.

Sharia law divides crimes into two general categories: "hadd" offenses, which are serious offenses with severe penalties, and "tazir" offenses, where the sentence is imposed at the discretion of the judge.

Hadd offenses include theft, which, under the strict interpretations of Sharia, can be punished by cutting off the offender’s hand.

There are many safeguards and a high burden of proof in the application of hadd penalties.

Some countries that apply Islamic law accept or enforce such punishments for Hadd crimes, and Muslims' attitudes toward harsh punishments for such crimes vary widely.

What have the Taliban said?

Sharia in Arabic means "way".Let’s see how it affects women?

Taliban spokesman  Zabihullah Mujahid said in his first news conference after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan on Tuesday, August 17, that all Afghans should live "within the framework of Islam."

He assured the world that the "independent" media and journalists would be allowed to work as long as they did not act "against national values" and that the Taliban would respect women's rights.

Nevertheless, women and activists believe the "change" the Taliban are discussing is unbelievable. They fear that once the Taliban regime comes to power in Afghanistan, Sharia law will be enforced and it will limit the privileges of women.

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