Shariah

The term Sharia (literally "the clear, well-trodden path to water") refers to the rules of behaviour Muslims must engaged in if they are to live a proper and aligned spiritual existence.

Syncretic Terms

Right Action > Achara, Aligned Action, Ashramas, Dharma, Purushaarthas, Rtavan, Shariah

Notes

"Sharia provides guidance on how to live an ethical life. It lays down guidelines on how to pray and how to treat one’s family members, neighbors and those who are in need. It requires Muslims to be just and fair in their dealings with everyone, to refrain from lying and gossip, etc., and always to promote what is good and prevent what is wrong.".

Sharia is not anti-women. "The Quran recognizes the absolute equality of men and women as human beings and proclaims that they are each other’s partners in promoting the common good. "

"All actions fall into one of the following categories according to the religious law (shari'ah): wajib obligatory; haram, prohibited; mubah, permitted; mustahabb or mandub, recommended; and makruh, discouraged."

Sharia, which should be about encouraging aligned Right Action, is often politicized and used to control/suppress populations, in particular women.

Sharia is a contested space. "In Malaysia, a group called the Sisters in Islam is actively challenging the interpretation of the sharī‘ah practiced there as one that is biased against women and families and not an accurate representation of the Quran and Sunnah."

Footnotes

References