Islam is a complete religion which guides its followers in each aspect of life. An ideal Islamic state was established by Muhammad 1400 years ago in Arab. The laws governing every matter of life in Islam are known as Muslim Sharia. It is a set of rules and regulations that a Muslim has to follow to mould his life according to Islam. The teachings are based on two foremost sources. One is the divine revelation from Allah Almighty to His Prophet Muhammad, knows as the Holy book of Koran. The second reliable source is Sunnah. Sunnah includes the sayings of Muhammad and excerpts from his own life as observed by the companions.
The chapters of Quran are given titles according to the topic discussed in them. There are total 114 chapters, and each is named different from the other. The Cow, Maryam, Muhammad, Day, Night, People, Quraish and Women are few titles which are called “Surah” in Arabic.
Sunnah is divided into two categories, depending on their origins. Those with weak or unauthenticated references are termed “Da’eef”, and the authenticated or reliable are called “Sahih” or “Hasan”. The muslim scholars can differentiate between the weak and reliable content of Sunnah and it is advisable to submit queries to them.
The decision making of matters as per Islamic teachings after the above mentioned sources is done by Ijma and Qiyaas. Ijma rests on the majority of scholars considering a matter right or wrong. Qiyaas refers to the analogical reasoning based on the foundational sources i.e. Quran and Sunnah.
The Muslim Sharia differentiates the good and bad as “Halal” and “Haram” respectively. “Halal” refers to correct or justified way to perform the tasks. For example, lawful earning is termed as halal, whereas unlawful earning is haram.
Sharia is not confined to selected situations only. It encompasses all the walks of life including judiciary, economy, politics, administration and governance, education, marital relationships, rights and duties of every person and even personal day-to-day routine matters. There is no concept of using lies to get one’s work done in a muslim society.
The Islamic laws essentially stress on considering each and everyone equal before the law. It is the right of every individual, be it a muslim or a non-muslim to seek justice with no discrimination. The concept of judgment day keeps a person adhered to the supremacy of Allah Almighty. Sharia also provides complete guiding principles for wars and criminal activities.
The war captives have rights to seek education and are treated with due respect. The women are considered an integral part of the society. They play an active role in the form of mothers, wives, daughters and sisters. They are given education, care, and respect and treated equally in all matters as per sharia.
The adequate knowledge of Muslim Sharia reveals the in depth wisdom of Islam. There is no concept of converting a non-Muslim to Muslim by force.
They have complete freedom to follow their own religion and their prayer houses come under the direct protection of the Muslim administration in Islamic states.