Explore the hot topic of shariah, what it means. Sharia/ divine laws of other faiths. Article prepared by AI using available data. Open two links embedded.
The title of the book is “Religion and Sharia” by Maulana Syed Abul A’la Maududi.
Speech given
Brothers in Islam, you often hear and speak two words in matters of religion: one is ‘Din’ (Religion) and the other is ‘Sharia’ (Law).
However, very few of you may know the meanings of these terms.
Due to this lack of understanding, often ‘Din’ is confused with ‘Sharia’ and vice versa, leading to significant issues.
Today, I will explain their meanings to you in very simple words.
DEEN EXPLAINED IN SIMPLE TERMS WITH REFERENCES FROM QURAN
1. One interpretation refers to honor, governance, sovereignty, and authority.
2. Another interpretation is quite the opposite, referring to forced obedience, servitude, subservience, and worship.
3. A third interpretation relates to accountability, judgment, and the rewards and punishments of actions. The term “religion” in the Holy Quran encompasses these three meanings.
Allah Almighty has indicated in Surah Al-Imran, verse 19, that the religion acceptable to Him is one in which a person recognizes Allah as their only deity and does not humiliate themselves before anyone else. They should regard only Allah as their Lord, Master, and Sovereign, and not submit to anyone else as a servant or obedient follower. They should see Allah as the sole entity responsible for accountability and the bestower of rewards and punishments, fearing no one else’s judgment or being tempted by anyone else’s rewards or threats of punishment. This religion is called Islam. If a person, instead of adhering to this, considers someone else as the true source of honor, the true ruler, the true king, and the ultimate judge of rewards and punishments, and bows down in humiliation before them or obeys their commands, then this would be a false religion. Allah does not accept such a religion because it contradicts the truth.
No other being in this entire universe possesses true honor, nor does anyone else have sovereignty or the right to demand servitude from humans. Only Allah, the Master of Reality, has the authority to dispense rewards and punishments. These points are reiterated in other verses as well, such as Surah Al-Imran, verse 85, which states that whoever forsakes Allah’s sovereignty and kingship to accept another as their master and submits to them will not have their religion accepted by Allah. This is because, as stated in Surah Al-Bayyina, verse 5, Allah has created humans to be His servants and has not commanded them to serve anyone else. Their duty is to turn entirely towards Allah, dedicating their religion, meaning their obedience and servitude, solely to Him, and to fear only His judgment. In Surah Al-Imran, verse 83, it is asked whether a person wishes to serve anyone other than Allah, while all things in the heavens and the earth are servants and obedient to Him. No one should turn to anyone else for accountability. Does a person wish to carve out a unique path for themselves that contradicts the entire universe? In another verse, Surah At-Tawbah, verse 33, Allah sent His Messenger with the knowledge of the true religion to abolish the false gods and to free humanity so that they do not remain servants to anyone but the Lord of the Worlds, regardless of how much the disbelievers and polytheists may protest and resist. In another verse, Surah Al-Anfal, verse 39, it is stated that you should fight so that the tyranny of others than Allah is eradicated, and that only Allah’s law prevails in the world, with humanity serving only Allah. From these explanations, you can understand the meaning of religion: it means recognizing Allah as the Lord, Master, and Sovereign, serving Him, obeying Him, fearing His judgment, and being motivated by His rewards. Since Allah’s commands reach humans through His Book and His Messenger (peace be upon him), recognizing the Messenger as Allah’s Messenger and the Book as Allah’s Book, and obeying them, is also part of the religion. As stated in Surah Al-A’raf, verse 35, “O Children of Adam, when My Messengers come to you with My commands, whoever heeds their commands and acts righteously will have no cause for fear or grief.” This indicates that Allah does not send His commands directly to every individual but rather through His Messengers. Therefore, whoever acknowledges Allah as their Sovereign can only obey Him by following His Messengers and adhering to the commands they bring. This is the essence of religion.
SHARIAH
Now I will explain what Sharia means. The term Sharia refers to a path or a way.
After this, the way you should worship God and the path you should follow in obedience to Him is called Sharia. This method and path are established by God through His Messenger. He teaches how to worship your Master, the way of purity and cleanliness, the path of goodness and piety. Rights should be fulfilled in this manner, and life should be lived accordingly.
However, the difference is that the faith has always been one, remains one, and will always be one, while Sharias have come and gone, some have been abrogated, and some have changed, but the essence of faith has never changed.
Faith of prophets: The faith of Prophet Noah was the same as that of Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, Prophet Shu’ayb, Prophet Salih, and Prophet Hud, and it is the same as that of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
However, the Sharias of all these prophets have had some differences; the methods of prayer and fasting varied among them. The rulings on what is forbidden and permissible, the rules of purity, and the laws of marriage, divorce, and inheritance have differed from one Sharia to another.
Despite these differences, all were Muslims—followers of Prophet Noah, followers of Prophet Abraham, followers of Prophet Moses, and we too—because the faith is one. This indicates that differences in the rulings of Sharia do not alter the faith; the faith remains one, even if the methods of practicing it differ.
Example: The difference in religious laws can be understood in this way: if a servant does not recognize their master and does not consider their commands obligatory, that servant is disobedient and is outside the realm of servitude. Conversely, those who acknowledge their master, consider it their duty to obey their commands, and fear disobedience are all included in the category of servants.
Even if the methods of serving and fulfilling duties differ, it does not change their status as servants. If a master instructs one servant in one way and another servant in a different way, one servant cannot claim superiority over the other by saying, “I am a servant, and he is not.” Similarly, if one servant interprets a command differently than another, and both teach according to their understanding, they are equal in servitude. It is possible that one misunderstood the intent while the other understood it correctly, but as long as no one has denied obedience, no one has the right to say to another, “You are disobedient,” or “You have been dismissed from servitude.”
This example helps clarify the difference between religion and religious law. Before the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Allah sent various laws through different messengers. Some were given one method of servitude, while others were given another. All those who obeyed their master according to these methods were considered Muslims, even though their ways of serving differed.
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived, the master commanded that the previous methods be abrogated. From then on, anyone wishing to serve must follow the method that is now conveyed through our final messenger. After this, no servant has the right to continue serving according to the old methods. If they do not accept the new method and continue with the old, they are not obeying the master’s command but rather following their own desires. Therefore, they are considered outside of servitude, or in religious terms, they have become disbelievers.
Fiqh differences nature and its implications
The nature of the differences among jurisprudential schools pertains to the followers of previous prophets, but in the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the second part of this example applies to them. The Sharia that Allah has sent to us through the Prophet (peace be upon him) is accepted by all who recognize it as God’s law and consider it obligatory to follow.
If one person interprets the rulings of this Sharia in one way and another person interprets them differently, and both act according to their understanding, then regardless of how much their actions may differ, neither will be excluded from the community. This is because each one believes they are following the command of the Prophet.
What right does one servant have to say that they are a servant while another is not? At most, they can say that they have understood the command of the Prophet correctly, while the other has not. However, how can they have the authority to exclude someone from the community? A person who takes such a bold step is essentially claiming the authority of the Prophet. They are saying that just as you are compelled to follow the command of the Prophet, you must also be compelled to accept my understanding. If you do not accept my understanding, I will exclude you from the service of the Prophet at my discretion.
Consider how significant this is. This is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever unjustly labels a Muslim as a disbeliever, the blame will return to them. This is because Allah has made the Muslim a servant of His command, but this person claims that no, you must also be a servant of my understanding and opinion. In other words, not only is Allah your God, but I am also a minor god, and if you do not obey my command, I will exclude you from the servitude of God, regardless of whether God excludes you or not.
Anyone who makes such a grave statement, whether another Muslim is a disbeliever or not, puts themselves at risk of disbelief.
You have likely understood the difference between religion and Sharia well, and you have also realized that differences in methods of servitude do not lead to differences in religion, provided that a person acts sincerely and understands that the method they are following is the one established by God and His Messenger (peace be upon him), and that they have some evidence from God’s Book or the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to support their practice.
I want to explain the problems that arise from not understanding the difference between religion and Sharia. The lack of understanding of this difference has led to numerous issues within your community. Among Muslims, there are various ways of performing prayers. One person folds their hands on their chest, while another does so at their navel. One person recites Al-Fatiha behind the Imam, while another does not. One person says “Ameen” loudly, while another says it softly. Each individual follows their method believing it to be the way of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and they present their evidence for it.
Despite the different forms of prayer, both are following the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, those who have mistaken these Sharia issues for religious differences have merely perceived the variations in methods as differences in faith. They have separated into their own groups, established their own mosques, insulted one another, and even expelled each other from mosques. They have engaged in disputes and fragmented the community of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
Even this has not cooled the hearts of those who incite conflict; they have begun to label one another as disbelievers, sinners, and misguided over trivial matters. When one person derives a point from the Quran or Hadith according to their understanding, they do not consider it sufficient to act on their interpretation alone. They also feel it is necessary to force others to accept their understanding, and if others do not comply, they declare them outside the fold of religion.
Among Muslims, whether they are Hanafi, Shafi’i, Ahl al-Hadith, etc., all recognize the Quran and Hadith as the ultimate authority. Every Muslim has the right to act according to their understanding of Sharia. If ten Muslims practice in ten different ways, as long as they adhere to Sharia, they are all Muslims and part of the same community. There is no reason for their groups to be separate. However, those who do not understand this create divisions over minor issues, cut ties with one another, establish separate prayers and mosques, and sever relationships such as marriage, social interactions, and connections. They form their own factions as if each faction is a separate community.
INTERESTING: WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW SHARIAH OF OTHER FAITHS? For brief introduction, please open the link https://voiceofquran5.wordpress.com/sharia-divine-laws-in-different-faiths/
Firqa bandi key nuqsanat: adverse effects of formation of groups over trivial matters
The losses caused by sectarianism are unimaginable. Sectarianism has significantly harmed Muslims. Although Muslims are considered one community, their population in India is around 80 to 90 million. If such a large group were truly united and worked together to raise the banner of faith, no one in the world would have the power to bring them down. However, due to sectarianism, this community has been divided into hundreds of factions, and their hearts are torn apart. They cannot stand together even in the face of severe adversity. A member of one sect feels as much animosity towards another sect as a Jew does towards a Christian, or even more. There have been instances where a member of one sect has allied with non-believers to undermine another sect. In such a situation, if you see Muslims being defeated, do not be surprised; this is the result of their own actions. They have faced the punishment described by Allah in His holy book. In Surah Al-An’am, verse 65 it is stated that one form of Allah’s punishment is to divide you into different sects and make you mock each other’s strength.
Brothers, this punishment, which all Muslims in India are experiencing, is most evident to me in Punjab. Here, the conflicts among Muslim sects are more frequent than among any other community in India. As a result, despite a large population in Punjab, your influence remains ineffective. If you wish for your well-being, break these factions, unite as brothers, and become one community. There is nothing in God’s law that justifies the division of Muslims into separate sects such as Ahle Hadith, Hanafi, Deobandi, Barelvi, Shia, Sunni, etc. These divisions are products of ignorance. Allah has created only one community, the Ummah of Islam.
Messages from Quran 