ISLAM FOR BEGINNERS BRS 107.pdf - CUEA

elieve in its message because it originated from Allah; therefore it is a message of truth. Inverse 82 of the same sura, the Qur'an justifies that invitation by saying: “Do they not ponderon the Qur'an? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein muchdiscrepancy.”I think it would not be wrong to consider Shar`ia as one of those Qur’anic messages or eventhe juridical aspect of the Qur’an in toto. I agree with what Joseph Schacht says when hetalks about the widespread influence of Shar`ia:The sacred law of Islam is all-embracing body of religious duties, the totality of Allah’scommands that regulate the life of every Muslim in all its aspects; it comprises on anequal footing ordinances regarding worship and ritual, as well as political and, in thenarrow sense, legal rules. 6However, there have been tremendous human efforts of interpretations, classifications andunderstandings of Qur’anic elements of the law right from the beginning of Islam. TheSunna/Hadith which constitutes the second source of Islamic law plays a remarkable roleas legal interpretations for the meaning of the Qur’an. In other words, the Hadith is thefirst interpretation of the Qur’an; it also interprets the law. There are other sources ofShar`ia that make great impact in the study of Islamic law, particularly today; these couldconstitute another article. We do not concentrate on them.Definition of Shari' aThere are diversity of meanings of the concept of Shari’ a but, as a religious concept, it meansfirst a way towards salvation, as way of life in God. The concept "Shar`ia" itself meansetymologically way, path or road that leads to a source of water where Arabs and their cattlecould quench their thirst. By analogy, the way that leads to Allah was called Shar`ia sinceAllah is the giver of life. Shari’ a, therefore is generally considered as the way to salvation, away to God. Shari`a is or Islamic law is the sacred law of Islam, the all-embracing body thatregulates the entire life of Muslims as individuals and as community; it is the most typicalmanifestation of the Islamic way of life. 7 Shari`a responds to some questions through which itis most known to Africans: what food may one eat? What clothes may one wear? How andwhen should one pray? Gamal Moursi Badr says:6 Joseph Schacht, An Introduction to Islamic Law (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982), p. 1.7 Ibid.Frederic N. Mvumbi,OP Page 45 of 85