Few words are heard as often, and explained as rarely, as Sharia. What is the Sharia? Where does it come from? What does it cover, and what is it for? This page answers from the Qur’an and the explanations of the scholars. It explains the teaching as the books give it; it is not a ruling on any person, any case, or any country, and it names none.
The word itself stands in the Qur’an, spoken to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
Now We have set you [O Muhammad] on a clear path of religion; so follow it and do not follow the desires of those who have no knowledge.
Allah’s words in Surah al-Jathiyah (45), verse 18, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 9, printed p. 142).
That is, We have set out for you a clear path and sent down perfect teachings that call to all that is good and forbid all that is evil. (so follow it), for following it leads to eternal happiness, well-being and prosperity.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Jathiyah (45), verse 18 (Vol. 9, printed p. 142).
A Clear Path: The Word Itself
The word means a path: a way laid down by Allah, not a road men cut for themselves. Allah joins this nation’s path with the paths He gave the nations before it:
And We have sent down to you [O Muhammad] the Book in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and superseding it. So judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires by turning away from the truth that has come to you. To each [community] among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single community, but [He willed it otherwise] in order to test you in what He has given you. So hasten to do good deeds. To Allah you will all return, then He will inform you about the matters concerning which you differed.
Allah’s words in Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 48, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 2, printed p. 412).
Ibn Kathir records the word’s meaning, from Ibn Abbas:
(To each among you, We have prescribed a law) Shir’at meaning, a clear path, as Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn ‘Abbas.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 48.
As-Sa’di explains how the laws of the nations relate to one another: the sets of laws differed from one nation to another, according to changes in times and circumstances, but all of them were based on fairness at the time when they were ordained; the basic principles, which are in people’s best interests and based on wisdom at all times, do not change, and are found in all sets of laws (on 5:48, Vol. 2, printed p. 414).
And the path given to Muhammad ﷺ is the last of them, as Ibn Kathir says:
Later on, all previous laws were abrogated by the Law that Allah sent with Muhammad, His servant and Messenger, whom Allah sent to the people of earth as the Final Prophet.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 48.
What It Rests On: The Qur’an and the Sunnah
The Sharia rests on two sources, and Allah names them together. The Sunnah [the Prophet’s ﷺ teaching and example] stands beside the Book:
O you who believe, obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those of you who are in authority. If you are in dispute over any matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you [truly] believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and more seemly in the end.
Allah’s words in Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 59, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 2, printed p. 201).
Then Allah instructs us to refer anything concerning which people dispute, of major or minor matters of religion, to Allah and to His Messenger (ﷺ); in other words, to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ), for in them are final, decisive answers to all matters of dispute.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 59 (Vol. 2, printed pp. 202-203).
The reason, as-Sa’di says on the same page, is that “the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ) form the basis of the religion and faith cannot be sound unless it is based on both” (printed p. 203). Ibn Kathir explains the verse of Surah al-Hashr under his heading “Ordering Obedience of the Messenger in All Commands and Prohibitions”:
(And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it).) meaning, ‘whatever the Messenger commands you, then do it and whatever he forbids you, then avoid it. Surely, He only commands righteousness and forbids evil.’
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Hashr (59), verse 7.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen makes the same point in his booklet on the perfection of the Sharia. The Sunnah is not a lesser source beside the revelation; it is part of it:
So what the Sunnah has made clear, the Qur’an has indicated because the Sunnah is one of the two parts of the revelation that Allah sent down to His Messenger and taught him.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia and the Danger of Religious Innovation (p. 9 of the held English translation).
“Based on this, what came in the Sunnah came in the Book of Allah Almighty.” (Same page.)
Revealed and Completed, Not Made by Man
Because the Sharia is revelation, no one adds to it and no one takes from it. Allah declared it finished in the Prophet’s ﷺ own lifetime:
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My blessing upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.
Allah’s words in Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 3, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 2, printed p. 356).
As-Sa’di explains the perfection: Allah perfected “all laws and teachings that have to do with both outward and inward matters, fundamentals and minor issues”, and so “the Qur’an and Sunnah are completely sufficient with regard to the rulings of Islam, both fundamental and minor issues” (on 5:3, Vol. 2, printed p. 357).
And there are many other verses that show that this religion is comprehensive and complete and does not need any additions, just as it is not permissible to reduce it.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia and the Danger of Religious Innovation (p. 7 of the held English translation).
Shaykh al-Fawzan defines Islam itself the same way:
Islam is to submit to Allah in tawhid and to yield obediently to Him, and to free oneself from polytheism and its people. As for Islam in a specific sense, it is that which Allah sent his Prophet ﷺ with.
Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan, Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles (printed p. 26).
To Be Judged By and Referred To
A law from Allah is not advice a person may take or leave. Judging by it, and referring disputes back to it, belong to faith itself. Judging by what Allah revealed means judging by “the rules of Sharia that Allah has revealed to you”, as as-Sa’di says on the verse of the path (5:48, Vol. 2, printed p. 414). On the verse of Surah an-Nisa he writes:
Moreover, referring matters to the judgement of Sharia cannot be sufficient until there are no reservations whatsoever in their hearts and they refer to it in a state of full submission. Furthermore, that cannot be sufficient until they accept His ruling wholeheartedly, willingly and with submission both outward and inward.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 65 (Vol. 2, printed p. 207).
Ibn Abbas, the Prophet’s ﷺ cousin, drew the line at rejection:
Whoever rejects what Allah has revealed, will have committed Kufr, and whoever accepts what Allah has revealed, but did not rule by it, is a Zalim (unjust) and a Fasiq (rebellious) and a sinner.
Ibn Abbas, as recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 44. Kufr is disbelief.
Judging or ruling according to something other than that which Allah has revealed is the action of the disbelievers, and it may put one beyond the pale of Islam, if he believes that doing so is permissible, or it may be a major sin and an act of disbelief, for which the one who does it deserves a severe punishment.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Ma’idah (5), verse 44 (Vol. 2, printed p. 409).
This page states the principle and goes no further: it names no person and declares no one a disbeliever. The full treatment of one ruling under this principle is on this site’s page Rejecting Capital Punishment in Islam, linked below.
What It Covers
The Sharia is not a small corner of life. The books describe its reach part by part. Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen begins with the Book itself:
You will see that in this great Qur’an, Allah Almighty has explained the principles and branches of religion. He has explained monotheism [Tawhid] in all its forms, and even explained the etiquette of gatherings and asking permission.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia and the Danger of Religious Innovation (p. 6 of the held English translation). The bracket is the translation’s own.
And he adds: “There is nothing that people need in their afterlife and their life in this world except that Allah Almighty has made it clear in His Book, either explicitly or implicitly.” (Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia, p. 8 of the held English translation.)
Belief stands at its head; worship, dealings between people and the prescribed punishments all stand inside it. As-Sa’di gathers the spread in one sentence:
The religion that was brought by the Messengers is completely just and equitable in its commands and prohibitions, in its rulings on interactions among people, in its criminal code and retaliatory and prescribed punishments, in matters of inheritance, and so on.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Hadeed (57), verse 25 (Vol. 9, printed p. 436).
One verse holds the whole shape of command and prohibition together:
Verily Allah enjoins justice, kindness and giving kinsfolk [their due], and He forbids obscenity, wickedness and wrongdoing. He admonishes you, so that you may pay heed.
Allah’s words in Surah an-Nahl (16), verse 90, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 5, printed p. 233). As-Sa’di calls this verse concise, including all that is enjoined and prohibited.
The practical rulings, the fiqh [the knowledge of the practical rulings], are arranged by the scholars under their own headings, and the arrangement itself shows the spread. Shaykh al-Fawzan’s summary of Islamic jurisprudence opens its first volume with purification, then prayer, zakah, fasting and Hajj; its second volume carries the dealings between people, among them the book of trade transactions.
What It Is For
Allah states the purpose Himself. He sent His messengers “with clear signs, and sent down with them the Book and the criteria of justice, so that people may uphold equity” (57:25, Tafsir as-Sa’di, Vol. 9, printed p. 435). That upholding, as-Sa’di explains, is “part of the religion of Allah, which also served many of their own interests, which are too many to be counted” (on 57:25, printed p. 436).
The commands serve the people they are given to, because the One who gave them knows them. As-Sa’di writes:
Here Allah is praising His commands and prohibitions, because they bring benefits and ward off harm, both in this world and in the hereafter, for the One Who prescribed them is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing, from Whom nothing is hidden, and He knows what is in the best interests of His slaves better than they do.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 58 (Vol. 2, printed p. 202).
The same note sounds in his words on the verse of justice: Allah admonishes His servants “by enjoining on you that which is in your best interests and prohibiting to you that which is detrimental to your interests” (on 16:90, Vol. 5, printed p. 235). And over the whole path stands mercy: the one who brought it was sent as mercy (21:107):
(And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds) for he is Allah’s mercy, given to His slaves. So those who believe in him accept this mercy, give thanks for it and adhere to it, but others reject it, respond with ingratitude for the blessing of Allah, and refuse the mercy and grace of Allah.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Anbiya (21), verse 107 (Vol. 6, printed p. 248).
So, What Is Sharia?
Gathering the page together:
- Sharia is Allah’s law: the clear path He set His Prophet ﷺ upon, of perfect teachings that call to all that is good and forbid all that is evil (45:18; as-Sa’di).
- The word means a prescribed law and a clear way. Each nation before this one received its own set of laws, fair in its time, while the basic principles do not change (5:48; Ibn Kathir; as-Sa’di).
- The law given to Muhammad ﷺ is the last: all previous laws were abrogated by it, and he is the Final Prophet (5:48; Ibn Kathir).
- It rests on two sources, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, which together form the basis of the religion; every dispute is referred back to them (4:59; 59:7; as-Sa’di; Ibn Kathir; Ibn Uthaymeen).
- It is revelation, not man’s work, and it is complete: it needs no additions and permits no reductions (5:3; as-Sa’di; Ibn Uthaymeen).
- It covers belief, worship, dealings between people, manners, inheritance and the prescribed punishments; nothing people need is left unclear (Ibn Uthaymeen; as-Sa’di).
- It is to be judged by and referred to, willingly and without reservation; rejecting what Allah revealed is disbelief, and falling short of it while accepting it is sin (4:65; 5:44; Ibn Abbas; as-Sa’di).
- Its purpose is equity, benefit and mercy (57:25; 4:58; 21:107; as-Sa’di).
So the Sharia is not a slogan and not a threat word. It is the path Allah laid down for His servants, complete in His Book and in the teaching and example of His Messenger ﷺ, just in what it commands and merciful in what it aims at. Whoever wants to read this in full will find it in Tafsir as-Sa’di on Surahs an-Nisa, al-Ma’idah, an-Nahl, al-Anbiya, al-Jathiyah and al-Hadeed, in the Abridged Tafsir Ibn Kathir, and in Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s booklet on the perfection of the Sharia. I hope this short page makes the word clear, and sends the reader back to those books.
Further Reading
- Tawheed (Monotheism): the oneness of Allah.
- Rejecting Capital Punishment in Islam: one ruling of the Sharia treated in full.
- What Is the Purpose of Life in Islam?: why the servants were created.
- Hadith 2: The Levels of the Religion (Hadith of Jibril): the Prophet’s ﷺ own definition of Islam.
References
- Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di. International Islamic Publishing House, English Edition 1, 2018; translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. Used for: an-Nisa (4) 58-59, 65 and al-Ma’idah (5) 3, 44, 48 (Vol. 2); an-Nahl (16) 90 (Vol. 5); al-Anbiya (21) 107 (Vol. 6); al-Jathiyah (45) 18 and al-Hadeed (57) 25 (Vol. 9). Printed pages are given with each quotation.
- Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), the ten-volume set. Used for: al-Ma’idah (5), verses 44 and 48, and al-Hashr (59), verse 7. The held copy prints no page folios for these passages; locations are by surah in the sources file.
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia and the Danger of Religious Innovation. Translated by Omar bin Ahmed Tohamy; printed at the expense of a benefactor, Jeddah, 1401 AH. (No publisher is named in the copy.) Used for: pp. 6-9 of the held English translation.
- Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan, Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles. Authentic Statements Publications, First Edition, Sha’ban 1440 AH/April 2019; translated by Raha Batts. Used for: the definition of Islam in the general and the specific sense (printed p. 26).
- Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan, A Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence (Al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi), Vols. 1-2. The held copy is a text extraction with no legible publisher line, so none is stated. Used for the arrangement of the practical rulings only; nothing is quoted from it.
Verified on 2026-10-24 against: Tafsir as-Sa’di, Vols. 2, 5, 6 and 9 (IIPH, English Edition 1, 2018); the Abridged Tafsir Ibn Kathir set; Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s Ingenuity in the Perfection of the Sharia and the Danger of Religious Innovation; Shaykh al-Fawzan’s Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles; and the held text of his Summary of Islamic Jurisprudence, for the arrangement of the practical rulings only.