3/01/2006

Shari'a

In the wake of various polls that purportedly prove that British muslims desire Talibanesque rule, I'd like to bring attention to the following commentary on Shari'a from Thabet of the Muslims Under Progress blog:

Shari'ah exists where ever Muslims happen to exist. So if a Muslim decides not to eat a bacon sandwich, to avoid alcohol, to visit the mosque on a Friday, to perform the qui-daily pray, to pay zakat, to ritually wash herself, and the Muslim does all this living in London, New York or Sydney, then shari'ah is in existence and being observed.


This teaser excerpt does not do the essay justice; please do read the rest. Or not, as you prefer - I have discharged my duty. Thabet is based in the UK and thus speaks with more authority than I - as well as similar biases.

Those with more interest in understanding Shari'ah are also advised to research the Abbasid Inquisition, and the battle between the Rationalists vs the Traditionalists. Disclaimer, I am Shi'a, and thus biased towards Rationalism in a fundamental way. But Shari'ah as understood today largely arise from the victory of the Traditionalists within mainstream Sunni Islam and represented a form of political control. I welcome dialouge on this topic from genuinely interested observers.

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