shari'a

Shari'a is Islamic religious law derived from the Quran, the teachings of Muhammad, and centuries of scholarly interpretation.

It governs not only religious practice but personal conduct, family matters, commerce, and criminal justice.

In some Muslim-majority countries, shari'a forms the basis of the legal system; in others, it applies only to family law.

In Western discourse, the term often appears in debates about religious freedom and secular governance: opponents warned against shari'a creeping into American courts.