Thirty shariah laws

liveasfreepeople.com/2015/11/25/thirty-shariah-laws

November 25, 2015

Each point is linked to original Islamic sources like the Quran or to articles that explain
these sources. These points prove that these laws are bad for all societies and need to be
scrapped in the modern world. This post updates the one at Jihad Watch in 2012.

This article is Part 16 in the series on sharia.

This list of shariah laws is intended to be read by judges, lawyers, legislators, city council
members, educators, journalists, government bureaucrats, think tank fellows, TV and radio
talk show hosts, and anyone else who occupies the “check points” in society.

You initiate the national dialogue and shape the flow of the conversation in society. You are
the decision and policy makers.

As intellectuals, you believe the critics of shariah exaggerate (and maybe some are guilty
of it). They’re just “Islamophobes.” Ignore them. Islam is a worldwide religion, after all. It
deserves respect.

You like what Thomas Jefferson said, “But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there
are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my legs.”

Live and let live.

It is a true that beliefs that do not harm us monetarily or physically should be tolerated.
Shariah has positive aspects to it – or, rather, they do no damage in those two ways.
Therefore, parts of shariah should be tolerated in a religiously diverse society like America.

The Five Pillars are examples. They are part of shariah – divine Islamic law, which traces
its origins ultimately back to the Qur’an (or Koran) and Muhammad’s example or life, the
sacred traditions, which were eventually written down in the hadith or traditions. None of
those five rituals and policies picks our pockets or breaks our legs, if the five are done
privately or in the mosque.

Unfortunately, however, this list is not about the harmless parts in shariah, but the ones that
are incompatible with the modern era.

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Even Thomas Jefferson had his limits. He sent the marines to take back captured American
merchant sailors and to open up the trade routes that were hampered by the Muslim
Barbary pirates in North Africa, who had sold the captives into slavery or demanded
ransoms.

Do the elites have any limits?

In some cases, a religion does indeed pick our pockets and break our legs.

Each item in the list has one or more back-up articles. Readers should click on them to find
out that the thirty points come right out of original Islam and are not invented out of thin air.
Each back up also has a section on modern Islam, mentioning Muslims – too few – who
advocate reform.

And if readers would like to see various translations of the Qur’an, they may go to the
website quranbrowser.com and type in the references. If readers are in doubt about the
meaning of a verse, they may go to the tafsir (commentary) written by Ibn Kathir (d. 1373),
one of the most authoritative and highly regarded classical commentators in the Sunni
world, at qtafsir.com; or the readers may search through the modern commentary by Sunni
Indo-Pakistani religious scholar and politician Sayyid Abul A’La Maududi (d. 1979) at
englishtafsir.com.

Please note: In October 2017, I discovered the links to the Quranic verses in
quranbrowser.com have gone dead. I changed the link to the home page, so just type in
the references once you get there. Or go to Maududi’s website (englishtafsir) and find the
references there.

Here are the four divisions of this article:

Political Islam

Punishments

Marital, Domestic, and Women’s Issues

Conclusion

Let’s begin the list.

POLITICAL ISLAM

1.. The mosque and state are not separate.

To this day, Islamic nations that are deeply rooted in shariah, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, do
not adequately separate the two realms, giving a lot of power to courts and councils to
ensure that legislation does not contradict the Quran (never mind whose interpretation).

Most of the laws listed below come from this confusion.

See Mosque and State.

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2. Jihad may be waged against injustice or an unjust nation, as Islam defines the
terms.

Classical texts say Islam is justice, and no Islam is injustice. Therefore, a “just war” can be
waged against a nation or people who do not submit to Islam.

Yet we are told in the 1990 Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, which is based on shariah,
that humane rules must be followed (Article Three). Does that article offer hope that
modern Islam can move past old Islam? Maybe.

However, the Quran, sacred traditions, classical law, and historical Islam contradict or
balance out some elements in Article Three. Would there be a conflict between the old
Islam and modern Islam, if war broke out? Many Islamic clerics issue fatwas (religious
rulings) to wage jihad.

See Jihad and Qital and also The Early Muslim Community and the Sword.

3. Jihad may be waged to spread Islam and force conversions – a holy war.

Waging jihad to spread Islam and force conversions is a perfect description of “holy war.”
See Qur’an 8:39, 9:5, 9:11–12, 9:14, and 9:29; and then see 9:33; 61:9 and 48:28.

Yet, we have been told for many years now that holy wars and forced conversions were
never done in Islam. That’s a myth imagined by Westerners.

However, read those verses and click on the back-up articles:

Jihad and Qital, The Mission of Muhammad and the Sword, and The Early Muslim
Community and the Sword.

4. A captive in jihad may be executed, enslaved, ransomed for money, exchanged for
other prisoners, or released freely.

Qur’an 47:4 and 33:25, 26, 27 (especially v. 26); 4:24 says those things (and the last option
– free release – is positive). Yet we are told that in a jihad today everything must be done
humanely and justly.

However, the back-up article, this fourth item, and the next four items in this list balance out
that claim. Would there be a conflict between old Islam and modern Islam, if war broke out?

See Jihad and Qital in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Law and Slavery in the Quran,
Traditions and Classical Sharia Law;

5. A woman captive of jihad may be forced to have to sex with her captors (now
owners).

Qur’an 4:24 and especially the sacred traditions and classical law allow this. The sacred
traditions say that while out on military campaigns under Muhammad’s leadership, jihadists
used to practice coitus interruptus with their female captives.

Women soldiers fighting terrorists today must be forewarned of the danger.

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See Slavery in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Sharia Law.

6. Property can be destroyed or confiscated during jihad.

Qur’an 59:2 and 59:5 discuss those rules. Sacred traditions and classical law expand on
the Qur’anic verses. Modern Islamic law officially improves on the Qur’an: see Article Three
of the 1990 Cairo Declaration of Human Rights, which is nonetheless based on shariah, but
it outlaws wanton destruction of property. Would there be any conflict between old Islam
and modern Islam in a war today?

See Jihad and Qital in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Law.

7. Jihad may be waged to collect spoils.

Qur’an 8:1, 8:7, 8:41, and 48:20 show this clearly. Early Islam followed the old Arab custom
of raiding caravans, but as its military grew, the raids were elevated to jihad. The spoils of
war were coveted. Which Islam would prevail in a war today – the old one or the modern
one?

See Jihad and Qital in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Law.

8. A second-class submission tax, called the jizyah, must be imposed on Jews and
Christians (and other religious minorities) living in Islamic countries.

Qur’an 9:29 offers three options to Jews and Christians: (1) Fight and die; (2) convert to
Islam; (3) or keep their religion, but pay a tribute or submission tax, the jizyah, while living
under Islam.

In Islamic history, vanquished Jews and Christians became known as dhimmis. This word
appears in Qur’an 9:8 and 9:10, meaning a “treaty” or “oath,” but it can also mean those
who are “condemned” “reviled” or “reproved” (Qur’an 17:18, 17:22; 68:49). The word
“submission” in Qur’an 9:29 can also be translated as “humiliation,” “utterly humbled,”
“contemptible” or “vile.” It can mean “small” as opposed to “great.”

Islamic nations today still seek to impose this second-class religion tax.

See Jihad and Qital in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Law.

9. Slavery is allowed.

It is true that freeing slaves was done in original Islam (Qur’an 5:89 and 24:33), and the
Qur’an says to be kind to slaves (Qur’an 4:36), but that is not the entire story.

In addition to those verses, Qur’an 4:24, 23:1-7; 33:52 allow the institution. Muhammad
owned slaves, even one who was black (so says a sacred tradition). He was militarily and
politically powerful during his later life in Medina, but he never abolished slavery as an
institution.

Officially, Islamic nations have outlawed slavery (Article 11, which is still based on shariah).
And we are told that “no other nation or religious group in the world treated slaves better
than the Muslims did.” The back-up article and next two items in this list contradict that
claim.
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The legacy of slavery still runs deep in Islamic countries even today.

See Slavery in the Quran, Traditions and Classical Sharia Law.

10. A male owner may have sex with his slave-women, even prepubescent slave-
girls.

See Qur’an 4:24 and 23:1-7; but it is classical law that permits sex with prepubescent slave
girls and describes them as such. Some Muslim religious leaders and others still advocate
this practice, taking the slaves as concubines (though sex with prepubescent slave-girls is
another matter).

See Slavery.

11. Slaves may be beaten.

That’s what sacred traditions and classical laws say.

See Slavery in the Quran, Tradtions and Classical Sharia Law and Islamic Jihad: A Legacy
of Forced Conversion, Imperialism, and Slavery;

12. Apostasy laws, including imprisonment or execution, may be imposed on anyone

who leaves Islam (an apostate).

Normally this is classified as a prescribed punishment, but it is also political, since it is

about freedom of religion. Surprisingly the Quran does not cover punishing apostates down
here on earth, though in the afterlife they will be punished. Does this mean modern Islam
can reform old Islam? Quran 4:88–89, 9:73–74, and 9:123, read in that sequence, might
deal with earthly punishments for apostasy. Mainly, however, the sacred traditions and
classical law permit harsh treatment for anyone who leaves Islam.

Islamic courts and laws still impose these punishments today, or religious scholars today
argue for the law.

See Freedom of Religion in Early Islam;

13. Blasphemy laws, including imprisonment or execution, may be imposed on

critics of Islam or Muhammad.

These verses should be read in historical sequence, for they show that as Islam’s military
power increased, the harsh treatment of mockers and critics also intensified, as follows:
Qur’an 3:186, 33:57-58, 9:61-66 (here, here, and here), 9:73 and 9:123. Sacred traditions,
classical laws, and historical Islam are unambiguous about the punishments, recording the
people, often their names, who were assassinated for mocking Muhammad and the Qur’an.

Islamic nations and pockets of Islam in non-Muslim countries still impose these
punishments today.

See Freedom of Speech in Early Islam.

PUNISHMENTS
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14. Drinkers and gamblers may be flogged.

Qur’an 2:219, 4:43, and 5:90-91, in that sequence, show that Islam gradually prohibited
alcohol. The last passage also prohibits “gaming” of sorts. The sacred traditions and
classical law discuss punishing gamblers and alcoholics. One tradition says to execute
unrepentant alcoholics who do not stop. But usually drinkers were flogged forty or eighty
times, with garments, palm branches, or sandals in early Islam.

Islamic countries can impose these punishments today, or religious and legal scholars still
argue for it.

See Islam’s Punishments for Drinking and Gambling.

15. An injured plaintiff (a private citizen) has the options of forgiving or exacting legal
and literal revenge – physical eye for physical eye.

Categorized as qisas (like for like), Qur’an 5:45 is the main verse (and see 2:178–179), and
sacred traditions and classical laws spell out which punishments should be inflicted on
which offenses.

Islamic courts, depending on which way the plaintiff directs, today may ask a doctor to
surgically remove an eye or disfigure the face or body in some other way. Currently, qisas
can be applied to children in Iran.

The whole purpose of courts is to remove the punishment of wrongs and injuries from the
plaintiffs who are private citizens; otherwise, blood feuds and personal revenge make
punishments uneven – never mind excessive.

See the Law of Retaliation, which shows how Muhammad (and Muslims today)
misunderstood this “punishment” as he interacted with Jews of his day. For a Christian
interpretation of the Old Testament see, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth: law of retaliation in the
Old and New Testaments

16. The hand of a male or female thief may be cut off.

Qur’an 5:38 imposes this punishment. The traditions and classical law clarify that the theft
has to be a valuable item; or mutilation might not be inflicted during a famine.

But amputation is still done today in Islamic countries and argued for by religious leaders or
legal scholars to understand it as if it is still valid.

See Thieves, Give Muhammad a Hand! The tragic sound of one hand clapping in the
Qur’an.

17. A highway robber may be crucified or his alternate hand and foot cut off.

Qur’an 5:33 permit these punishments. Yes, from that verse other punishments can be
inflicted, but the point here is that execution for first-degree murder with aggravated
circumstances is one thing, but mutilation and crucifixion is excessive.

Some Islamic nations can still impose them today, or religious and legal scholars still argue
for understanding the punishments, as if they are still valid.
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See Crucifixion and Mutilation in the Quran.

18. Homosexuals may be imprisoned, flogged, or executed.

Surprisingly, the Qur’an is not all that clear on this subject, but the traditions and classical
laws are.

Islamic nations to this day still impose those punishments, and religious leaders still argue
for harsh punishments.

See Homosexuality in Early Islam.

20. Fornicators may be flogged.

Qur’an 24:2 says this. The hadith (traditions) and classical laws can impose additional
penalties like exile of the male for a year.

Modern Islamic nations still inflict this penalty, and religious or legal scholars still argue for
it.

See Adultery and Fornication in Early Islam.

21. Adulterers may be stoned to death.

The verse that says to stone adulterers to death went missing from the Qur’an, so says
Umar, a companion of Muhammad and the second caliph (ruled 634-644). But he left no
doubt that this penalty was done under Muhammad’s direction, and the sacred traditions
and classical laws confirm it. But a few rules of evidence must be followed, like confession
of the adulterer or four eyewitnesses. In some interpretations of the law, if a woman is
raped, but cannot produce four just and pious men who witnessed it, then she is slandering
the alleged rapist (or gang rapists) – never mind that the four just and pious eyewitnesses
did nothing to stop it, but stood there and watched it.

Some modern Islamic nations still do this, and religious and legal scholars argue for it.

See Adultery and Fornication in Early Islam.

21, False accusers may be flogged eighty times.

Qur’an 24:1-4 (here, here, and here) speak of corporal punishment for sexual sins. Verse 4
says that if an accuser cannot produce four eyewitnesses to corroborate his accusation,
then he will be flogged (see Qur’an 24:13).

Some modern Islamic nations can still impose the penalty for slander, and religious
scholars still argue for it.

See Adultery and Fornication in Early Islam.

MARITAL, DOMESTIC, AND WOMEN’S ISSUES

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Qur’an 2:228 and 4:34 states that mankind is superior to womankind in a variety of legal
and domestic contexts. Qur’an 2:223 says wives are fields, and their husbands can go into
them whenever and however they like. How does this inferiority work out in the law and
society?

22. A woman inherits half what a man does.

Qur’an 4:11 says it, and the hadith (traditions) and classical law confirm it.

Modern Islamic nations still do this, and religious leaders still argue for it.

See Women’s Status and Roles in Early Islam.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

23. A woman’s testimony in a court of law counts half of a man’s testimony, since
she might “forget.”

Qur’an 2:282 says it in the context of business law. But the hadith (traditions) explains that
women’s minds are deficient; classical law expands this curtailment to other areas than
business.

Modern Islamic nations still do this, and religious scholars still argue for it.

See Women’s Status and Roles in Early Islam.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

24. A man may legally divorce his wife by pronouncing three times “you are
divorced.”

Qur’an 2:229 says this, and the traditions and classical law explain and confirm it. A judge
in a modern Islamic country will ensure that the husband did not speak from a fit of
irrational rage (anger is okay) or intoxication, for example. Then the court will validate the
divorce, not daring to overturn it, since the Quran says so.

Sometimes this homemade and irrevocable divorce produces a lot of regret in the couple
and manipulation from the husband in Islam today.

See Divorce and Remarriage in Early Islam.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

25. A wife may remarry her ex-husband if and only if she marries another man, has
sex with him, and then this second man divorces her.

Qur’an 2:230 says this, and the traditions and classical law confirm it. Supposedly, this rule
is designed to prevent easy divorce (see the previous point), but it produces a lot of pain, in
Muslims today.

See Divorce and Remarriage in Early Islam.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

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26. Husbands may hit their wives.

Qurn 4:34 says it, and the traditions and classical law confirm it. There is a sequence of
steps a husband follows before he can hit her, but not surprisingly this rule creates all sorts
of abuse and confusion in Islamic society today.

See Domestic Violence in Early Islam.

27. A man may be polygamous with up to four wives.

Qur’an 4:3 (and 33:50-52, here, here, and here) allow this, but only if a man can take care
of them. The traditions and classical law confirm it. Modern Muslims still push for this old
marital arrangement even in the USA, and many Islamic nations still allow it. But some
Muslims are fighting polygamy. The hadith paints a picture of Muhammad’s household that
was full of strife between the wives.

See Polygamy in the Qur’an, Traditions, and Classical Sharia Law.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

28. A man may simply get rid of one of his “undesirable” wives.

Qur’an 4:128 says this. The traditions say about the verse that the wife whom Muhammad
wanted to get rid of was “huge” and “fat.” She gave up her turn to his favorite girl-bride
Aisha, but at least he kept the corpulent wife. There is heartbreak in Islam today.

See Polygamy in the Qur’an, Traditions and Classical Law.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

29. A mature man may marry a prepubescent girl.

As difficult as it is to believe, Qur’an 65:1-4, particularly verse 4, assumes (but does not
command) the practice. The hadith says Aisha was six years old when she was engaged to
Muhammad (he was in his fifties), and their marriage was consummated when she was
nine. The hadith indicate she was prepubescent at nine. She never did bear him any
children. Classical law says a father may give away his prepubescent daughter, but she
also has a few rights.

Officially many Islamic nations have raised the legal marriage age, but pockets in the
Islamic world still follow this old custom. The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia okays marriage to
ten-year-old girls. Work is still needed to be done for the rights of girl brides, particularly for
their sexual health.

See Marriage to Prepubescent Girls in Early Islam.

See also Ten Sharia Laws That Oppress Women.

30. A woman must wear a head covering and maybe a facial veil.

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Qur’an 24:31, 33:53 (a curtain or screen), and 33:59 are not as clear about the veil as one
might think. They say to dress modestly, but should the head be covered or just the
neckline? What about the face (except the eyes)? Thus, modern Muslims are now in a big
debate over the veil. However, the traditions and classical law are clearer than the Quran:
the veil over the face (except the eyes).

See Veils in the Qur’an, Traditions and Classical Law.

CONCLUSION

Compiling this list would not have been necessary if modern Muslim religious leaders and
jurists argued that all of those laws have expiration dates – back in the seventh century.
Instead, they are eager to impose those archaic laws today (with the exceptions duly noted
as the list went along). They believe the Quran is universally good and timeless.

Their allies in the Western world and elsewhere seem oblivious to the dangers built into the
laws, as well.

Are all of these laws on the brink of being imposed on the West, by the next day? No, but
many of them, especially the ones about marriage and family, can gradually be lobbied for
and slowly make their way into our culture and legal system and advocated in school
curricula, in the name of multiculturalism.

See life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Their hallmarks are, among other things,
freedom of conscience to follow a religion of one’s choice (or none at all) without being
harassed. Freedom of speech – even the kind that criticizes the Quran and Muhammad –
are signs that democracy and justice have taken root. Equality before the law for both
sexes also defines the three universal rights.

However, all of those thirty laws suppress everyone’s highest quality oflife before the law
and in society; they suppress our maximum liberty; and they suppress individual pursuit of
happiness as he or she defines it.

There should be no straight line between 3,500-year-old laws and the modern era, without
a reinterpretation of them (can modern Islam reinterpret those thirty laws that are 1,400
year old?). They (should) have expiration dates.

Finally, a religious utopia imposed from the top down, which harshly punishes sins or
crimes by disfigurement or mutilation or flogging and denies the basic human dignity of the
female sex, is the wrong direction for modern society.

Not one word, phrase, or clause of shariah should ever enter our legal system and way of
life, by legislation, policy formulations, or school curricula.

Let’s keep religion and the state separate.

And let’s keep (or return) to our three universal and foundational rights.

Live as free people.

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This article first appeared at Jihad Watch on Sept. 5, 2012 as “Thirty Shariah Laws That
Are Bad for All Societies.”

See also Twenty-Five Reasons to Leave Islam

Christianity is fastest growing religion in world

Articles in the Series

Introduction

1. Introduction to Series on Sharia

2. What is Sharia?

Political Islam

3. Mosque and State

4. Jihad and Qital
5. Slavery
6. Freedom of Religion
7. Free Speech

Marital, Domestic and Women’s Issues

8. Women’s Status and Roles

9. Domestic Violence
10. Divorce and Remarriage
11. Marriage to Prepubescent Girls
12. Polygamy
13. Veils

Sexual “Crimes” and Punishments

14. Adultery and Fornication

15. Homosexuality

Conclusion

16. Thirty Sharia Laws

17. How to Judge Sharia
18. Time to Reform Islam

More Punishments:

Islam’s Punishments for Drinking and Gambling

The Law of Retaliation in the Quran and Early Islam
Thieves, Give Muhammad a Hand!
Crucifixion and Mutilation in the Quran

Updates:

Dec. 1, 2015.
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Dec. 3, 2015.

Dec. 5, 2015.

Dec. 14, 2015.

Mar 9, 2017

July 7, 2017

October 30, 2017

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