ABSTRACT
In its simplest definition, Islamic law, or the Shariah, is the corpus of rules and principles derived from the Holy Qur’an and Sunnah (Traditions) of the Holy Prophet which is aimed at regulating the spiritual as well as the temporal conduct of the Muslim in his relationship with God, with other Muslims and with non-Muslims. The precedence of Islamic law, or the Shariah, as a legal imperative is unequivocal; its status has been described thus:
‘Behind all secular law stands the Shariah law of Islam . . . the Shariah runs like a golden thread through the legal systems of the Arab Middle East.’1
