ABSTRACT
Shari’ah, Arabic for Islamic law, is a complex of divinely revealed rules which the faithful Muslim must observe if he seeks to perform the duties of religion.13 Islamic law is uniquely validated by the fact that it is believed to be the manifested will of the Almighty and is not dependent on the authority of any earthly legislator. It is, however, also rooted in customary Arabic law, in which the Prophet Muhammad modified only that which he believed to be inadequate or where it went counter to his political goal of replacing the old Arab tribalism with a community of men bound together by belief in Allah.14 Theoretically, therefore, Islamic law is immutable, for it is the law as revealed by God and reflects the will of Allah. Shari’ah covers all aspects of life and not simply those which are of interest to state or society.
