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 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. As the Shariah is a whole, comprehensive and interrelated corpus of rules, its application is subject to a single set of standards. Throughout the States’ constitutions, or constitution equivalents in the case of Oman and Saudi Arabia, the Shariah weaves its influence as that common golden thread portrayed earlier by Ballantyne. The States’ constitutions generally mandate that the courts are independent and that judges shall not be subject to any authority or interference. The Omani legal system is based primarily on the Islamic Shariah traditions of the Ibadi school.
