sharia
Pronunciation: /ʃəˈriːə/
(also shariah or shariat /ʃəˈriːət/)
Definition of sharia
noun
- Islamic canonical law based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of the Prophet (Hadith and Sunna), prescribing both religious and secular duties and sometimes retributive penalties for lawbreaking. It has generally been supplemented by legislation adapted to the conditions of the day, though the manner in which it should be applied in modern states is a subject of dispute between Muslim traditionalists and reformists.
Origin:
from Arabic šarī‘a; the variant shariat from Urdu and Persian