Shariat, an all-embracing moral code

New Delhi: Shariat is an all-embracing moral code drawn from the teachings of the Holy Quran. It is not a written code but is an interpretation by an Islamic scholar.

The imposition of Shariat laws in some parts of Pakistan has once again raised a debate among scholars of Islam in India. It has been a long running debate and one reason why there is little consensus is because Shariat, more than anything else is about interpretation.

Be it on the issue of educating girls in public schools, or in matters of marriage or even personal hygiene, there are different interpretations provided by different scholars.

“Sometimes the interpretations are so widely different that one interpretation of the Holy Quran may actually be diametrically opposite to the other one,” says an expert on Shariat laws Kalim Bahadur.

In the corridors of Islamic Study Centre at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia, students are used to discussing the Shariat laws and their implications on everyday life.

Abida Kausar, a student of Islamic law and theology, says it is very difficult to understand how the Taliban can justify destroying schools in the name of imposing Shariat.

“What will you tell a person who says that girls should not go public schools? I will tell them, please read the Quran again and, if you don’t get it then read it again,” says Kausar.

In fact many Islamic countries already have laws which are Shariat compliant, but critics say its forceful imposition is not allowed in Islam.

“Nowhere is it mentioned in Quran that you can enforce your will on another Muslim. Use of force is simply not allowed,” says professor at the Department of Islamic Studies in Jamia Millia Islamia Farida Khanam.

Surely, the Taliban's interpretations have not found any resonance in India.

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