The Shariah and how it is applied and how it affects the lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture.

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Shariah and its application in the life of British Muslims

This essay will be looking at the Shariah and how it is applied and how it affects the lives of Muslims living in a British, non-Muslim culture. In Islam Shariah is the name for the Islamic law, which applies to all aspects of the life of a Muslim. The Shariah includes all aspects of life from the daily activities, worship, criminal law and everything else. It is compulsory by every Muslim and by all Muslim nations to put into practice the Islamic Shariah and make it the source of all law and legislation.  In Arabic, Shariah means “the clear, well-trodden path to water.” (). In Islam is it used to refer to the matters of religion that Allah has passed down for His servants, water is vital to all human life so the clarity and uprightness of Shariah is the means of life for the soul and the mind. ()

Over one and half million people living in Britain are Muslims. The Muslim community in Britain is mostly Asian, people who have immigrated are from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and East Africa; also there is a minority of Muslims from Cyprus, Turkey, the Middle East (Saudi Arabia), Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia who are also permanently settled here in Britain for employment and business.

Psychologically a person would judge her/himself by her/his ideals whereas one tends to judge others by their practices and this is also true of interaction between cultural groups. Muslims living in Britain, for example would judge the majority group, the British as a homogeneous group referring to it as “the other”. This emphasises the characteristics and behaviour, which are most different from their own, they will tend to judge more in their view of the Islamic ideal.  It is the same for the British who will judge the characteristics of Muslims in view of their own ideal based upon a conception of what is typically British. (Roald 2001, 119)

The family is the central to the whole scheme of social life as seen by Islam; therefore it must be preserved and strengthened at all costs. This concern is due to a number of laws laid down by Islam, for example like those regarding the relationship between the sexes and their intermingling, punishments for extra-marital sex, dress and many other related things. Unlike the structure of English families, the family structure of the Muslim family is very different, it includes well defined rights and obligations and the Muslim parents are enjoined in the Quran to meet their family obligations with kindness and justice. The Quran asks the children to love and respect their parents; mothers in particular as the most worthy of respect, help and love. Due to this particular nature of Islam as a total way of life and the role of the family life, the younger generation of Muslims in Britain are often in a state of confusion and conflict in meeting the religious and the family duty on one hand and on the other trying to gain total acceptance within the English communities in which they study, work in which they are surrounded in.

Some British cultures believe that Islam is a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him). They say that He was the Founder of Islam and that at times it is referred to as Mohammadanism. Islam stresses upon the fact that it is not a new religion and that Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) did not bring a new faith. Islam says that he was the last of the Prophets, which included Abraham, Moses and Jesus and that He only renewed what they had preached. He cannot be called the Founder of Islam and Islam can defiantly not be called Mohammadanism. (Al-Attas 1978, 21)

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Islamic life is based on two foundations, which is belief and action. The fundamental beliefs that Islam teaches are the belief in One God (Allah), in all the Prophets of Allah last of all was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the belief in the Quran; and in the Day of Resurrection, the Day of Judgement and the life after death. Muslims also must believe in the angels, as the servants of Allah who bring His message to the Prophets and obey and implement His commands. Belief in the Oneness of Allah is the foundation of Islam; Allah is ...

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