View source for Religious law

{{short description|Ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions}}
[[File:Map of the Legal systems of the world (en).png|thumb|upright=1|[[Legal system]]s by common law, civil law, Islamic law, Jewish law, or mixed.]] 
'''Religious law''' includes [[ethical code|ethical]] and [[Morality#Moral codes|moral codes]] taught by [[religious tradition]]s. Examples of religiously derived legal codes include [[Christianity|Christian]] [[canon law]] (applicable within a wider theological conception in the church, but in modern times distinct from secular state law<ref>Ladislas Orsy, "Towards a Theological Conception of Canon Law" (published in Jordan Hite, T.O.R., & Daniel J. Ward, O.S.B., "Readings, Cases, Materials in Canon Law: A Textbook for Ministerial Students, Revised Edition" (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1990), pg. 11</ref>), [[Judaism|Jewish]] ''[[halakha]]'', [[Islam]]ic ''[[sharia]]'', and [[Hindu law]].<ref>Gad Barzilai, ''Law and Religion'', Ashgate, 2007</ref> In some jurisdictions, religious law may apply only to that religion's adherents; in others, it may be enforced by civil authorities for all residents.

==Established religions and religious institutions==
A [[state religion]] (or [[established church]]) is a religious body officially endorsed by the [[State (polity)|state]]. A [[theocracy]] is a [[form of government]] in which a [[God]] or a [[deity]] is recognized as the supreme civil ruler.

In both theocracies and some religious jurisdictions, [[conscientious objector]]s may cause [[religious offense]]. The contrary legal systems are  [[secular state]]s or [[multicultural]] societies in which the government does not formally adopt a particular religion, but may either repress all religious activity or enforce tolerance of religious diversity.

==Baháʼí Faith==
{{main|Baháʼí laws}}
[[Baháʼí laws]] are laws and ordinances used in the [[Baháʼí Faith]] and are a fundamental part of Baháʼí practice.<ref name="PSmith158">*{{cite book |last = Smith |first = Peter |title = An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith |publisher = Cambridge University Press |place = Cambridge |isbn=978-0-521-86251-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z7zdDFTzNr0C |date = 2008 |page=158}}</ref> The laws are based on authenticated texts from [[Bahá'u'lláh]], the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, subsequent interpretations from [[`Abdu'l-Bahá]] and [[Shoghi Effendi]] and legislation by the [[Universal House of Justice]].<ref name="PSmith159">{{Harvnb|Smith|2008|pp=159}}{{Citation not found}}</ref> Baháʼí law is presented as a set of general principles and guidelines and individuals must apply them as they best seem fit.<ref name="PSmith159"/> While some social laws are enforced by Baháʼí institutions, emphasis is placed on individuals following the laws based on their conscience, understanding, and reasoning. Baháʼís are expected to observe these laws out of love for Bahá'u'lláh.<ref name="PSmith159"/> The laws are seen as the method of the maintenance of order and security in the world.<ref name="PSmith158"/>

A few examples of laws and basic religious observances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which are considered obligatory for Baháʼís include:
* Recite an [[Obligatory Baháʼí prayers|obligatory prayer]] each day. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
* Observe a [[Nineteen Day Fast]] from sunrise to sunset from March 2 through March 20. During this time Baháʼís in good health between the ages of 15 and 70 abstain from eating and drinking.
* [[Gossip]] and [[backbiting]] are prohibited and viewed as particularly damaging to the individual and their relationships.

==Buddhism==
{{Main|Pāṭimokkha}}
{{See also|Dhammasattha}}
{{Expand section|date=November 2018}}

In [[Buddhism]], [[Pāṭimokkha|Patimokkha]] is a code of 227 rules and principles followed by [[Bhikkhu|Buddhist monks]] and [[Bhikkhunī|nuns]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pāṭimokkha {{!}} The Buddhist Monastic Code, Volumes I & II |url=https://www.dhammatalks.org/vinaya/bmc/Section0007.html |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=www.dhammatalks.org |language=en}}</ref>

==Christianity==
{{Further|Legalism (theology)|Letter and spirit of the law}}
{{See also|Antinomianism|Christian ethics|Render unto Caesar}}

[[File:Graverat titelblad till "Kanonisk rätt" - Skoklosters slott - 93238.tif|thumb|The ''[[Corpus Juris Canonici]]'', the fundamental collection of [[canon law of the Catholic Church|Catholic canon law]] for over 750 years.]]

Within the framework of [[Christianity]], there are several possible definitions for religious law. One is the [[Law of Moses|Mosaic Law]] (from what Christians consider to be the [[Old Testament]]), also called [[divine law]] or [[biblical law]]; the most famous example is the [[Ten Commandments]]. Another is the instructions of [[Jesus in Christianity|Jesus of Nazareth]] to his [[Disciple (Christianity)|disciples]] in the [[Gospel]] (often referred to as the [[Law of Christ]] or the [[New Commandment]] or the [[New Covenant]], in contrast to the [[Mosaic covenant#Christianity|Old Covenant]]). Another is the [[Apostolic Decree]] of Acts 15, which is still observed by the [[Greek Orthodox Church]].<ref>[[Karl Josef von Hefele]]'s [https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf214/npnf214.viii.v.iv.ii.html commentary on canon II of Gangra] notes: "We further see that, at the time of the Synod of [[Gangra]], the rule of the Apostolic Synod with regard to blood and things strangled was still in force. With the Greeks, indeed, it continued always in force as their Euchologies still show. [[Balsamon]] also, the well-known commentator on the canons of the Middle Ages, in his commentary on the sixty-third [[Canons of the Apostles|Apostolic Canon]], expressly blames the Latins because they had ceased to observe this command. What the Latin Church, however, thought on this subject about the year 400, is shown by [[Augustine of Hippo|St. Augustine]] in his work [[Contra Faustum]], where he states that the Apostles had given this command in order to unite the heathens and Jews in the one ark of Noah; but that then, when the barrier between Jewish and heathen converts had fallen, this command concerning things strangled and blood had lost its meaning, and was only observed by few. But still, as late as the eighth century, [[Pope Gregory III|Pope Gregory the Third]] (731) forbade the eating of blood or things strangled under threat of a penance of forty days. No one will pretend that the disciplinary enactments of any council, even though it be one of the undisputed [[Ecumenical council|Ecumenical Synods]], can be of greater and more unchanging force than the decree of that first council, held by the Holy Apostles at Jerusalem, and the fact that its decree has been obsolete for centuries in the West is proof that even Ecumenical canons may be of only temporary utility and may be repealed by disuse, like other laws."</ref>  Another is [[canon law]] in the [[Catholic Church|Catholic]], [[Anglicanism|Anglican]], and [[Eastern Christianity|Orthodox]] churches.

In some [[Christian denomination]]s, law is often contrasted with [[divine grace|grace]] (see also [[Law and Gospel]] and [[Antithesis of the Law]]): the contrast here speaks to an attempt to gain [[salvation]] by [[legalism (theology)|obedience to a code of laws]] as opposed to seeking salvation through faith in the [[Atonement in Christianity|atonement]] made by [[Jesus]] on the cross. From the [[Gospel of John]]:

{{Blockquote|John 1:16-18|And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.|KJV}}

===Biblical/Mosaic law===
{{Further|Biblical law#Christianity}}

Christian views of the [[Mosaic covenant#Christianity|Old Covenant]] vary and are to be distinguished from [[Christian theology]], [[Christian ethics|ethics]], and [[Orthopraxy#Christianity|practice]]. The term "Old Covenant", also referred to as the [[Mosaic covenant]] and the [[Law of Moses]], refers to the statements or principles of religious law and [[ethics in religion|religious ethics]] codified in the first five books or ''[[Pentateuch]]'' of the [[Old Testament]]. Views of the Old Covenant are expressed in the [[New Testament]], such as [[Jesus]]' [[Matthew 5#Antitheses|antitheses of the law]], the [[Circumcision controversy in early Christianity#Mosaic Law in Early Christianity|circumcision controversy in Early Christianity]], and the [[Incident at Antioch]] and position of [[Paul the Apostle and Judaism]]. Most Christians hold that [[Supersessionism|only parts are applicable]], while some [[Protestantism|Protestants]] have the view that [[Abrogation of Old Covenant laws|none is applicable]]. [[Dual-covenant theology|Dual-covenant theologians]] have the view that only [[Noahide Laws]] apply to [[Gentiles]]. The [[Jewish Christian]]ity movement is virtually extinct. According to the New Testament Christians are no longer regarded as Gentiles (Romans 8: 28–29)

===Canon law===
{{Main|Canon law}}

Canon law is the body of laws and regulations made by or adopted by ecclesiastical authority for the governance of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic Church]], the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern]] and [[Oriental Orthodox Churches]], and the [[Anglican Communion]] of churches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09056a.htm|title=Canon law|publisher=Catholic Encyclopedia|access-date=2024-11-07}}</ref> The way that such church law is [[legislature|legislated]], interpreted and at times [[court|adjudicated]] varies widely among these three bodies of churches. In all three traditions, a canon was initially a rule adopted by a [[church council]] (From [[Greek language|Greek]] ''kanon'' / κανών, [[Hebrew]] kaneh / קנה, for rule, standard, or measure); these canons formed the foundation of canon law.

====Canons of the Apostles====
{{Main|Apostolic Canons}}

The [[Canons of the Apostles]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03279a.htm|title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Apostolic Canons|publisher=New Advent|access-date=2024-11-07}}</ref> or ''Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sacred-texts.com/chr/ecf/007/0070471.htm|title=The Ecclesiastical Canons of the Same Holy Apostles|publisher=Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol VII|access-date=2024-11-07}}</ref> is a collection of ancient ecclesiastical decrees (eighty-five in the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern]], fifty in the [[Roman Catholicism|Western]] Church) concerning the government and discipline of the [[Early Christian]] Church, incorporated with the [[Apostolic Constitutions]] which are part of the [[Ante-Nicene Fathers]]

====Catholic Church====
{{Canon Law}}

The [[canon law of the Catholic Church]] ({{Langx|la|jus canonicum}})<ref>Black's Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, pg. 771: "Jus canonicum"</ref> is the system of [[law]]s and legal principles made and enforced by the [[Hierarchy of the Catholic Church|hierarchical authorities]] of the Church to regulate its external organization and government and to order and direct the activities of Catholics toward the mission of the Church.<ref>Della Rocca, ''Manual of Canon Law'', pg. 3</ref> It was the first modern Western [[legal system]]<ref>Berman, Harold J. ''Law and Revolution'', pg. 86 & pg. 115</ref> and is the oldest continuously functioning legal system in the West,<ref>[[Dr. Edward N. Peters]], [https://canonlaw.info CanonLaw.info Home Page], accessed November-07-2024</ref> predating the European [[common law (legal system)|common law]] and [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] traditions.  What began with rules ("canons") adopted by the [[Twelve Apostles|Apostles]] at the [[Council of Jerusalem]] in the 1st century has blossomed into a highly complex and original legal system encapsulating not just norms of the [[New Testament]], but some elements of the [[Hebrews|Hebrew]] ([[Old Testament]]), [[Roman law|Roman]], [[Visigoths|Visigothic]], [[Saxon people|Saxon]], and [[Celt]]ic legal traditions spanning thousands of years of human experience. while the unique traditions of [[Eastern Catholic canon law]] govern the 23 [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Catholic]] [[particular church]]es ''[[sui iuris]].''

Positive ecclesiastical laws derive formal authority in the case of universal laws from [[Promulgation (Catholic canon law)|promulgation]] by the supreme legislator—the [[Supreme Pontiff]]—who possesses the totality of legislative, executive, and judicial power in his person,<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P16.HTM Canon 331], [[1983 Code of Canon Law]]</ref> while particular laws derive formal authority from promulgation by a legislator inferior to the supreme legislator, whether an ordinary or a delegated legislator. The actual subject material of the canons is not just doctrinal or moral in nature, but all-encompassing of the human condition.

It has all the ordinary elements of a mature legal system:<ref name=clinfocat/> laws, courts, lawyers, judges,<ref name="clinfocat">[[Edward N. Peters]], [http://www.canonlaw.info/a_catechistintro.htm "A Catechist's Introduction to Canon Law"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022083647/http://www.canonlaw.info/a_catechistintro.htm |date=2022-10-22 }}, CanonLaw.info, accessed June-11-2013</ref> a fully articulated [[1983 Code of Canon Law|legal code]] for the [[Latin Church]] as well as a [[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches|code]] for the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]],<ref name="Manual of Canon Law, pg. 49">Manual of Canon Law, pg. 49</ref> principles of [[Interpretation (Catholic canon law)|legal interpretation]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P2.HTM|title=Code of Canon Law: text - IntraText CT|website=www.intratext.com|access-date=2024-11-07}}</ref> and coercive penalties.<ref>[https://stjosephcanonlaw.com/sites/default/files/newsletter-preview-pdfs/christifidelis30.7.pdf St. Joseph Foundation newsletter, Vol. 30 No. 7] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714200828/https://stjosephcanonlaw.com/sites/default/files/newsletter-preview-pdfs/christifidelis30.7.pdf |date=2014-07-14 }}, pg. 3</ref> It lacks civilly binding force in most secular jurisdictions. Those who are versed and skilled in canon law, and professors of canon law, are called canonists<ref>Black's Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, pg. 187: "Canonist"</ref> (or colloquially, canon lawyers).<ref>Berman, ''Law and Revolution'', pg. 288</ref> Canon law as a sacred science is called canonistics.
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The [[jurisprudence of Catholic canon law]] is the complex of legal principles and traditions within which canon law operates, while the [[philosophy, theology, and fundamental theory of Catholic canon law]] are the areas of philosophical, theological, and legal scholarship dedicated to providing a theoretical basis for canon law as a legal system and as true law.

In the [[Early Christianity|early Church]], the first canons were decreed by [[bishop]]s united in "[[Ecumenical councils|Ecumenical]]" councils (the Emperor summoning all of the known world's bishops to attend with at least the acknowledgement of the [[Bishop]] of [[diocese of Rome|Rome]]) or "local" councils (bishops of a region or territory).  Over time, these canons were supplemented with [[decretal]]s of the Bishops of Rome, which were responses to doubts or problems according to the maxim, ''Roma locuta est, causa finita est'' ("Rome has spoken, case is closed").

Later, they were gathered together into [[collections of ancient canons|collections]], both unofficial and official. The first truly systematic collection was assembled by the [[Camaldolese]] monk [[Gratian (jurist)|Gratian]] in the 11th century, commonly known as the ''[[Decretum Gratiani]]'' ("Gratian's Decree"). [[Pope]] [[Gregory IX]] is credited with promulgating the first official collection of canons called the ''Decretalia Gregorii Noni'' or ''Liber Extra'' (1234).  This was followed by the ''Liber Sextus'' (1298) of [[Boniface VIII]], the ''Clementines'' (1317) of [[Clement V]], the ''[[Extravagantes Joannis XXII]]'' and the ''[[Extravagantes Communes]]'', all of which followed the same structure as the Liber Extra. All these collections, with the [[Decretum Gratiani]], are together referred to as the ''[[Corpus Juris Canonici]]''. After the completion of the ''Corpus Juris Canonici'', subsequent [[papal]] legislation was published in periodic volumes called ''[[Bullarium|Bullaria]]''.

By the 19th century, this body of legislation included some 10,000 norms, many difficult to reconcile with one another due to changes in circumstances and practice. This situation impelled [[Pope Pius X]] to order the creation of the first [[1917 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law]], a single volume of clearly stated laws. Under the aegis of Cardinal [[Pietro Gasparri]], the Commission for the Codification of Canon Law was completed under [[Benedict XV]], who promulgated the Code, effective in 1918. The work having been begun by [[Pius X]], it was sometimes called the "Pio-Benedictine Code" but more often the 1917 Code.  In its preparation, centuries of material was examined, scrutinized for authenticity by leading experts, and harmonized as much as possible with opposing canons and even other Codes, from the [[Corpus Juris Civilis|Codex of Justinian]] to the [[Napoleonic Code]].

[[Pope John XXIII]] initially called for a [[Synod]] of the Diocese of Rome, an [[Ecumenical Council]], and an updating to the 1917 Code.  After the [[Second Vatican Council|Second Ecumenical Council]] of the Vatican (Vatican II) closed in 1965, it became apparent that the Code would need to be revised in light of the documents and theology of Vatican II.  After multiple drafts and many years of discussion, [[Pope John Paul II]] promulgated the revised [[1983 Code of Canon Law|Code of Canon Law (CIC) in 1983]]. Containing 1752 canons, it is the law currently binding on the Latin (Western) Roman Church.

The canon law of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which had developed some different disciplines and practices, underwent its own process of codification, resulting in the [[Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches]] promulgated in 1990 by [[Pope John Paul II]].

The institutions and practices of canon law paralleled the legal development of much of Europe, and consequently both modern [[Civil law (legal system)|Civil law]] and [[Common law]] bear the influences of canon law.  Edson Luiz Sampel, a Brazilian expert in canon law, says that canon law is contained in the genesis of various institutes of civil law, such as the law in continental Europe and Latin American countries. Sampel explains that canon law has significant influence in contemporary society.

Currently, all [[Latin Church|Latin Catholic]] seminary students are expected to take a course in canon law (c. 252.3). Some ecclesiastical officials are required to have the doctorate ([[Doctor of Canon Law|JCD]]) or at least the licentiate ([[Licentiate of Canon Law|JCL]]) in canon law in order to fulfill their functions: Judicial Vicars (c. 1419.1), Judges (c. 1421.3), Promoters of Justice (c. 1435), Defenders of the Bond (c. 1435).  In addition, [[Vicars General]] and Episcopal Vicars are to be doctors or at least licensed in canon law or theology (c. 478.1), and canonical advocates must either have the doctorate or be truly expert in canon law (c. 1483).  Ordinarily, bishops are to have advanced degrees in sacred scripture, theology, or canon law (c. 378.1.5). St. [[Raymond of Penyafort]] (1175–1275), a Spanish Dominican priest, is the patron saint of canonists, due to his important contributions to the science of canon law.

====Orthodox Churches====<!-- This section is linked from [[New Testament]] -->
The Greek-speaking Orthodox have collected canons and commentaries upon them in a work known as the ''Pēdálion'' (Greek: Πηδάλιον, "Rudder"), so named because it is meant to "steer" the Church. The Orthodox Christian tradition in general treats its canons more as guidelines than as laws, the [[economy (Eastern Orthodox Church)|bishops adjusting them]] to cultural and other local circumstances. Some Orthodox canon scholars point out that, had the [[Ecumenical Councils]] (which deliberated in Greek) meant for the canons to be used as laws, they would have called them ''nómoi/νόμοι'' (laws) rather than ''kanónes/κανόνες'' (rules), but almost all Orthodox conform to them. The dogmatic decisions of the Councils, though, are to be obeyed rather than to be treated as guidelines, since they are essential for the Church's unity.

====Anglican Communion====
{{main|Canon law (Anglican Communion)}}
In the [[Church of England]], the [[ecclesiastical court]]s that formerly decided many matters such as disputes relating to marriage, divorce, wills, and defamation, still have jurisdiction of certain church-related matters (e.g., discipline of clergy, alteration of church property, and issues related to churchyards).  Their separate status dates back to the 11th century when the [[Normans]] split them off from the mixed secular/religious county and local courts used by the Saxons. In contrast to the other [[court]]s of England, the law used in ecclesiastical matters is at least partially a [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]] system, not [[common law]], although heavily governed by parliamentary statutes.  Since the [[English Reformation|Reformation]], ecclesiastical courts in England have been royal courts.  The teaching of canon law at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge was abrogated by [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]; thereafter practitioners in the [[ecclesiastical courts]] were trained in [[Civil law (legal system)|civil law]], receiving a [[Doctor of Civil Law]] (D.C.L.) degree from Oxford, or an [[Doctor of Laws|LL.D.]] from Cambridge.  Such lawyers (called "doctors" and "civilians") were centred at "[[Doctors' Commons|Doctors Commons]]", a few streets south of [[St Paul's Cathedral]] in [[London]], where they monopolized [[probate]], matrimonial, and [[Admiralty law|admiralty]] cases until their jurisdiction was removed to the [[common law]] courts in the mid-19th century.  (Admiralty law was also based on civil law instead of common law, thus was handled by the civilians too.)

[[Charles I of England|Charles I]] repealed Canon Law in [[Scotland]] in 1638 after uprisings of [[Covenanter]]s confronting the Bishops of Aberdeen following the convention at [[Muchalls Castle]] and other revolts across Scotland earlier that year.

Other churches in the [[Anglican Communion]] around the world (e.g., the [[Episcopal Church in the United States]] and the [[Anglican Church of Canada]]) still function under their own private systems of canon law.

====Presbyterian and Reformed Churches====
{{main|Presbyterian polity}}
In Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, canon law is known as "practice and procedure" or  "church order", and includes the church's laws respecting its government, discipline, legal practice and worship.

====Lutheranism====
The [[Book of Concord]] is the historic [[doctrinal statement]] of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]], consisting of ten [[creed|credal]] documents recognized as authoritative in [[Lutheranism]] since the 16th century.<ref>F. Bente, ed. and trans., ''Concordia Triglotta'', (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 1921), p. i</ref>  However, the Book of Concord is a confessional document (stating orthodox belief) rather than a book of ecclesiastical rules or discipline, like canon law.  Each Lutheran national church establishes its own system of church order and discipline, though these are not referred to as "canons".

====The United Methodist Church====
The [[Book of Discipline (United Methodist)|Book of Discipline]] contains the laws, rules, policies and guidelines for The United Methodist Church.  It is revised every four years by the General Conference, the law-making body of The United Methodist Church; the last edition was published in 2016.<ref>[[Book of Discipline (United Methodist)]]</ref>

==Hinduism==
{{main|Hindu law}}{{See also|Dharmaśāstra}}
[[Hindu law]], a term of colonial origin, is derived from Hindu texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Dharmashastras, Puranas, Itihasas, Dharmasutras, Grihya Sutras, Arthashastra and Niti Shastras.

==Islam==
{{Further|Sharia|Fiqh|Application of Sharia by country }}
[[Image:Ibnhanbal.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|A manuscript of [[Ahmad ibn Hanbal|Ibn Hanbal's]] legal writings, produced October 879.]]
[[File:Use of Sharia by country updated.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Sharia laws by country
{{legend|#706EA4|for civil and criminal cases}}{{legend|#FF9950|regional variations}}{{legend|#F6DD4F|only for Muslims}}]]

''[[Sharia]]'', also known as Islamic law ({{lang|ar|قانون إسلامي}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|qānūn ʾIslāmī}})'', is the [[moral code]] and religious law of [[Islam]]. Sharia is derived from two primary [[sources of Islamic law|sources]], the [[precept]]s set forth in the [[Quran]] and the example set by the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] in the ''[[sunnah]]''. Islamic jurisprudence (''[[fiqh]]'') interprets and extends the application of sharia to questions not directly addressed in the [[primary sources]] (the Quran and the sunnah) by including [[secondary sources]]. These secondary sources usually include the consensus of the sahabah (companions of the prophet) and ''[[ulama]]'' (religious scholars) embodied in ''[[ijma]]'', as well as [[analogy]] from the Quran and ''sunnah'' through ''[[qiyas]]''. In the [[Maliki|Maliki school of law]] also, ''<nowiki/>'amal ahlil madinah'' (the practices of the people of Medina) is also included.

Muslims believe the ''sharia'' is [[God's law|Allah's law]], but they differ as to what exactly it entails.<ref>Otto, Jan Michiel (2008). p. 7. "When people refer to ''the'' sharia, they are in fact referring to ''their'' sharia, in the name of ''the'' eternal will of the Almighty God."</ref> Modernists, traditionalists and fundamentalists all hold different views of sharia, as do adherents to different schools of Islamic thought and scholarship. Different countries, societies and cultures have varying interpretations of sharia as well.

Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including [[Islamic criminal jurisprudence|crime]], [[Political aspects of Islam|politics]] and [[Islamic economic jurisprudence|economics]], as well as personal matters such as [[Islamic sexual jurisprudence|sexual intercourse]], [[Islamic hygienical jurisprudence|hygiene]], [[Islamic dietary laws|diet]], [[salat|prayer]], [[Islamic inheritance jurisprudence|inheritance]] and [[Sawm|fasting]]. Where it has official status, sharia is applied by Islamic judges, or [[qadis]]. The [[imam]] has varying responsibilities depending on the interpretation of sharia; while the term is commonly used to refer to the leader of communal prayers, the imam may also be a scholar, religious leader, or political leader.

The reintroduction of sharia is a longstanding goal for [[Islamist]] movements in Muslim countries. Some Muslim minorities in Asia (''e.g.'', in [[Islam in India|India]]) have maintained institutional recognition of sharia to adjudicate their personal and community affairs. In Western countries, where Muslim immigration is more recent, Muslim minorities have introduced sharia family law for use in their own disputes with varying degrees of success, e.g., Britain's [[Muslim Arbitration Tribunal]]. Attempts by Muslims to impose sharia on non-Muslims in countries with large Muslim populations have been accompanied by controversy,<ref>Hamann, Katie (December 29, 2009). [https://www.voanews.com/a/acehs-sharia-law-still-controversial-in-indonesia-80257482/369606.html "Aceh's Sharia Law Still Controversial in Indonesia"]. [[Voice of America]]. Retrieved November 7, 2024.</ref><ref>Iijima, Masako (January 13, 2010). [https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60D07420100114 "Islamic Police Tighten Grip on Indonesia's Aceh"]. Reuters. Retrieved September 18, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/02/08/aceh-sharia-police-loved-and-hated.html "Aceh Sharia Police Loved and Hated"]. ''[[The Jakarta Post]]''.</ref> violence,<ref>Staff (January 3, 2003).  [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2632939.stm "Analysis: Nigeria's Sharia Split"]. [[BBC News]]. Retrieved September 19, 2011. "Thousands of people have been killed in fighting between Christians and Muslims following the introduction of sharia punishments in northern Nigerian states over the past three years".</ref><ref>Harnischfeger, Johannes (2008) p. 16. "When the Governor of Kaduna announced the introduction of Sharia, although non-Muslims form almost half of the population, violence erupted, leaving more than 1,000 people dead" (p. 189). "When a violent confrontation loomed in February 200?, because the strong Christian minority in Kaduna was unwilling to accept the proposed sharia law, the sultan and his delegation of 18 emirs went to see the governor and insisted on the passage of the bill."</ref><ref>Mshelizza, Ibrahim (July 28, 2009).  [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/fight-for-sharia-leaves-dozens-dead-in-nigeria-1763253.html "Fight for Sharia Leaves Dozens Dead in Nigeria&nbsp;&ndash; Islamic Militants Resisting Western Education Extend Their Campaign of Violence"]. ''[[The Independent]]''. Retrieved September 19, 2011.</ref><ref>[https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/nigeria/religous_violence.html "Nigeria in Transition: Recent Religious Tensions and Violence"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105223207/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/nigeria/religous_violence.html |date=2013-11-05 }}. PBS.</ref><ref>Staff (December 28, 2010). [http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/01/201012314018187505.html "Timeline: Tensions in Nigeria&nbsp;&ndash; A Look at the Country's Bouts of Inter-Religious and Ethnic Clashes and Terror Attacks"]. [[Al Jazeera English]].  Retrieved September 19, 2011. "Thousands of people are killed in northern Nigeria as non-Muslims opposed to the introduction of sharia, or Islamic law, fight Muslims who demand its implementation in the northern state of Kaduna".</ref><ref>Ibrahimova, Roza (July 27, 2009).  [http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2009/07/2009727182749635965.html "Dozens Killed in Violence in Northern Nigeria"] (video (requires [[Adobe Flash]]; 00:01:49)). [[Al Jazeera English]]. Retrieved September 19, 2011. "The group Boko Haram, which wants to impose sharia (Islamic law) across the country, has attacked police stations and churches."</ref> and even warfare (cf. [[Second Sudanese Civil War#Civil War|Second Sudanese Civil War]]).<ref>''[http://countrystudies.us/sudan/63.htm Library of Congress Country Studies: Sudan:]''. "The factors that provoked the military coup, primarily the closely intertwined issues of Islamic law and of the civil war in the south, remained unresolved in 1991. The September 1983 implementation of the sharia throughout the country had been controversial and provoked widespread resistance in the predominantly non-Muslim south. ...Opposition to the sharia, especially to the application of hudud (sing., hadd), or Islamic penalties, such as the public amputation of hands for theft, was not confined to the south and had been a principal factor leading to the popular uprising of April 1985 that overthrew the government of Jaafar an Nimeiri."</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/sudan/facts.html|title=FRONTLINE/WORLD . Sudan - The Quick and the Terrible . Facts and Stats|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=2020-03-19}}</ref>

==Jainism==
{{main|Jain law}}{{See also|Jain ethical code}}
[[Jain law]] or Jaina law refers to the modern interpretation of ancient Jain Law that consists of rules for adoption, marriage, succession and death for the followers of [[Jainism]].<ref>{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GN6UAAAAMAAJ|title=Selections from the Jaina law|last1=Jain|first1=Champat Rai|year=2004|author-link=Champat Rai Jain| publisher= Jaina Vidyā Saṁsthāna|isbn=9788188677016}}</ref>

==Judaism==
{{main|Halakha}}
{{See also|Sanhedrin}}
''[[Halakha]]'' ({{langx|he|הלכה}}; literally "walking") is the collective body of [[rabbinic Judaism|rabbinic Jewish]] religious laws derived from the [[Torah|Written]] and [[Oral Torah]], including the [[Mishnah]], the halakhic [[Midrash]], the [[Talmud]], and its commentaries. After the [[Siege of Jerusalem (70)#Destruction of Jerusalem|destruction]] of the [[Second Temple]] by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] in the year 70 during the [[First Jewish-Roman War]], the Oral Law was developed through intensive and expansive interpretations of the written Torah.

The ''halakhah'' has developed gradually through a variety of legal and quasi-legal mechanisms, including [[Judiciary|judicial]] decisions, [[legislation|legislative]] enactments, and [[customary law]]. The literature of questions to rabbis, and their considered answers, are referred to as [[Responsa#In Judaism|Responsa]]. Over time, as practices develop, codes of Jewish law were written based on Talmudic literature and Responsa. The most influential code, the [[Shulchan Aruch]], guides the religious practice of most [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] and some [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative Jews]].

According to rabbinic tradition there are [[613 mitzvot]] in the written Torah. The ''mitzvot'' in the Torah (also called the [[Law of Moses]]) pertain to nearly every aspect of human life. Some of these laws are directed only to men or to women, some only to the ancient priestly groups (the [[Kohen|Kohanim]] and [[Levite|Leviyim]]) members of the tribe of [[Levi]], some only to farmers within the [[Land of Israel]]. Some laws are only applicable when there is a [[Temple in Jerusalem]] (see [[Third Temple]]).

==See also==
{{Portal|Religion|Law}}
* {{annotated link|Doctrine and Covenants}}
* {{annotated link|Ethics in religion}}
* {{annotated link|Judicial interpretation}}
* {{annotated link|Law and religion}}
* {{annotated link|Lawsuits against God}}
* {{annotated link|List of national legal systems}}
* {{annotated link|Morality and religion}}
* {{annotated link|Islamic religious police}}
* {{annotated link|Rule according to higher law}}
* {{annotated link|Rule of law}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Norman Doe. ''Comparative Religious Law: Judaism, Christianity, Islam''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
* Buddhism and Law: An Introduction. Edited by Rebecca Redwood French and Mark A. Nathan. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Pp.&nbsp;407.- Volume 31. Issue 1.
* Ulanov, M.S., Badmaev, V.N., Holland, E.C. Buddhism and Kalmyk Secular Law in the Seventeenth to Nineteenth Centuries. ''Inner Asia'', 2017, no.19, pp.&nbsp;297–314.

==External links==
*[http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm#/ Judaism 101: A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments)]

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