A few general remarks in response to some of the earlier comments on this topic (just to put out my thoughts):
1. I do not defend faulty court rulings and just because the court happens to be dealing with matters of Shariah does not mean that what they rule is representative of Islamic teachings. The similarity of such rulings, which are plenty I may add, is to those of secular courts where depending on who has more resources can take the law for a spin. Again, just because a "sharia" court rules on something doesn't always make it the normative ruling in Islamic law.
2. There is no such thing that the shariah is "imposed" on a Western country because the overall jurisdictional power of that country is ultimately in the hands of non-Muslims. Therefore, if there were ever to be shariah courts, it would only be to the extent of their own regulations, and allowing shariah courts to exist in their own jurisdictions is their own prerogative, not Islam's. Furthermore, under the shariah itself, if there are communities that have their own rules and religious beliefs, the shariah automatically allots them a jurisdictional power and legislative powers of their own choosing.
3. The Shariah is social and communal in practice, and the society revolves around the strong base which is the family, and it tries to uphold and strengthen the society with this base in mind. Relationships between males and females at the intimate level is only permitted between the husband and wife, the marriage contract is a legal entity in the form of contractual obligations which are upheld and maintained under the Islamic law. This means that intimate relations between couples who are not married are illegal and are not acceptable by the law. A marriage may have turned into just a pointless piece of paper in the west, but in many eastern nations, it still is what it's supposed to be - a legal contract - and this means that there will indeed be legal repercussions for not abiding by the terms of the contract. Nobody should enter into a contract while not intending to commit to the terms of the agreement.
4. Unlike some of you posted here, the strongest opinion is that there should be no punishment for apostasy. The death penalty was only imposed by the Prophet when apostasy was combined with a treasonous act, meaning that an apostate would betray or violently rebel against the Muslim state, and thereby endangering the safety of the people. There is no report that the Prophet ever ordered a death penalty on someone just for losing his or her faith in Islam. Therefore, everyone is free to express their belief/disbelief as they wish. Apostasy is only punishable by death when the apostates try to cause harm or damage to the citizens of the state.
100+ Notable Islamic Voices on Apostasy; Preserving the Freedom for Faith; Affirmation of Freedom of Expression and Belief in the Quran
5. Yes, men and women do not have equal rights in respect to their married lives (according to shariah), but women are allowed to work, get educated, become teachers, leaders, and do many other things that men are allowed to. The main differences between them are in respect to certain relationship matters. In Islam, equality is a religious and spiritual equality which means that when we do good deeds, whether a male or a female, we are both rewarded equally. This is the essential meaning of equality under the Islamic law.
Additionally, Islam highly emphasizes the importance treating one's wife with respect and kindness: Women in the Quran and Sunnah
1. I do not defend faulty court rulings and just because the court happens to be dealing with matters of Shariah does not mean that what they rule is representative of Islamic teachings. The similarity of such rulings, which are plenty I may add, is to those of secular courts where depending on who has more resources can take the law for a spin. Again, just because a "sharia" court rules on something doesn't always make it the normative ruling in Islamic law.
2. There is no such thing that the shariah is "imposed" on a Western country because the overall jurisdictional power of that country is ultimately in the hands of non-Muslims. Therefore, if there were ever to be shariah courts, it would only be to the extent of their own regulations, and allowing shariah courts to exist in their own jurisdictions is their own prerogative, not Islam's. Furthermore, under the shariah itself, if there are communities that have their own rules and religious beliefs, the shariah automatically allots them a jurisdictional power and legislative powers of their own choosing.
3. The Shariah is social and communal in practice, and the society revolves around the strong base which is the family, and it tries to uphold and strengthen the society with this base in mind. Relationships between males and females at the intimate level is only permitted between the husband and wife, the marriage contract is a legal entity in the form of contractual obligations which are upheld and maintained under the Islamic law. This means that intimate relations between couples who are not married are illegal and are not acceptable by the law. A marriage may have turned into just a pointless piece of paper in the west, but in many eastern nations, it still is what it's supposed to be - a legal contract - and this means that there will indeed be legal repercussions for not abiding by the terms of the contract. Nobody should enter into a contract while not intending to commit to the terms of the agreement.
4. Unlike some of you posted here, the strongest opinion is that there should be no punishment for apostasy. The death penalty was only imposed by the Prophet when apostasy was combined with a treasonous act, meaning that an apostate would betray or violently rebel against the Muslim state, and thereby endangering the safety of the people. There is no report that the Prophet ever ordered a death penalty on someone just for losing his or her faith in Islam. Therefore, everyone is free to express their belief/disbelief as they wish. Apostasy is only punishable by death when the apostates try to cause harm or damage to the citizens of the state.
100+ Notable Islamic Voices on Apostasy; Preserving the Freedom for Faith; Affirmation of Freedom of Expression and Belief in the Quran
5. Yes, men and women do not have equal rights in respect to their married lives (according to shariah), but women are allowed to work, get educated, become teachers, leaders, and do many other things that men are allowed to. The main differences between them are in respect to certain relationship matters. In Islam, equality is a religious and spiritual equality which means that when we do good deeds, whether a male or a female, we are both rewarded equally. This is the essential meaning of equality under the Islamic law.
Additionally, Islam highly emphasizes the importance treating one's wife with respect and kindness: Women in the Quran and Sunnah
