Definition of sharia in English:


(also shariah, shariat)


mass 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.

    • ‘Aceh is the only Indonesian province under sharia or strict Muslim law.’
    • ‘Islam is the state religion in Malaysia, and sharia is the law prescribed for the Muslim majority.’
    • ‘A third of those surveyed said they would rather live under sharia because they so disapproved of British culture.’


From Arabic šarī‘a; the variant shariat from Urdu and Persian.