Because of the religious origin of the word, some prefer to capitalize it and others not. The word sharia means  the path  or  the path to wate r. Sharia as a source of law, is, by definition, arbitrary and discretionary-some would prefer to describe it as flexible.
COUNTRY OVERVIEW. LOCATION AND SIZE. Qatar is a tiny peninsula jutting into the Persian Gulf and bordering only Saudi Arabia. With an area of 11,437 square kilometers (4,416 square miles) and a short coastline of 563 kilometers (345 miles), Qatar is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut.
The New York Times. The State of Qatar, sharing a border with Saudi Arabia to its south, occupies a small piece of the Arabian Peninsula that extends into the Persian Gulf. Once a protectorate of Britain, Qatar gained its independence in 1971, establishing a monarchy that is currently led by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who assumed power in 2013. At just 4,427 square miles, Qatar is small in stature but remains one of the worldâs wealthiest countries on a per capita basis.