What is the role of Shariah today?
In terms of personal practice and fulfillment of religious obligations, Muslims around the world continue to look to these schools for guidance on issues of a legal nature. Muslim scholars continue to use principles of fiqh to deduce new approaches to life in the modern world that remain authentic to the injunctions of the Qur’an and Sunnah. On a societal level, in some Muslim countries Shari’ah is implemented as the basis for the judicial system and for regulating collective affairs of citizens. Other countries implement a hybrid of Shari’ah and civil law, first developed in these countries when colonized by European nations, while some others do not implement Shari’ah whatsoever. Muslims living as minorities in countries such as the United States abide by the civil laws of the land. However, because of the importance of Shari’ah in enabling the practice of Islam as a complete way of life, Muslims may express a desire for implementation of Shari’ah for themselves. Interestingly, in En
