The Problem of the Multiple Concepts of Shari’a

Abstract

This article addresses a methodological issue in the question: Is it correct to have a single concept of Sharia during each study about it? This is intended to highlight the danger of introducing the term Shari’a throughout studies, especially in those where ideas and perspectives from different lines of knowledge are involved. The numerous provisions of the Shari’a, both ancient and modern, and the vagueness of their perceptions of it have brought this topic to the fore. This article consists of an introduction and two requirements; the first deals with the nature of the term Shari’a and its concept; the second highlights the conceptual multiplicity that the term shari’a had experienced over different periods of time. One of the main findings of this article and its conclusion was that the concept of Shari’a is an ‛ijtihadi’ concept that varies according to the conceptions formed around it, and that this disagreement has widened even more in modern times than in ancient times. This concept has become a pressing research requirement in view of the emergence of new concepts of Shari’a that were not known to the applicants, which has led to the emphasis on the importance of being careful in introducing the term Shari’a without stating the intentions of those studying it.