Combating Islam

The Problem of Applying Sharia Today

This article raises serious questions about the applicability of Islamic Sharia law in the modern world, as well as whether it has ever been successfully applied historically. Here’s a structured response summarizing its key arguments and insights.

1. The Problem of Applying Sharia Today

The Evolution of Language & Society:
- The article starts with an insightful linguistic argument: Words and meanings evolve, so can laws that were created for 7th-century Arabia still be applied today?
- Example: The word nikaah once simply meant "marriage" but is now considered vulgar.
- If language and culture evolve, then shouldn’t laws also evolve?
- Even Muhammad reportedly said, “Do not enforce your own ethics on your children; they have been created for a time other than yours.”
- If cultural norms change within decades, how much more so after 1400 years?

Contradictions & Inconsistencies in Sharia Punishments

Unequal Punishments for the Same Crimes
- Hadith states that Muslims receive harsher punishments than non-Muslims.
  - A Muslim thief has his hand cut off, but a Christian thief receives a lighter punishment (tazir—beatings).
  - A Muslim murderer receives the death penalty (qisas), but a Christian murderer only gets a fine.
  - How is this just? Can a legal system survive when it openly treats citizens unequally based on religion?
Theft & Corruption
- Muhammad said a thief’s hand is to be cut off if they steal more than 3 dirhams.
- But embezzlers and fraudsters (who steal far more) are not subject to amputation—only those who steal small amounts!
- This would mean that modern white-collar crime (like bank fraud or embezzlement) is essentially unpunished, while a hungry man stealing bread has his hand chopped off.
The Death Penalty for Adultery (Zina)
- Requires four eyewitnesses to prove adultery.
- In today’s world, adultery happens in private—so how can you ever get four eyewitnesses?
- Even if video evidence proves adultery, it wouldn’t be accepted because it contradicts Muhammad’s legal standard.
- In short: The law makes it impossible to convict anyone, except in cases where the accused confesses under pressure.

2. The History of Sharia in Muslim Societies

The biggest problem with Islamic law is that it has never been successfully applied to create a just society. This section looks at historical failures.

A. Political & Economic Corruption Under Islamic Rule

Massive Wealth Inequality
- Islamic rulers amassed extreme wealth while the population suffered.
- Examples:
  - Ahmad Ibn Tulun left behind 10,000 gold dinars, 7,000 white slaves, 24,000 black slaves, and 100 chests of jewels.
  - Khamrawayh (his son) spent 1 million dinars on his daughter’s wedding.
  - The Fatimid rulers imposed taxes on prostitution to fund their government.
- How is this Sharia justice? When the rulers indulge in excessive wealth, corruption, and slavery, while ordinary people are punished harshly for theft?
Famine & Starvation While Rulers Lived in Luxury
- During al-Muntasir Billah’s rule, people resorted to cannibalism, eating dogs, cats, and even human corpses.
- Meanwhile, rulers built golden palaces, held extravagant feasts, and spent public money on luxuries.
- Sharia failed to stop this corruption—because it only punished the common people, not the elites.
Bribery & Nepotism in Government
- Government positions were sold for money, leading to unqualified and corrupt officials.
- Al-Maqreezi (historian) notes that bribery was rampant in the appointment of judges, governors, and treasurers.
- Question: If Sharia truly brings justice and fairness, then why did all Islamic empires fail to apply it justly?

3. Theological & Social Problems with Sharia

Sharia is Used as a Tool for Oppression
- Opposing rulers = opposing Allah.
- Disobeying a corrupt ruler was equated to disobeying Islam, making reform impossible.
- Example: In some Islamic states today, protesting against corruption is punishable by death because criticizing the ruler is considered rebellion against Islam.
Moral Decay Despite Sharia Rule
- The Fatimid rulers openly engaged in homosexuality, yet nothing was done under Sharia law.
- Brothels and gambling houses were legalized to collect taxes—yet today, Islamists say Sharia prevents moral corruption!
- The Mamluk rulers even taxed prostitution.
- Question: If Sharia law is the solution, why didn’t it solve these problems when it was in full effect?

4. Is the Sharia Even Practical Today?

The world today is vastly different from 7th-century Arabia.
Technology, finance, global laws, and human rights have all evolved.
Muhammad’s law was designed for a tribal society, not a modern nation-state.
Crimes have changed (cybercrime, fraud, organized crime), and Sharia offers no real solutions.
Even Islamic countries today do not fully apply Sharia!
- Why? Because they know it would destroy the economy and lead to massive injustice.

5. Final Thoughts: Sharia as a Failed System

Historical application of Sharia shows that it failed to create justice, fairness, or economic stability.
It has never been applied successfully—every Islamic state has suffered under extreme corruption, inequality, and dictatorship.
The punishments prescribed by Sharia are outdated and unworkable in today’s world.
Even Islamic countries today (like Saudi Arabia) selectively apply Sharia because they know full implementation would destroy their economy.
If Sharia law is truly "the solution," why has it only ever led to tyranny and suffering?

Final Question:

If Sharia law has never produced a just society in 1,400 years, why should we believe it will work today?