The Qur’ān says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِيالأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet and obey those in authority among you.”[1]
The primary sources of Islamic law are therefore the words and commands of Allah as laid out in the Qur’ān, the sayings and traditions of the Prophet (s) (aħādīth), and the rulings of political and religious leaders.
The Holy Qur’ān is the highest standard by which man can order his life. As such, it is a model only the Prophet of Allah could uphold to its fullest. Yet, it is still not possible for the average Muslim to follow the Prophet’s example directly. Muslims therefore rely on the authority of their leaders to guide them in upholding the principles of law laid out in the Qur’ān and the traditions. The Prophet (s) himself stated, “Whoever is chosen by the people after me will be the caliph, and you must listen to and obey him.”[2] Those in authority include the rulers of the nation, its religious scholars and its judges.
