Editing Sharia (section)

==== Women ====
{{main|Women in Islam|Islam and domestic violence}}
[[File:Odalisque (Boston Public Library).jpg|thumb|upright=0.8| A ''"[[cariye]]"'' or [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] [[concubine]], painting by Gustav Richter (1823–1884)]]
===== Personal status and child marriage =====
Shari'a is the basis for personal status laws in most Islamic-majority nations. These personal status laws determine [[women's rights|rights of women]] in matters of marriage, divorce, and child custody. A 2011 [[UNICEF]] report mentions that Sharia law provisions differ for women in financial matters from general human rights provisions. In many countries, in legal proceedings relating to Sharia-based [[Shia Personal Status Law|personal status law]], in financial cases, a [[Status of women's testimony in Islam|woman's testimony is worth half of a man's]] before a court.<ref name=unicef2011>{{cite web |url=http://www.unicef.org/gender/files/REGIONAL-Gender-Eqaulity-Profile-2011.pdf |title=MENA Gender Equality Profile – Status of Girls and Women in the Middle East and North Africa, UNICEF (October 2011) |access-date=22 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605134725/http://www.unicef.org/gender/files/REGIONAL-Gender-Eqaulity-Profile-2011.pdf |archive-date=5 June 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 1917 codification of Islamic family law in the [[Ottoman empire]] distinguished between the age of competence for marriage, which was set at 18 for boys and 17 for girls, and the minimum age for marriage, which followed the traditional Hanafi limits of 12 for boys and 9 for girls.  Marriage below the age of competence was permissible only if proof of sexual maturity was accepted in court, while marriage under the minimum age was forbidden. During the 20th century,  most countries in the Middle East followed the Ottoman precedent in defining the age of competence while raising the minimum age to 15 or 16 for boys and 13–16 for girls. Marriage below the age of competence is subject to approval by a judge and the legal guardian of the adolescent. Egypt diverged from this pattern by setting the age limits of 18 for boys and 16 for girls, without a distinction between competence for marriage and minimum age.<ref name=EI2-8-29>{{Cite encyclopedia|author1=Schacht, J.|author2= Layish, A.|author3= Shaham, R.|author4= Ansari, Ghaus|author5= Otto, J.M.|author6= Pompe, S.|author7= Knappert, J. |author8=Boyd, Jean| year=1995 | title=Nikāḥ|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam| edition=2nd|publisher=Brill |editor1=P. Bearman|editor2= Th. Bianquis|editor3= C.E. Bosworth|editor4= E. van Donzel|editor5= W.P. Heinrichs|volume=8|page=29}}</ref>

===== Property rights =====
Islamic law granted Muslim women certain legal rights, such as property rights which women in the West did not possess until "comparatively recent times".<ref>Bernard Lewis (2002), What Went Wrong?, {{ISBN|0195144201}}, p. 83</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Badawi |first=Jamal A. |title=The Status of Women in Islam |journal=Al-Ittihad Journal of Islamic Studies |volume=8 |issue=2 |date=September 1971}}{{page needed|date=July 2016}}</ref><ref name=Feldman>{{cite news |author-link=Noah Feldman |last=Feldman |first=Noah |title=Why Shariah? |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=16 March 2008 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/magazine/16Shariah-t.html?ei=5070&em=&en=5c1b8de536ce606f&ex=1205812800&pagewanted=all |access-date=17 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121116110730/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/magazine/16Shariah-t.html?ei=5070&em=&en=5c1b8de536ce606f&ex=1205812800&pagewanted=all |archive-date=16 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Starting with the 20th century, Western legal systems evolved to expand women's rights, but women's rights in the Muslim world have to varying degree remained tied to the Quran, hadiths and their traditional interpretations by Islamic jurists.<ref name=alik/><ref>{{Cite journal |author=Hafez, Mohammed |title=Why Muslims Rebel |journal=Al-Ittihad Journal of Islamic Studies |volume=1 |issue=2 |date=September 2006 }}</ref> Sharia grants women the [[right to property|right to inherit property]] from other family members, and these rights are detailed in the Quran.{{sfn|Horrie|Chippindale|1991|p=49}} A woman's inheritance can be unequal if she inherits from her father, as daughters inherit half as much as their brothers.{{qref|4|11|b=y|s=y}}<ref name=davidpowers/>

===== Domestic violence =====
[[Jonathan A.C. Brown]] says:
<blockquote>The vast majority of the ulama across the Sunni schools of law inherited the Prophet's unease over domestic violence and placed further restrictions on the evident meaning of the 'Wife Beating Verse'. A leading Meccan scholar from the second generation of Muslims, [[Ata ibn Abi Rabah|Ata' bin Abi Rabah]], counseled a husband not to beat his wife even if she ignored him but rather to express his anger in some other way. [[Al-Darimi|Darimi]], a teacher of both [[Tirmidhi]] and [[Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj|Muslim bin Hajjaj]] as well as a leading early scholar in Iran, collected all the Hadiths showing Muhammad's disapproval of beating in a chapter entitled 'The Prohibition on Striking Women'. A thirteenth-century scholar from Granada, Ibn Faras, notes that one camp of ulama had staked out a stance forbidding striking a wife altogether, declaring it contrary to the Prophet's example and denying the authenticity of any Hadiths that seemed to permit beating. Even [[Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani|Ibn Hajar]], the pillar of late medieval Sunni Hadith scholarship, concludes that, contrary to what seems to be an explicit command in the Qur'an, the Hadiths of the Prophet leave no doubt that striking one's wife to discipline her actually falls under the Shariah ruling of 'strongly disliked' or 'disliked verging on prohibited'.<ref>Jonathan A.C. Brown, ''Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy'', [[Oneworld Publications]] (2014), pp. 275–276</ref></blockquote>

The [[An-Nisa, 34|Surah 4:34]], in the Quran, has been debated for domestic violence and also has been subject to [[An-Nisa, 34#Debates and discussion about the text|varied interpretations]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alim.org/library/quran/ayah/compare/4/34/men-are-given-authority-over-women-and-corrective-measures-for-disobedient-women-and-arbitration-in-family-disputes |title=Surah 4:34 (An-Nisaa), Alim&nbsp;– Translated by Mohammad Asad, Gibraltar (1980) |access-date=29 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927231420/http://www.alim.org/library/quran/ayah/compare/4/34/men-are-given-authority-over-women-and-corrective-measures-for-disobedient-women-and-arbitration-in-family-disputes |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eui.eu/DepartmentsAndCentres/RobertSchumanCentre/Research/InternationalTransnationalRelations/MediterraneanProgramme/MRM/MRM2011/ws04.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927154118/http://www.eui.eu/DepartmentsAndCentres/RobertSchumanCentre/Research/InternationalTransnationalRelations/MediterraneanProgramme/MRM/MRM2011/ws04.aspx|url-status=dead|title=Salhi and Grami (2011), Gender and Violence in the Middle East and North Africa, Florence (Italy), European University Institute|archivedate=27 September 2013}}</ref> According to some interpretations, Sharia condones certain forms of domestic violence against women, when a husband suspects ''[[nushuz]]'' (disobedience, disloyalty, rebellion, ill conduct) in his wife only after admonishing and staying away from the bed does not work.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Farid |last1=Esack |chapter=Islam and Gender Justice: Beyond Simplistic Apologia |chapter-url={{Google books|riz_cIdSq0gC |page=187 |plainurl=yes}} |pages=187–210 |editor1-first=John C. |editor1-last=Raines |editor2-first=Daniel C. |editor2-last=Maguire |year=2014 |title=What Men Owe to Women: Men's Voices from World Religions |publisher=SUNY |isbn=978-0791491553 }}</ref> These interpretations have been criticized as inconsistent with women's rights in domestic abuse cases.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Mathias |last1=Rohe |chapter=Shari'a in a European Context |chapter-url={{Google books|bY1sReuxDy0C |page=93 |plainurl=yes}} |pages=93–114 |editor1-first=Ralpho |editor1-last=Grillo |editor2-first=Roger |editor2-last=Ballard |editor3-first=Alessandro |editor3-last=Ferrari |editor4-first=André J. |editor4-last=Hoekema |editor5-first=Marcel |editor5-last=Maussen |editor6-first=Prakash |editor6-last=Shah |year=2009 |title=Legal Practice and Cultural Diversity |publisher=Ashgate |isbn=978-0754675471 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Funder |first1=Anna |title=''De Minimis Non Curat Lex'': The Clitoris, Culture and the Law |journal=Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems |volume=3 |issue=2 |year=1993 |pages=417–67}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Zainah |last1=Anwar |chapter=Law-Making in the Name of Islam: Implications for Democratic Governance |chapter-url={{Google books|6Js6QXUbmjYC |page=121 |plainurl=yes}} |pages=[https://archive.org/details/islaminsoutheast0000unse/page/121 121–34] |editor1-first=K S |editor1-last=Nathan |editor2-first=Mohammad Hashim |editor2-last=Kamali |year=2005 |title=Islam in Southeast Asia: Political, Social and Strategic Challenges for the 21st Century |publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian Studies |isbn=978-9812302830 |url=https://archive.org/details/islaminsoutheast0000unse/page/121 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bakht |first1=Natasha |title=Family Arbitration Using Sharia Law: Examining Ontario's Arbitration Act and its Impact on Women |journal=Muslim World Journal of Human Rights |volume=1 |issue=1 |year=2007 |ssrn=1121953 |doi=10.2202/1554-4419.1022|s2cid=144491368 }}</ref> [[Musawah]], [[Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women|CEDAW]], KAFA and other organizations have proposed ways to modify Sharia-inspired laws to improve women's rights in Muslim-majority nations, including women's rights in domestic abuse cases.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.musawah.org/cedaw-and-muslim-family-laws-search-common-ground |title=CEDAW and Muslim Family Laws: In Search of Common Ground |year=2012 |publisher=[[Musawah]] |access-date=18 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624100604/http://www.musawah.org/cedaw-and-muslim-family-laws-search-common-ground |archive-date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live }}{{page needed|date=July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brandt |first1=Michele |last2=Kaplan |first2=Jeffrey A. |title=The Tension between Women's Rights and Religious Rights: Reservations to Cedaw by Egypt, Bangladesh and Tunisia |journal=Journal of Law and Religion |volume=12 |issue=1 |year=1995 |pages=105–42 |jstor=1051612 |doi=10.2307/1051612|s2cid=154841891 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.irinnews.org/report/86247/lebanon-move-to-take-domestic-violence-cases-out-of-religious-courts |title=Lebanon – IRIN, United Nations Office of Humanitarian Affairs (2009) |work=IRINnews |date=22 September 2009 |access-date=31 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812051407/http://www.irinnews.org/report/86247/lebanon-move-to-take-domestic-violence-cases-out-of-religious-courts |archive-date=12 August 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/19/uae-spousal-abuse-never-right |title=UAE: Spousal Abuse never a Right |date=19 October 2010 |publisher=[[Human Rights Watch]] |access-date=13 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226083817/https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/10/19/uae-spousal-abuse-never-right |archive-date=26 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Others believe that wife-beating is not consistent with a more modernist perspective of the Quran.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Hamid R. |last1=Kusha |chapter=Qur'anic Perspectives on Wife Abuse |pages=595–602 |editor1-first=Nicky Ali |editor1-last=Jackson |year=2007 |title=Encyclopedia of Domestic Violence |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0415969680}}</ref> Many Imams and scholars who learned Shariah in traditional Islamic seminaries object to the misuse of this verse to justify domestic violence. Muslims for [[White Ribbon Campaign]] was launched in 2010 with Imams and Muslim leaders committing to join with others to work to end violence against women.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canadian Muslims Launch Annual White Ribbon Campaign |url=http://iqra.ca/2013/canadian-muslims-launch-annual-white-ribbon-campaign/ |website=Iqra.ca |date=15 November 2013 |access-date=12 September 2020 |archive-date=27 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227213746/http://iqra.ca/2013/canadian-muslims-launch-annual-white-ribbon-campaign/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Khutbah]] campaigns were held in many parts of the world to speak out against domestic violence and encourage Muslim congregants to eradicate domestic abuse.<ref>{{cite web |title=Call to Action to Eradicate Domestic Violence |url=http://iqra.ca/2011/call-to-action-to-eradicate-domestic-violence/ |website=Iqra.ca |date=16 November 2011 |access-date=12 September 2020 |archive-date=27 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227213810/http://iqra.ca/2011/call-to-action-to-eradicate-domestic-violence/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Muslim Council of Britain urges Imams to speak out against domestic abuse this Friday |url=https://mcb.org.uk/press-releases/muslim-council-of-britain-urges-imams-to-speak-out-against-domestic-abuse-this-friday/ |website=Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) |date=19 March 2014 |access-date=12 September 2020 |archive-date=27 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227213800/https://mcb.org.uk/press-releases/muslim-council-of-britain-urges-imams-to-speak-out-against-domestic-abuse-this-friday/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stewart |first1=Philippa H. |title=Imams rally against domestic violence in the UK |website=www.aljazeera.com |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/03/imams-rally-domestic-violence-uk-160326110808840.html |access-date=12 September 2020 |archive-date=27 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227213800/https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2016/6/18/imams-rally-against-domestic-violence-in-the-uk |url-status=live }}</ref>

===== Rape =====
Rape is considered a serious crime in the Sharia law since the Islamic prophet Muhammad ordered rapists to be punished by stoning.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mohammad Hashim Kamali|title=Crime and Punishment in Islamic Law: A Fresh Interpretation|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|page=67}}</ref>  The terms ''ghasaba'' and ''ightasaba'' have been used by traditional jurists when discussing sexual assault and its punishment. Imam Al-Shāfi'ī defined rape as: "Forcing a woman to commit zinā against her will". To the Ḥanafis, illegal intercourse is considered rape when there is no consent and no deliberate action from the victim. In Mālik's view, rape refers to any kind of unlawful sexual intercourse by usurpation and without consent. This includes instances when the condition of the victims prevents them from expressing their resistance, such as insanity, sleep, or being underage. The [[Hanbali]]tes, similar to the Mālikites, consider the use of any kind of force as a denial of consent from the victim. The threat of starvation or suffering the cold of winter is also regarded as being against one's will.<ref name="Noor">{{cite journal |last1=Noor |first1=Azman Mohd |date=1 January 2010 |title=Rape: A Problem of Crime Classification in Islamic Law |journal=Arab Law Quarterly |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=417–438 |doi=10.1163/157302510X526724}}</ref>