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The term Sharia (a.k.a. Shari'a) literally means the path to a watering hole . The Guardian newspaper in the UK describes Sharia as: . a religious code for living, in the same way that the Bible offers a moral system for Christians. ₁ It is used to refer both to the Islamic system of law and the totality of the Islamic way of life. Sharia is derived both from:

From Sunna, which is referred to as Islamic Custom or practice; particularly that associated with the exemplary life of the Prophet Muhammad, comprising his deeds and utterances as recorded in the hadith . The hadith literally means report or narrative ₂

This essay refers only to Sharia law as found in the Sunni Islamic tradition; this includes about 85% of all Muslims. For coverage of the Shi'a interpretatations of Sharia law, the book An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism" by Moojan Momen has been recommended as a good source of information.