Shari'a is the body of law inspired by the Koran, the Sunna, older Arabic law systems, and the work of Muslim scholars over the first two centuries of Islam (Kjeilen 1). While Shari's is often called "Islamic law," this is wrong because only a small portion of it is "irrefutably based upon the core Islamic text, the Koran" (Kjeilen 1). A more correct term for Shari'a would be "Muslim law" or even the "law system of Muslims," but since Shari'a is perceived as based upon the Koran, it is considered by Muslims to be the "will of God" (Kjeilen 1).
While Shari'a is often referred to as Muslim law, in reality that term can also be deceptive in that Shari'a encompasses more than just the law. Sharia represents the "totality of religious, political, social, domestic and private life" of Muslim society (Kjeilen 1). While Shari'a is aimed primarily at Muslims, it can also apply to non-Muslims living in Muslim communities. Shari'a is not binding on Muslims who live outside the Muslim world, but Shari'a is considered something that no human intellect can disprove. In this sense, Shari'a is to be accepted without resistance, since it is seen as the will of God. This belief primarily stems from "The Chapter of the Kneeling" in the Koran, which reads, "Then we gave Sharia in religion, follow it, and do not follow the lust of those who do not know" (Kjeilen 1).
Muslims consider themselves part of a worldwide community. Ummah is an Arabic word that means "community" or nation" (Ummah 1). Ummah can be used to refer to the collective nation of Muslim states or it can also specify the entire Arab world. When used in the overall context of Islam, ummah refers to the "Community of believers," or the entire Muslim world (Ummah 1). The origins of the word ummah derive from 622 A.D., when the Constitution of Madinah, a document believed to be negotiated by Muhammad, "explicitly referred to Jewish and pagan citizens of...