Law 3 Blog

Law is a very hard subject to clearly define, in a modern context, as man's desire to fulfill his own desires through a set of flawed standards created by the human population ultimately leads to the questions of "what is right?" and "what is moral?"

Although Christians and Muslims base their faith on a theistic worldview, their ideas of law are far from being alike. The Islamic view of law does name Allah as the ultimate lawgiver, and their ultimate goal is to understand and apply the laws (specifically Shari'ah law) to their muslim lifestyle. The Shari'ah law is derived from the Quran and Hadith, the holy books of the muslim faith, and governs the public and private lives of muslims who live in Islamic states. On the contrary, Christians hold by the fact that God reveals his will and himself through divine laws, and also through natural law, when physical and moral laws are revealed in general revelation and built into the structure of the universe. One major difference that sets the Christian and Muslim ideas of law apart is how the law gives freedom to those who follow it. From the Christian perspective, human rights are defined from Biblical principles, and individuals are not retricted from certain freedoms that uphold the integrity of the law. In Islamic states, however, freedom is severely restricted by the law, especially for muslim women and those who are non-muslims.

In addition, Christians know that God has revealed His divine nature through giving us the laws we are to adhere to. By correctly following and upholding the laws he has revealed to us, we are able to know God more, as we can experience His character through what He commands. In contrast, muslims do not believe that an individual is able to know the nature of Allah through the laws (or anywhere else), becuase Allah is "unknowable". This idea is the antithesis of what Christians know to be true, because as God is the ultimate lawmaker, he has shown to us his true nature through the laws he has given, in divine and special revelation.

Also, the way in which law is comprehended varies between both worldviews. The Christian view of law is clear that God alone has specifically told us what is moral and immoral, while the Islamic view of law takes the approach that laws needs to be interpreted in different ways, as laws come from multiple sources. This only causes confusion, because if more than one source is involved, conflicts about the law, and of if something is ethical or not, will most surely arise.

While Christians and muslims do agree about theism, the existance of the supernatural, and moral absolutes, they couldn't differ more when it comes to law. Therefore, it is important to realize that God, the ultimate lawgiver, has established a clear set of laws that not only allow us to glorify His creation as image-bearers, but also to see and know His divine nature through what commandments He has set in place for us to live by.