69 million page views

'Sharia for Dummies?' Accurate?

Reader comment on item: Replacing the U.S. Constitution with the Koran

Submitted by Ira Katz (United States), Sep 2, 2010 at 13:16

A few years ago I was please to get a reply from you that sort of explained away some of fears engendered by things said in 'hadiths', which you explained were not the Quran.. and there was some disagreement among scholars or Imams about them (e.g., calling out "... there's a Jew under that rock...", etc. Of course, there are great differences in knowledge, fear and subsequent prejudice about Islam. Many people lump Islam and Islamists together.

Perhaps in this category is the subject email that I just received today (below). I have questions of course. Does it says these things in the Quran? Are they or should they be interpreted literally? Anything you can say will be helpful. I tend to be cautious about emails as inboxes have become somewhat sewer-like. Your clarification would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

(email in circulation follows)

Imam Feisal Abdel Rauf claims that the US constitution is Sharia compliant. Now let us examine below a few laws of Sharia to see if Imam Rauf is truthful or a fraud:

1- Jihad defined as "to war against non-Muslims to establish the religion" is the duty of every Muslim and Muslim head of state (Caliph). Muslim Caliphs who refuse jihad are in violation of Sharia and unfit to rule.
2- A Caliph can hold office through seizure of power meaning through force.
3- A Caliph is exempt from being charged with serious crimes such as murder, adultery, robbery, theft, drinking and in some cases of rape.
4- A percentage of Zakat (alms) must go towards jihad.
5- It is obligatory to obey the commands of the Caliph, even if he is unjust.
6- A caliph must be a Muslim, a non-slave and a male.
7- The Muslim public must remove the Caliph in one case, if he rejects Islam.
8- A Muslim who leaves Islam must be killed immediately.
9- A Muslim will be forgiven for murder of : 1) an apostasy 2) an adulterer 3) a highway robber. Making vigilante street justice and honor killing acceptable.
10- A Muslim will not get the death penalty if he kills a non-Muslim.
11- Sharia never abolished slavery and sexual slavery and highly regulates it. A master will not be punished for killing his slave.
12- Sharia dictates death by stoning, beheading, amputation of limbs, flogging and other forms of cruel and unusual punishments even for crimes of sin such as adultery.
13- Non-Muslims are not equal to Muslims and must comply to Sharia if they are to remain safe. They are forbidden to marry Muslim women, publicly display wine or pork, recite their scriptures or openly celebrate their religious holidays or funerals. They are forbidden from building new churches or building them higher than mosques. They may not enter a mosque without permission. A non-Muslim is no longer protected if he commits adultery with a Muslim woman or if he leads a Muslim away from Islam.
14- It is a crime for a non-Muslim to sell weapons to someone who will use them against Muslims. Non-Muslims cannot curse a Muslim, say anything derogatory about Allah, the Prophet, or Islam, or expose the weak points of Muslims. However, the opposite is not true for Muslims.
15- A non-Muslim cannot inherit from a Muslim.
16- Banks must be Sharia compliant and interest is not allowed.
17- No testimony in court is acceptable from people of low-level jobs, such as street sweepers or a bathhouse attendant. Women in such low level jobs such as professional funeral mourners cannot keep custody of their children in case of divorce.
18- A non-Muslim cannot rule even over a non-Muslims minority.
19- Homosexuality is punishable by death.
20- There is no age limit for marriage of girls under Sharia. The marriage contract can take place anytime after birth and consummated at age 8 or 9.
21- Rebelliousness on the part of the wife nullifies the husband's obligation to support her, gives him permission to beat her and keep her from leaving the home.
22- Divorce is only in the hands of the husband and is as easy as saying: "I divorce you" and becomes effective even if the husband did not intend it.
23- There is no community property between husband and wife and the husband's property does not automatically go to the wife after his death.
24- A woman inherits half what a man inherits.
25- A man has the right to have up to 4 wives and she has no right to divorce him even if he is polygamous.
26- The dowry is given in exchange for the woman's sexual organs.
27- A man is allowed to have sex with slave women and women captured in battle, and if the enslaved woman is married her marriage is annulled.
28- The testimony of a woman in court is half the value of a man.
29- A woman looses custody if she remarries.
30- To prove rape, a woman must have 4 male witnesses.
31- A rapist may only be required to pay the bride-money (dowry) without marrying the rape victim.
32- A Muslim woman must cover every inch of her body which is considered "Awrah," a sexual organ. Some schools of Sharia allow the face and some don't.
33- A Muslim man is forgiven if he kills his wife caught in the act of adultery. However, the opposite is not true for women since he "could be married to the woman he was caught with."
The above are clear cut laws in Islam decided by great Imams after years of examination and interpretation of the Quran, Hadith and Mohammed's life. Now let the learned Imam Rauf tell us what part of the above is compliant with the US constitution?

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Submit a comment on this item

<< Previous Comment      Next Comment >>

Reader comments (179) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
THE EARTH BELONGS TO ALLAH (GOD) [22 words]sabir abdus-sameeJun 10, 2011 11:21186146
1Our dear Sabir wants to see the US constitution "be replaced by the Qur'an" Masha'allah [339 words]dhimmi no moreJun 11, 2011 07:01186146
Yes of course, US constitution can be replaced by ancient legal codes [61 words]PrashantJun 11, 2011 14:07186146
1Response to sabir abdus-samee [169 words]DillahAug 27, 2011 16:35186146
Replacing the U.S. Constitution with Koran [19 words]sabir abdus-sameeOct 11, 2011 12:59186146
THE EARTH BELONGS TO ALLAH (GOD) [32 words]sabir abdus-sameeOct 11, 2011 13:17186146
1Slightly faulty thinking [150 words]PrashantOct 12, 2011 22:46186146
3Another victim of Arabian imperialism [225 words]dhimmi no moreOct 13, 2011 07:14186146
2Another victim of Arabian imperialism [135 words]dhimmi no moreOct 16, 2011 08:19186146
Lesson for the murderers.... [60 words]DillahJul 29, 2012 13:26186146
1Why America does NOT belong to 'allah'... [95 words]DillahJul 29, 2012 13:34186146
Gratitude [19 words]DillahJul 29, 2012 13:36186146
Let Sabir Speak....... [474 words]DillahJul 29, 2012 13:59186146
addressed to abdus-samee [257 words]DillahSep 22, 2012 01:42186146
"You do not have the right to kill me - simply because I don't bow to the same god that you do. " [9 words]sabir abdus-sameeOct 13, 2016 20:34186146
1'Sharia for Dummies?' Accurate? [957 words]Ira KatzSep 2, 2010 13:16177596
1Addressed to the post of Ira Katz [776 words]DillahOct 2, 2010 18:25177596
Hizb al Tharir and many such cracy groups grown up with the help of some western countries [265 words]NaimSep 24, 2009 17:58162044
1Addressed to Naim [581 words]DillahMar 13, 2010 11:18162044
1US Constitution V Koran [807 words]DillahSep 18, 2009 10:17161733
the koran is unconstitutional [19 words]mark williamsOct 2, 2009 01:28161733
1Constitution vs Islam [86 words]btillyAug 14, 2009 23:14160211
reply btilly about Islam, and the US constitution [120 words]Imam Ahmed MuhammedAug 31, 2009 10:07160211
US Constitution verses Koran [243 words]DillahSep 20, 2009 11:20160211
Winning means no oil [76 words]WCAug 4, 2009 15:58159638
How shall an Islamicized America be realized? [277 words]Peter HerzJul 29, 2009 17:47159419
Ignoring the inconvenient facts [148 words]UgriJul 30, 2009 02:59159419
Foundation of the US Constitution [141 words]PhillipJul 27, 2009 15:55159352
ignorant [14 words]laurelMar 14, 2011 10:58159352
1Ignorant yes, delusional no [60 words]PhillipMar 15, 2011 14:59159352
End of capitalism? Where? [190 words]George PJul 26, 2009 23:49159329
This has happened in the past [253 words]B.N.GururajJul 26, 2009 22:55159328
Shariah over the Constitution [202 words]Jaisingh ThakurJul 26, 2009 09:34159295
Replacing the U.S. Constitution with the Koran [204 words]S.C.PandaJul 26, 2009 05:16159291
Straight from the horse's mouth! [70 words]Nick4693Jul 24, 2009 21:53159251
Dark clouds on the horizon [101 words]Regi B.Jul 24, 2009 19:37159249
Replacing the US constitution by the Islamic Sharia [190 words]Janusz KowalikJul 24, 2009 15:44159245
It will be done by stealth, unless... [484 words]Nick4693Jul 25, 2009 00:50159245
Jihad by Stealth [89 words]Janusz LaskiAug 1, 2009 13:46159245
1Our American Constitution [110 words]Nenette GrunbergSep 12, 2009 20:31159245
US Constitution [138 words]outspoken2Jul 24, 2009 13:03159239
Bunch of hypocrites [69 words]Nabil AhmadJul 24, 2009 12:27159237
Bunch of hypocrites [88 words]JimJul 30, 2009 14:14159237
RE. Jim [592 words]Nabil AhmadJul 31, 2009 12:30159237
US constitution is here to stay!!! [113 words]JaladhiJul 31, 2009 18:41159237
Our dear Nabil and Islam [277 words]dhimmi no moreAug 1, 2009 08:46159237
Our dear Nabil and the absurd [1746 words]dhimmi no moreAug 1, 2009 09:55159237
Our Constitution is being trashed by our Marxist President [187 words]TimothyAug 1, 2009 12:53159237
Muhammad [106 words]JimAug 1, 2009 18:49159237
I agree with you... [24 words]Nabil AhmadAug 1, 2009 21:31159237
To dhimmi no more... [466 words]Nabil AhmadAug 1, 2009 22:21159237
Jim... [254 words]Nabil AhmadAug 1, 2009 22:36159237
Don't revise the Koran; deep-six it! [652 words]Nick4693Aug 1, 2009 23:06159237
Arabic in this blog and our dear Nabil [224 words]dhimmi no moreAug 2, 2009 20:57159237
1Our dear Nabil and teaching one tablighee at a time [1647 words]dhimmi no moreAug 3, 2009 07:09159237
I wasn't addressing you here, "dhimmi no more" [110 words]Nabil AhmadAug 3, 2009 12:17159237
1Our dear Nabil has no answers because he does not know any Arabic and that is the truth [328 words]dhimmi no moreAug 4, 2009 06:39159237
... wasting your time. [107 words]Nabil AhmadAug 4, 2009 12:18159237
Dhimmi no more [115 words]Nabil AhmadAug 4, 2009 13:04159237
Nabil [471 words]JimAug 4, 2009 15:44159237
1More drivel from our dear Nabil [408 words]dhimmi no moreAug 4, 2009 18:58159237
ask those who know [753 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 4, 2009 22:59159237
Our dear Nabil is a careless reader [441 words]dhimmi no moreAug 5, 2009 07:05159237
You're still missing the big picture [326 words]Nabil AhmadAug 5, 2009 12:18159237
Your ignorance knows no bounds [140 words]Nabil AhmadAug 5, 2009 12:29159237
Unarmed? [56 words]DonAug 5, 2009 20:48159237
Your futility knows no bounds ... [108 words]Nabil AhmadAug 6, 2009 12:10159237
Who's having a meltdown, Dhimmi Forever? [193 words]Nabil AhmadAug 6, 2009 12:27159237
Nabil...I think I know what you're saying as another "Muslim" by birth [661 words]Wana88Aug 7, 2009 10:11159237
Our dear so called Nabil Ali and the Muslim mind [359 words]dhimmi no moreAug 7, 2009 19:32159237
1Our dear so called Nabil and his little meltdwon [350 words]dhimmi no moreAug 7, 2009 20:16159237
1Islam is really the religion of the Hijazi Arabs only and this is what the Qur'an says [260 words]dhimmi no moreAug 7, 2009 20:28159237
1psychosocial disease [717 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 8, 2009 00:37159237
The Muslim mind and fascism [214 words]dhimmi no moreAug 8, 2009 07:31159237
Me, a bigot? [43 words]Nabil AhmadAug 8, 2009 10:15159237
Poor, poor Dhimmi Forever [327 words]Nabil AhmadAug 8, 2009 10:34159237
you're beginning to sound like a fascist/wahhabi/nazi yourself!! [138 words]Wana88Aug 8, 2009 20:52159237
Dance, Dhimmi, dance! [89 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 00:09159237
To Grand Infidel [179 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 01:28159237
Dhimmi fForever, go see a psychiatrist [198 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 01:55159237
You continue to sink lower and lower... [61 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 02:01159237
Make me abandon Islam, you stinking retard! [99 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 02:07159237
Interesting points [154 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 02:19159237
Camel's urine is really Islamic penicillin and I'm not making this one up [624 words]dhimmi no moreAug 9, 2009 07:12159237
You want bigotry, Ahmed? [162 words]DonAug 9, 2009 13:22159237
Our dear so called nabil and his education [353 words]dhimmi no moreAug 9, 2009 13:31159237
Our dear Wana and islam [185 words]dhimmi no moreAug 9, 2009 13:42159237
BTW..my comments "sound like fascist etc" addressed to Dhimmi Dude not Nabil! [77 words]Wana88Aug 9, 2009 21:19159237
Dummy no more: So you're a GENOCIDE EXPERT NOW?? Revealing... [310 words]Wana88Aug 9, 2009 21:59159237
Nabil: Please stop this useless "discourse"... [112 words]Wana88Aug 9, 2009 22:10159237
Little boy, behave yourself [194 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 00:39159237
Look in the mirror again, you ignorant bigot [97 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 00:45159237
You're cracked [111 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 00:53159237
Hypocrite... [141 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 01:01159237
Good for you, Wana88 [37 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 01:05159237
More drivel from our dear Nabil [221 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:26159237
Our dear so called Nabil Ali and the Muslim mind part deux [289 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:34159237
Islamists- a shared problem [234 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 10, 2009 06:36159237
More drivel from our dear so called nabil [142 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:38159237
islam is really the religion of the Hijazi Arabs only [97 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:41159237
Our dear so called Nabil Ali and the Muslim mind part trois [258 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:50159237
Our dear Wana and what is really a genocide [352 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 06:59159237
Our dear Wana and what is really a genocide and other sordid matters [138 words]dhimmi no moreAug 10, 2009 07:07159237
Put down your crack pipe and smell the fresh air [192 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 12:27159237
Here's my answer... [129 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 12:34159237
worship carvings of wood and stone [129 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 12:42159237
1#2 for you, Ahmed [323 words]DonAug 10, 2009 19:37159237
Who's frothing in the mout, Don? [285 words]Nabil AhmadAug 10, 2009 23:22159237
top marks for pragmatism [251 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 11, 2009 02:58159237
Islamic paganism [675 words]dhimmi no moreAug 11, 2009 06:35159237
Our dear so called nabil and his education [255 words]dhimmi no moreAug 11, 2009 06:47159237
1You're still missing the big picture [201 words]JimAug 11, 2009 13:19159237
To Jim [695 words]Nabil AhmadAug 11, 2009 17:43159237
Pea-brain [119 words]Nabil AhmadAug 11, 2009 17:54159237
More gobbledegook, Dhimmi? [109 words]Nabil AhmadAug 11, 2009 18:00159237
Our dear Nabil and his poor education and Latin go figure [228 words]dhimmi no moreAug 12, 2009 06:14159237
Our dear so called Nabil and islamic paganism part deux [158 words]dhimmi no moreAug 12, 2009 06:18159237
Dates picking time and our dear so called Nabil [1463 words]dhimmi no moreAug 12, 2009 07:22159237
Don't wanna let go? [121 words]Nabil AhmadAug 12, 2009 12:35159237
You are soooo full of yourself [236 words]Nabil AhmadAug 12, 2009 12:47159237
It was them! [410 words]DonAug 12, 2009 15:36159237
the 'divine inspiration' [397 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 12, 2009 17:39159237
So what are the names of the schools our dear so called Nabil? [177 words]dhimmi no moreAug 13, 2009 06:47159237
Camel's urine is really Islamic penicillin and I'm not making this one up part deux [324 words]dhimmi no moreAug 13, 2009 06:59159237
More drivel from our dear so called nabil ali [252 words]dhimmi no moreAug 13, 2009 07:09159237
Dates picking time and our dear so called Nabil part deux [319 words]dhimmi no moreAug 13, 2009 07:24159237
Doesn't change the truth... [268 words]Nabil AhmadAug 18, 2009 17:24159237
You again [19 words]Nabil AhmadAug 18, 2009 17:29159237
Hey, ... [123 words]Nabil AhmadAug 18, 2009 17:36159237
You're soooo ill-informed... [237 words]Nabil AhmadAug 19, 2009 17:33159237
Our dear so called Nabil and islam is really the religion of the Arabs only and you ain't no Arab [497 words]dhimmi no moreAug 21, 2009 07:33159237
Freedom of Speech and the Muslim mind [688 words]dhimmi no moreAug 22, 2009 07:26159237
You again [41 words]Nabil AhmadAug 22, 2009 21:42159237
Don't patronize me, [74 words]Nabil AhmadAug 22, 2009 21:45159237
Hello again Nabil [404 words]JimAug 23, 2009 14:11159237
The Qur'an says that islam is the religion of the Hijazi Arabs only [268 words]dhimmi no moreAug 24, 2009 06:45159237
You disappoint me, Jim. [143 words]Nabil AhmadAug 24, 2009 13:03159237
Roman responsibility [74 words]the Grand Infidel of KafiristanAug 24, 2009 17:36159237
You disappoint me, Jim [385 words]JimAug 26, 2009 12:22159237
Nice try, Jim [768 words]Nabil AhmadAug 27, 2009 11:09159237
Oh the context thing again! [358 words]dhimmi no moreAug 27, 2009 19:19159237
Marxist President [12 words]LarryAug 29, 2009 11:22159237
Koran now in 3-Ply ? [157 words]gordon weareAug 30, 2009 00:51159237
Nice try, Jim [449 words]JImAug 30, 2009 19:48159237
I wasn't talking to you [10 words]Nabil AhmadAug 31, 2009 12:47159237
Our dear so called nabil [84 words]dhimmi no moreAug 31, 2009 19:52159237
Deception? [565 words]Nabil AhmadSep 1, 2009 13:11159237
Excuse of "context" !!! [87 words]JaladhiSep 1, 2009 16:57159237
1Men and women are not equal in islam! My source? The Qur'an and kutub al-turath al-islami that our dear so called Nabil cannot read in Arabic [1399 words]dhimmi no moreSep 2, 2009 07:43159237
You again... [53 words]Nabil AhmadSep 2, 2009 12:28159237
the butcher of sudan [69 words]SamuelSep 11, 2009 05:49159237
brain washed [67 words]SamuelSep 11, 2009 05:58159237
Hello, is anyone upstairs? [298 words]Nabil AhmadSep 13, 2009 07:20159237
A Marxist President ????? [394 words]Nenette GrunbergSep 14, 2009 19:20159237
Nenette .......please do a little research on Karl Marx [369 words]TimothySep 19, 2009 21:30159237
Crazies [218 words]Nabil AhmadJul 24, 2009 12:24159236
Put to death, Nabil? [65 words]DonAug 1, 2009 19:31159236
Now, now... [62 words]Nabil AhmadAug 1, 2009 21:52159236
The world's biggest problem [216 words]DonAug 3, 2009 07:30159236
I beg to differ [174 words]Nabil AhmadAug 4, 2009 12:11159236
BS, Ahmed [365 words]DonAug 4, 2009 22:39159236
Muslims like myself [237 words]Nabil AhmadAug 6, 2009 12:19159236
1Nabil- Sorry but your justification re Muslim silence does not cut it [316 words]saraAug 7, 2009 19:54159236
Not a true Muslim, Ahmed [134 words]DinAug 8, 2009 08:07159236
No matter what I do or say, you won't be convinced [183 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 01:13159236
You don't know jack, Din [187 words]Nabil AhmadAug 9, 2009 01:42159236
Good observations Sara... [633 words]Wana88Aug 10, 2009 11:50159236
islam [82 words]SamuelSep 11, 2009 05:23159236
lies and more [103 words]SamuelSep 11, 2009 05:37159236
Samuel, [75 words]Nabil AhmadSep 13, 2009 06:40159236
Islam doesn't kill people any more than guns do [59 words]Nabil AhmadSep 13, 2009 06:43159236
And I have stated time and time again... [21 words]PavaJul 24, 2009 12:14159234
Obama's encorougement of Radical Islam [347 words]Nenette GrunbergJul 24, 2009 11:50159231
blame the Jews [139 words]SamuelSep 11, 2009 06:14159231
Don't care was made to care [223 words]Rebecca MouldsJul 24, 2009 10:06159226
A fine line we cannot cross [160 words]AlexJul 31, 2009 18:42159226
Islamists and the Constitution [618 words]dhimmi no moreJul 24, 2009 07:35159220
the islamists are clearly telling us they want the entire planet. [83 words]Phil GreendJul 24, 2009 03:12159214
replacing const. with koran [119 words]alton robinsonJul 26, 2009 21:02159214

Follow Daniel Pipes

Facebook   Twitter   RSS   Join Mailing List

All materials by Daniel Pipes on this site: © 1968-2024 Daniel Pipes. daniel.pipes@gmail.com and @DanielPipes

Support Daniel Pipes' work with a tax-deductible donation to the Middle East Forum.Daniel J. Pipes

(The MEF is a publicly supported, nonprofit organization under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Tax-ID 23-774-9796, approved Apr. 27, 1998.

For more information, view our IRS letter of determination.)