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Sharia Law - Exam
Contributed by: Christie
  • 1. Sharia Law, also known as Islamic law, is a religious law derived from the Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. It covers a wide range of aspects of life, including personal conduct, family life, business transactions, and criminal justice. Sharia Law is implemented in various forms in many countries with significant Muslim populations and often influences the legal systems in those countries. It is based on principles such as justice, equality, and compassion, and seeks to promote community welfare and individual well-being in accordance with Islamic values.

    What is Sharia Law?
A) International law governing human rights
B) Legal system based on Roman law
C) Secular legal system based on democratic principles
D) Islamic law derived from the Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad
  • 2. Which religion is primarily associated with Sharia Law?
A) Islam
B) Christianity
C) Buddhism
D) Judaism
  • 3. In which language is the Quran originally written?
A) Latin
B) Arabic
C) French
D) Chinese
  • 4. What is the importance of Qiyas in Sharia Law?
A) Act of charity
B) Fasting practice
C) Analogical reasoning to derive legal rulings
D) Special prayer ritual
  • 5. What are Fatwas in the context of Sharia Law?
A) Penalties for criminal acts
B) Fasting practices
C) Legal opinions provided by Islamic scholars
D) Religious holidays
  • 6. What is the significance of Sunnah in Sharia Law?
A) Sacred text
B) Annual pilgrimage
C) Fasting month
D) Practices and teachings of Prophet Muhammad
  • 7. What is the role of a Mufti in the context of Sharia Law?
A) Military commander
B) Archaeologist
C) Interpret and provide legal opinions on Islamic law
D) Tax collector
  • 8. What is the concept of Taqlid in Sharia Law?
A) Giving to charity
B) Legal conformity to established rulings
C) Religious pilgrimage
D) Fasting during Ramadan
  • 9. What is 'Halal' in the context of Sharia Law?
A) Permissible according to Islamic law
B) Fasting practice
C) Sacred text
D) Underground movement
  • 10. Which country applies Sharia Law as the main legal system?
A) United States
B) Japan
C) Saudi Arabia
D) France
  • 11. Which branch of Islamic law deals with individual duties and obligations?
A) Tafsir
B) Fiqh
C) Hadith
D) Aqida
  • 12. What is 'Tawhid' in the context of Sharia Law?
A) Religious holiday
B) Oneness of God
C) Muslim prayer ritual
D) Religious charity
  • 13. What is the term used for consensus in Islamic jurisprudence?
A) Sunnah
B) Qiyas
C) Fiqh
D) Ijma
  • 14. Which legal school is known for its flexibility in interpreting Sharia?
A) Maliki
B) Hanbali
C) Shafiʽi
D) Hanafi
  • 15. What role does ijma play in Sharia?
A) It refers to individual interpretation of the Quran.
B) It is used only in economic transactions.
C) It is a form of punishment for non-compliance with Islamic law.
D) It represents consensus among the community or religious authorities.
  • 16. What are the four meanings conveyed by the term Sharia according to Jan Michiel Otto?
A) Divine, abstract; Classical; Historical; Contemporary sharia(s).
B) Islamic law, historical context, modern application.
C) Sufi stages, Islamic rules, legal systems.
D) Pathway, religious regulations, divine justice.
  • 17. Who was responsible for the most common translation of the Torah into Arabic during the 10th century?
A) Ibn Sina
B) Al-Ghazali
C) Al-Farabi
D) Saadia Gaon
  • 18. Which expression is a common translation of 'Torat Elokim' and 'nómos toú theoú'?
A) Kitab Allah
B) Hikmah
C) Sharīʿat Allāh
D) Qur'an al-Azim
  • 19. Who is considered the real architect of Islamic jurisprudence according to some historians?
A) Al-Shafi'i
B) Malik ibn Anas
C) Abu Hanifa
D) Ibn Sina
  • 20. What is the main verse for implementing Qisas in Islam?
A) Al Baqara 178
B) Surah Al-Ikhlas
C) Surah Al-Fatiha
D) Surah An-Nisa
  • 21. What was added to the pre-Islamic understanding of Qisas during the Islamic period?
A) Introduction of community service as punishment
B) Complete abolition of Qisas
C) Mandatory exile for all murderers
D) Debate about whether a Muslim can be executed for a non-Muslim
  • 22. Which group relies on narration in Islamic jurisprudence?
A) Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari's followers
B) rationalists
C) Atharists, Ahl al-Hadith
D) Ahl al-Kalām, Mu'tazila
  • 23. Which theologian sought a middle way between narration and reason?
A) Ahl al-Kalām
B) Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari
C) Ahl al-Hadith
D) Mu'tazila
  • 24. What does the Quran emphasize in nearly 40 verses?
A) Custom
B) Prayer
C) Rituals
D) Tradition
  • 25. What is the term for the lack of consensus on a point of Islamic law?
A) Sunnah
B) Ijma
C) Ikhtilaf
D) Qiyas
  • 26. Which scholar expanded the inventory of Maqāṣid to include women's rights?
A) Mohammed al-Ghazali
B) Rashid Rida
C) Abdallah bin Bayyah
D) Yusuf al-Qaradawi
  • 27. When did Shia jurists begin using the term Ijtihad?
A) 8th century
B) 14th century
C) 12th century
D) 10th century
  • 28. What is the term for juristic preference in classical Ijtihad?
A) Istishab
B) Taqlid
C) Istislah
D) Istihsan
  • 29. Who declared purpose and benefit as the heart of 'usul-al fiqh'?
A) Abdallah bin Bayyah
B) Ibn Hanbal
C) Al-Shafi'i
D) Ibn Taymiyyah
  • 30. Which method in classical Ijtihad is not adopted by all legal schools?
A) Naskh (abrogation)
B) Ijma (consensus)
C) Istihsan (juristic preference)
D) Qiyas (analogical reasoning)
  • 31. What is the term for consideration of public interest in Ijtihad?
A) Qiyas
B) Ijma
C) Istislah
D) Istihsan
  • 32. Which sect did not accept the jurisprudence of Omar regarding Mut'a marriage?
A) Sunni sect
B) Shiite sect
C) Kharijite sect
D) Zaydi sect
  • 33. What are the five categories of Sharia rulings known as?
A) The five decisions (al-aḥkām al-khamsa)
B) The four pillars
C) The ten commandments
D) The seven laws
  • 34. What term is used in Hanafi fiqh for situations that do not meet the second condition for fard?
A) Mandūb
B) Farḍ
C) Wajib
D) Mustaḥabb
  • 35. What is the term for a special religious decision specific to a person or situation?
A) Fatwa
B) Qisas
C) Hudud
D) Tazir
  • 36. What is the term for penalties outside Qisas and Hudud laws?
A) Fatwa
B) Qisas
C) Hudud
D) Tazir
  • 37. According to traditional fiqh, when does legal and religious responsibility begin?
A) At birth
B) Upon reaching puberty
C) After the first prayer
D) With rushd (maturity)
  • 38. Which Islamic scholar stated that God cannot be assigned a place?
A) Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
B) Ibn Taymiyyah
C) Al-Ghazali
D) Al-Shafi'i
  • 39. Which of the following is not one of 'the four quarters' in substantive jurisprudence?
A) Marriage
B) Injuries
C) Rituals
D) Sales
  • 40. In which category are crimes judged with discretion for correction or rehabilitation?
A) Hudud
B) Diya
C) Taʿzīr
D) Qisas
  • 41. Which genre is meant to aid students in remembering general principles?
A) Collections of fatwas
B) Mukhtasar
C) Mabsut
D) Qawāʿid
  • 42. Which crimes have scripturally prescribed punishments in Islamic law?
A) Qisas
B) Diya
C) Taʿzīr
D) Hudud
  • 43. Which crimes are punishable under Hadd?
A) Treason, blasphemy
B) Murder, adultery, slander, theft
C) Property damage, bodily injury
D) Crimes against God
  • 44. Which Sunni school of law is predominant in North and West Africa?
A) Shafi'i
B) Hanafi
C) Hanbali
D) Maliki
  • 45. Which Sunni school of law is known for its strict adherence to the Quran and Hadith?
A) Maliki
B) Hanafi
C) Hanbali
D) Shafi'i
  • 46. Which Islamic legal school is predominant in Oman?
A) Maliki
B) Ibadi
C) Hanafi
D) Shafi'i
  • 47. Which Sunni school is predominant in Southeast Asia?
A) Maliki
B) Shafi'i
C) Hanbali
D) Hanafi
  • 48. Who traditionally interpreted Sharia by issuing fatwas?
A) Muftis
B) Muslim rulers
C) Imams
D) Judges
  • 49. What determined the stature of jurists?
A) Their political connections
B) The number of fatwas they issued
C) Their scholarly reputation
D) Their wealth and social status
  • 50. How were Sunni muftis incorporated into state structures over time?
A) Gradually incorporated into state bureaucracies
B) They remained independent throughout history
C) They were banned from issuing fatwas
D) They formed separate religious courts
  • 51. What did a professor grant at the end of a course in a madrasa?
A) A diploma for completing high school
B) A certificate of attendance
C) A license (ijaza) certifying a student's competence
D) A recommendation letter
  • 52. Who was in charge of a qadi's court?
A) The ruler
B) A mufti
C) A judge (qadi)
D) A shurta
  • 53. What was required for evidence in both civil and criminal cases in a qadi's court?
A) Physical evidence
B) Written documents
C) Oral witness testimony
D) Confessions
  • 54. Why did qadi's courts often lose jurisdiction over criminal cases?
A) Absence of oral testimony
B) Lack of trained judges
C) Influence from the ruling elite
D) Stringent procedural norms made convictions difficult
  • 55. What type of court could a plaintiff pursue if a qadi's court did not result in a verdict?
A) Sharia court
B) Mazalim court
C) Mufti court
D) Police court
  • 56. What legal maxim reflects the attitude towards court litigation?
A) "Evidence is king"
B) "Justice above all else"
C) "The letter of the law prevails"
D) "Amicable settlement is the best verdict"
  • 57. What was a famous collection of laws promulgated by Ottoman sultans?
A) Qanun
B) Fatawa-e-Alamgiri
C) Mazalim
D) Sharia
  • 58. What was a common outcome in Sharia courts involving peasants and landowners?
A) Cases involving peasants and landowners were rarely heard in Sharia courts.
B) Landowners almost always won cases against peasants.
C) Sharia courts favored neither party in disputes between peasants and landowners.
D) Peasants almost always won cases against oppressive landowners.
  • 59. Which European power first initiated significant legal reforms in British India?
A) The French
B) The Spanish
C) The British
D) The Dutch
  • 60. Who commissioned the translation of Al-Hidayah into Persian and then English?
A) Napoleon Bonaparte
B) King George III
C) Lord Cornwallis
D) Warren Hastings
  • 61. In what year were the waqfs placed under state control in the Ottoman Empire?
A) 1917
B) 1870s
C) 1839
D) 1826
  • 62. In what language was the Mecelle written?
A) Turkish
B) English
C) French
D) Arabic
  • 63. What marked the beginning of Westernization in legal institutions in Muslim nation-states?
A) The 20th century
B) The post-colonial era
C) The colonial era
D) The Ottoman Empire
  • 64. Which country carried out radical reforms in Islamic family law in 1956?
A) Tunisia
B) Iran
C) Egypt
D) Saudi Arabia
  • 65. What was a common strategy used by governments to change Sharia rules without direct reform?
A) Ignoring traditional practices entirely
B) Imposing administrative hurdles
C) Abolishing all religious laws
D) Directly changing the Quranic text
  • 66. How did Shiite leaders like Ayatollah Khomeini frame their call for Sharia?
A) Through advocating for secular governance.
B) As a resistance struggle using leftist anticolonialist rhetoric.
C) By focusing solely on economic reforms.
D) By promoting Western democratic values.
  • 67. Which country has a constitution that does not mention Sharia but possesses Sharia-based family laws?
A) Algeria
B) Iran
C) Saudi Arabia
D) Pakistan
  • 68. Which country has issued a new 'Islamic Penal Code'?
A) Iran
B) Pakistan
C) Libya
D) Saudi Arabia
  • 69. Which of the following is NOT a way property can be acquired under Sharia?
A) Purchase
B) Bequest
C) Through pre-trial discovery process
D) Inheritance
  • 70. What is the role of judges' verdicts in Sharia courts under the principle of stare decisis?
A) Judges' verdicts do not set binding precedents
B) They are universally codified
C) They must be followed by all future cases
D) They require jury approval
  • 71. Who must be witnesses in Sharia court proceedings according to traditional rules?
A) Only men
B) Anyone regardless of religion
C) Muslims
D) Non-Muslims
  • 72. What is 'Waqf' in the context of Sharia property law?
A) A form of legal representation
B) A type of court procedure
C) A charitable endowment
D) An inheritance tax
  • 73. What is the diya for Magians (majus) compared to a free Muslim male according to several legal schools?
A) The same as a non-Muslim man.
B) Half the value.
C) Twice the value.
D) One-fifteenth the value.
  • 74. What proportion of diya do Jewish or Christian male plaintiffs receive compared to a Muslim male in Saudi Arabia?
A) One-sixteenth the amount.
B) The same amount.
C) Half the amount.
D) Twice the amount.
  • 75. What proportion of diya do non-Muslim males receive compared to a Muslim male in Saudi Arabia, excluding Jews and Christians?
A) One-sixteenth.
B) Half the amount.
C) Twice the amount.
D) The same amount.
  • 76. Who was historically responsible for the legal implementation of hisba?
A) A public official called muhtasib (market inspector)
B) Local religious leaders
C) Educational administrators
D) Military commanders
  • 77. Which province in Indonesia has an organization called Wilayatul Hisbah?
A) Aceh
B) Sumatra
C) Bali
D) Jakarta
  • 78. In which country are Sharia-based family laws administered for Muslims by the Ministry of Justice through the Sharia Courts?
A) India
B) Israel
C) England
D) United States
  • 79. According to a 2013 Pew Forum survey, which country had the highest percentage of Muslims supporting Sharia as the law of the land?
A) Indonesia (72%)
B) Egypt (74%)
C) Afghanistan (99%)
D) Pakistan (84%)
  • 80. Which country had the lowest support for Sharia as law among Muslims according to the 2013 Pew Forum survey?
A) Azerbaijan (8%)
B) Turkey (12%)
C) Kazakhstan (10%)
D) Albania (12%)
  • 81. In which region was the support for Sharia as law highest according to regional averages?
A) South Asia (84%)
B) Southern-Eastern Europe (18%)
C) Middle-East/North Africa (74%)
D) Sub-Saharan Africa (64%)
  • 82. What percentage of Muslims in Egypt believe Sharia should not be applied to non-Muslims?
A) 56%
B) 65%
C) 74%
D) 42%
  • 83. What percentage of Muslim students in the UK supported the introduction of Sharia into British law for Muslims according to a 2008 YouGov poll?
A) 40%
B) 60%
C) 55%
D) 25%
  • 84. Who was one notable political figure that called for a federal ban on Sharia law in the United States?
A) Governor Ron DeSantis
B) Senator Ted Cruz
C) President Barack Obama
D) Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
  • 85. Which U.S. state's ballot initiative sought to ban the use of Sharia law in courts but was struck down by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals?
A) Florida
B) California
C) Texas
D) Oklahoma
  • 86. Which U.S. state explicitly bans Sharia law through its National Assembly's unanimous vote in 2005?
A) Quebec, Canada
B) Ontario, Canada
C) Alberta, Canada
D) British Columbia, Canada
  • 87. Which German official stated that Sharia law is not tolerated on German soil?
A) President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
B) Chancellor Angela Merkel
C) Foreign Minister Heiko Maas
D) Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière
  • 88. How many U.S. states had introduced bills aimed against the use of Sharia by 2014?
A) 34
B) 25
C) 20
D) 50
  • 89. Which right-wing pundit referred to 'liberty versus Sharia' as a momentous debate?
A) Glenn Beck
B) Ann Coulter
C) Laura Ingraham
D) Diana West
  • 90. In which Canadian province are family law disputes arbitrated only under Ontario law?
A) Ontario
B) Alberta
C) Quebec
D) British Columbia
  • 91. Which scholar has argued for a 'religious democracy' based on democratic, tolerant, and just religious thought?
A) Sayyid Qutb
B) Abul A'la Maududi
C) Abdolkarim Soroush
D) Hasan al-Turabi
  • 92. What do Islamic liberals argue is necessary for the reexamination of religious understanding?
A) An absolute monarchy
B) Radical Islamist movements
C) Western democracy without modifications
D) A democratic context
  • 93. In what year did the Constitutional Court of Turkey ban and dissolve Turkey's Refah Party?
A) 2001
B) 2003
C) 1995
D) 1998
  • 94. Who criticized the decision for not distinguishing between extremist and mainstream interpretations of Islam?
A) Refah Party
B) The Turkish Constitutional Court
C) Kevin Boyle
D) Maurits S. Berger
  • 95. How many individuals were legally executed for apostasy from Islam between 1985 and 2006?
A) Four individuals.
B) None.
C) More than ten individuals.
D) Twenty individuals.
  • 96. What is the range of social acceptance for homosexuality among Muslims in the U.S.?
A) 25%
B) 100%
C) 52%
D) Less than 10%
  • 97. What was forbidden regarding marriage under the minimum age in the Ottoman Empire?
A) Marriage at any age without proof of maturity.
B) Marriage above the minimum age was forbidden.
C) Marriage below the minimum age was forbidden.
D) Marriage with parental consent.
  • 98. What legal rights did Islamic law grant Muslim women that Western women did not possess until recently?
A) Property rights
B) Voting rights
C) Freedom of speech
D) Right to drive
  • 99. Which scholar collected Hadiths showing Muhammad's disapproval of beating women?
A) Ibn Faras
B) Darimi
C) Ata' bin Abi Rabah
D) Ibn Hajar
  • 100. Which organizations have proposed ways to modify Sharia-inspired laws to improve women's rights in domestic abuse cases?
A) UNICEF, WHO, Amnesty International
B) Red Cross, Save the Children, Human Rights Watch
C) Doctors Without Borders, Greenpeace, Oxfam
D) Musawah, CEDAW, KAFA
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