Sharia law is based on two things: 1. Things from the Qur'an 2. Things from the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) ------------- Modern Sharia law is based on t

Sharia law is based on two things: 1. Things from the Qur'an 2. Things from the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) ------------- Modern Sharia law is based on three things: 1. Qur'an 2. Hadith 3. Fiqh (which is the interpretations) ----- That's the issue. The Fiqh part is very different from region to region and from sect to sect. Often, the really obscure laws that are brought up in arguments (take female genital mutilation for example) are often part of the Fiqh than the Sharia. That's also why, like I mentioned before, "Sharia" can be very different in Egypt compared to in Saudi Arabia.