An old medieval book from Shafi‘i sect of Sunni Islam is bring used as propaganda to slander all Muslims in all their respective sects.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Reliance of the Traveller (Umdat al-Salik wa ‘Uddat al-Nasik)
What it is
A classical Sunni Islamic legal manual (fiqh), written in the 14th century by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri
Follows the Shafi‘i school of Islamic law
It is not the Quran, not Hadith, and not a universal Muslim rulebook
It was written for jurists and judges, not lay Muslims
Why it gets cited so often
It is one of the few medieval Islamic law texts certified as accurate by Al-Azhar (a major Sunni authority)
Critics quote it to argue that Sharia mandates harsh punishments
Supporters argue it reflects historical jurisprudence, not modern practice
What it actually represents
A snapshot of medieval legal theory, similar to:
Medieval Canon Law in Christianity
Rabbinic legal debates in the Talmud
It reflects a time when religion and state were inseparable
Many rulings depend on:
A caliphate or Islamic state
Extremely high evidentiary standards
Judicial discretion that rarely existed in practice
What it does not represent
It does not represent:
How most Muslims live today
Law in secular Muslim-majority countries
American Muslims’ beliefs or legal systems
The majority of Muslims have never read it
Modern Islamic scholars often reject or contextualize large portions of it
Key historical reality
For 1,400 years, Islamic civilization:
Included multiple legal schools that disagreed with each other
Had long periods of religious pluralism
Allowed Jews and Christians to govern themselves internally
Also had periods of brutality — like every other pre-modern civilization
Using this book alone to define Islam today is like using the Spanish Inquisition manuals to define modern Christianity.
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