CONCLUSION

Whatever reservations an outsider may have about specific provisions of the Shari'ah, it should nevertheless be possible for him to appreciate the deep foundations, the solid framework and the breathtaking beauty of an institution which gave rise to one of the finest of human civilisations and which to this day continues to sustain and inspire every fifth human being who walks on this globe. For the Shari'ah literally means the path to water-the source of life.