Is sharia law compatible with human rights?

What sharia actually covers

For most Muslims, sharia means the whole path of Islam: prayer, fasting, honesty, charity, marriage, business ethics and good character. Only a small part of it is criminal law, and classical scholars agreed that part could only be applied by a legitimate state through a proper court, never by individuals. See Do I have to follow the laws of my country as a Muslim?

Shared values

Classical scholars such as al-Ghazali and al-Shatibi described the purpose of sharia through the maqasid, its five objectives: protecting religion, life, intellect, family and property. Those goals sit close to the right to life, freedom of thought, family life and ownership.

• Dignity: the verse above speaks of every human being, not only Muslims.
• Justice for all: believers must be just even toward people they dislike (Quran 5:8).
• No oppression: in a hadith qudsi, Allah says He has forbidden oppression for Himself and among people (Sahih Muslim 2577).
• Life, property and honor: the Prophet ﷺ declared them sacred in his farewell sermon (Sahih al-Bukhari 67).

Where the tension lies

It's more honest to name the hard questions than to pretend they don't exist:

• Apostasy: classical law treated leaving Islam as a crime in some cases. Many contemporary scholars argue this was tied to treason or doesn't apply today.
• Family law: rules on inheritance shares, divorce and polygamy are read differently by different scholars, and many Muslim countries have reformed them. See Can a Muslim woman ask for a divorce?
• Criminal penalties: classical hudud punishments are physical. Classical law also set very strict proof and dropped penalties at any doubt, and many scholars say the conditions for them aren't met today.

In 1990, member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. It affirms many familiar rights but places them under sharia, which critics say leaves room for restrictions.

The range of Muslim views

Some Muslims see sharia and human rights as fully compatible once sharia is understood through its objectives. Others hold to classical rulings and see some rights frameworks as culturally Western. Many reformist scholars argue for fresh readings of specific rulings in light of changed circumstances. What nearly all agree on is that justice, mercy and human dignity sit at the heart of the faith.