Across the world, there are countless religions, new and old, each with their own traditions and laws that believers respect. As defined by world history, sharia, the Arabic word meaning “the path” or “the way,” refers to traditional Islamic law. (Ellis, Esler and Beers, 255) Sharia law has its origins in the Quran, the holy book of Islam, which Muslims consider to be the unaltered word of God. Like the Quran, Sharia law derives from the teachings and examples given by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, whom Muslims consider the perfect man of faith. Muslims believe that God revealed his true belief to Muhammad, who in turn was to spread God's commandments through the Quran. Between the death of Muhammad in the seventh century and well into the tenth century, many Islamic scholars strove to understand sharia in its entirety and apply it to the rapidly expanding Muslim empire of the time (Dunn, 57 ). Sharia law played a key role in the unification of the Islamic Empire by serving as a precedent dictating laws regarding private and public behavior. Before Islam, it was common for nomadic tribes that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula to worship a large number of idols. Additionally, these tribes had their own laws regarding marriage, hospitality, revenge, etc. When tribes clashed, crimes were not always settled with the same punishments as the end result, as laws varied for each tribe (Dunn, 63). This uneven and inconsistent approach to justice caused tensions between tribes to rise and further conflicts to arise. In the early 6th century, Muhammad introduced Islam to the Arab world and asserted that there was only one true God. Islam required believers to obey the will and laws of God (Islamic law, web). By introducing Isla...... middle of paper ...... a key role in the unification of the Islamic Empire by serving as a precedent that dictated laws regarding private and public behavior. As the Muslim empire grew in size and influence, Sharia law became more central and almost all Arabs, and certainly all Muslims, looked to the laws for instruction. Additionally, due to the large number of conversions to Islam, Sharia law became the law of the land. Additionally, due to the almost complete allegiance to Islam and the laws it respected, fewer conflicts based on morality arose, since Muslims respected the same power and accepted the same laws and beliefs. It is the common recognition of Islam and Sharia law that has helped Muslims feel united as a religious front, even more so than among various tribes with diverse beliefs. Sharia law produced a sense of communal order and contributed to the establishment of a peaceful and productive Islamic empire..