Shariah, or traditional Islamic Law, forms the basis of the Saudi legal system. The Shariah is derived from the Holy Quran and the Sunna (words and deeds) of the Prophet Mohammed, as interpreted by influential scholars of Islamic jurisprudence. The Shariah consists of precepts that are often expressed as general principles. There are various schools of Islamic Law that interpret such precepts. The Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence is the most influential in Saudi Arabia, and within the Hanbali school there are majority and minority views on various issues, any of which may be applied in any particular case. In addition, we are aware of certain instances in which precepts of other schools of Islamic jurisprudence have been applied by the courts where such application was deemed by such courts to be appropriate in the interests of justice and fairness with respect to the particular matter in question.