scholars disagree about the origins of the word "sharia". some say that "sharia" comes from the old arabic word meaning "pathway to be followed". this would make it similar to "halakha" (the way to go), the hebrew word for jewish law. other scholars think that the word "sharia" originally meant "path to the water hole". they say that knowing the way to a water hole could save a man's life in the dry deserts where many arabs lived in ancient times, and that is why this word came to refer to god's guidance to man.