What are some of the tough punishments?
Caning is one of the punishments allowed under Sharia law
Sharia law divides offences into two general categories: "hadd" offences, which are serious crimes with set penalties, and "tazir" crimes, where the punishment is left to the discretion of the judge.
Hadd offences include theft, which can be punishable by amputating the offender's hand, and adultery, which can carry the penalty of death by stoning.
Some Islamic organisations have argued that there are many safeguards and a high burden of proof in the application of hadd penalties.
The UN has spoken out against death by stoning, saying it "constitutes torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and is thus clearly prohibited".
Sharia law derives from the Koran and the rulings of Islamic scholars
Not all Muslim countries adopt or enforce such punishments for hadd offences, and polling suggests attitudes of Muslims to harsh penalties for such offences vary widely.
Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Muslim thinker in Europe, has called for a moratorium on corporal punishment, stoning and the death penalty in the Muslim world.
He argues that the conditions under which such penalties would be legal are almost impossible to re-establish in today's world.
Governing under Sharia (external link)