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Qanun is an Arabic word derived from the
Greek κανών (
kanōn, the root for the modern English word "
canon"). It can refer to laws promulgated by Muslim sovereigns, in particular the Ottoman Sultans, in contrast to
shari'a, the body of law elaborated by Muslim jurists. The 10th sultan of the
Ottoman Empire,
Suleiman was known in the Ottoman Empire as Suleiman Kanuni ("the Lawgiver"), due to his code of laws.