Story highlights Some US states are trying to curb the possibility of Sharia law making its way onto the books

Sharia law refers to the set of principles that govern the moral and religious lives of Muslims

(CNN) Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump says he wants to test Muslims coming into America to make sure they don't want Sharia law to supersede the US constitution. Meanwhile some states have passed, or are trying to pass, laws to curb the possibility of Sharia law making its way onto the books in the US.

With the rise in recent years of both radical Islamic terrorism and anti-Muslim bigotry, Sharia -- or Islamic religious law -- has become a hot topic of debate.

Some of its harsher versions can demand women clad in all black, adulterers being stoned and thieves getting their hands cut off. But Sharia governs many other areas of Muslim life, such as prayer. And many Muslims, turning to Sharia for moral guidance, have more moderate and varied interpretations.

Here's what you need to know about Sharia:

What does its name mean?