Fiqh and scholars
Fiqh and the four schools
Fiqh is the understanding of Islamic law that scholars draw from the Quran and the Sunnah. These guides explain the words, the four Sunni schools and the methods behind a ruling, with the book each position comes from. They do not give a ruling on your own case.
Start here
Madhhabs and why scholars differThe Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: what a madhhab is, and why scholars working from the same sources can reach different rulings.Read the guideThe words
- What is fiqhWhat fiqh means, where it comes from and what it covers.Coming soon
- Sharia explainedWhat Sharia means, and how it differs from fiqh.Ready to read
- What is a fatwaWhat a fatwa is, who gives one and how to weigh it.Ready to read
How scholars reach rulings
- Ijma qiyas and ijtihad explainedConsensus, analogy and independent reasoning, alongside the Quran and Sunnah.Coming soon
Traditions and terms you will hear
- Sunni and Shia explainedThe main differences between Sunni and Shia Islam.Coming soon
- Sufism explainedWhat Sufism is and where it sits in Islamic practice.Coming soon
- What does Salafi meanWhere the word Salafi comes from and how it is used.Coming soon
- What does jihad meanWhat jihad means in the sources and in scholarly use.Coming soon
Where a question is about your own situation, ask a scholar you trust. How we compare the schools.