Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
The Islamic legal science that derives practical rules from the Quran and Sunnah.
Fiqh literally means "deep understanding" and refers to Islamic jurisprudence — the systematic derivation of practical rules from the Quran, the Sunnah, ijma' (consensus), and qiyas (analogy). Fiqh covers all aspects of Muslim life, from worship ('ibadat) to social relations (mu'amalat).
Prayer rules (fiqh al-salah) constitute one of the most detailed parts of fiqh. They cover the prayer's conditions (shurut), pillars (arkan), obligations (wajibat), sunnah acts, and invalidating factors (mubtilat). Each school of law has its own detailed set of rules based on their interpretation of the sources.
Imam Abu Hanifah said: "Fiqh is knowing the soul's rights and obligations." Al-Shafi'i defined fiqh as "knowledge of the practical shariah rules derived from their detailed evidence." The great fiqh works such as al-Hidayah (Hanafi), al-Mudawwanah (Maliki), al-Umm (Shafi'i), and al-Mughni (Hanbali) are still studied today as foundational texts in Islamic jurisprudence.
Related terms
Imamat (Divine Leadership)
The doctrine of the twelve divinely appointed Imams who lead the community after the Prophet.
Tabi'in (The Successors)
The generation of Muslims who met the Prophet's companions but did not themselves meet the Prophet.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Raf' al-Yadayn (Raising the Hands)
The practice of raising the hands to the shoulders or ears at specific points in the prayer.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.
Ijma' (Consensus)
Agreement among Islamic scholars on a legal question, considered the third source of Islamic law.