Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Qiyas is the fourth source of Islamic jurisprudence after the Quran, the Sunnah, and ijma' (consensus). It is a method of analogical reasoning where a legal rule for a new situation is derived by identifying a common cause ('illah) with an already regulated situation.
In prayer legislation, qiyas is used, for example, to establish rules for situations not directly mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah. Imam Abu Hanifah was the most prominent advocate of qiyas. Imam al-Shafi'i formalized the qiyas methodology in his "al-Risalah" with strict conditions for its valid application.
Not all schools of law accept qiyas to the same degree. The Zahiri school rejected qiyas entirely, while the Hanbali school used it sparingly. Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "I do not use qiyas unless it is absolutely necessary." The discussion about the role of qiyas is fundamental to understanding why the different schools of law can reach different conclusions from the same sacred texts.
Related terms
Salat al-Wahsha (The Prayer of Loneliness)
A prayer performed on the first night after burial for the soul of the deceased.
Tawakkul (Trust in Allah)
Total trust and reliance on Allah in all of life's matters.
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Asr (Afternoon Prayer)
The third daily prayer, performed in the afternoon.
Du'a Nudba (The Lamentation)
A supplication about the 12th Imam's return, recited on Fridays and festivals.
Rak'ah (Prayer Cycle)
A single cycle of movements and recitations in the Islamic prayer.