Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Madhhab (plural: madhahib) literally means "way" or "direction" and refers to an Islamic school of law with its own systematic methodology for deriving legal rules from the Quran and Sunnah. In Sunni Islam, there are four recognized schools of law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.
Each madhhab has its own approach to prayer with characteristic differences in details: the placement of the hands (qabd vs. irsal), recitation of Bismillah (aloud or silently), saying "Amin" (aloud or silently), calculation of Asr time, and the number of rak'ah in certain voluntary prayers.
The four imams deeply respected each other despite their differences. Imam Abu Hanifah said: "When a hadith is authentic, it is my madhhab." Imam al-Shafi'i said: "If you find an authentic hadith that contradicts my statement, then know that my statement is that hadith." And Imam Ahmad said: "Do not follow me blindly — take from the sources they took from." This humility illustrates the flexibility of the schools of law.
Related terms
Ghusl (Ritual Full-Body Washing)
The complete ritual washing of the entire body, required in certain situations.
Khutbah (Sermon)
The Islamic sermon delivered before the Friday prayer and at the Eid prayers.
Jumu'ah (Friday Prayer)
The weekly congregational prayer on Friday, which replaces Dhuhr.
Tilawah (Quran Recitation)
Recitation of the Quran, which is a central part of prayer and daily worship.
Sunan al-Nasa'i (Nasa'i's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its strict authenticity criteria.
Khalifah (Caliph/Successor)
The political and religious leader of the Muslim community after the Prophet's passing.