The School of Islamic Jurisprudence (A Comparative Study)

After careful study of various schools of Islamic jurisprudence one can conclude in the words of Prophet Muhammed (P.B.U.H.) that “The differences of opinion in my community is (a sing of divine) mercy”. Therefore difference of opinions in Islamic community among jurists in matters of law developed various schools of Islamic jurisprudence. These schools (Madhahib) are the various paths or roads of Sharia, the source of Islamic learning.

The basis on which all schools of Islamic jurisprudence developed their doctrines is the same and its is only in matters of secondary nature, they differ from each other. These differences are due to various methods of their interpretation of the Holy Qur’an and Sunna, the fundamental sources of Islamic law. All schools accepted the authority of these fundamental sources and based their systems on them with their own way of understanding and interpreting them. Thus they are streams of the one ocean that It Sharia and their aim is to guide people towards understanding of Islam and in following the right path and thereby to obey Allah’s commands, in which lies the welfare of individual as well as society in general.