Concept

Fiqh

Overview

Fiqh (; Arabic: فِقْه [fiqh]) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence. Fiqh is often described as the style of human understanding, research and practices of the sharia; that is, human understanding of the divine Islamic law as revealed in the Quran as well as the sunnah (the teachings and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his companions). Fiqh expands and develops sharia through interpretation (ijtihad) of the Quran and sunnah by Islamic jurists (ulama) and is implemented by the rulings (fatwa) of jurists on questions presented to them. Thus, whereas sharia is considered immutable and infallible by Muslims, fiqh is considered fallible and changeable.

Fiqh deals with the observance of rituals, morals and social legislation in Islam as well as economic and political system. In the modern era, there are four prominent schools (madh'hab) of fiqh within Sunni practice, plus two (or three) within Shi'a practice. A person trained in fiqh is known as a faqīh (pl. fuqahāʾ).

Figuratively, fiqh means knowledge about Islamic legal rulings from their sources. Deriving religious rulings from their sources requires the mujtahid (an individual who exercises ijtihad) to have a deep understanding in the different discussions of jurisprudence.

The studies of fiqh are traditionally divided into uṣūl al-fiqh (principles of Islamic jurisprudence, lit. "the roots of fiqh"), the methods of legal interpretation and analysis, and furūʿ al-fiqh (lit. "the branches of fiqh"), the elaboration of rulings on the basis of these principles. Furūʿ al-fiqh is the product of the application of uṣūl al-fiqh and the total product of human efforts at understanding the divine will. A hukm (pl. aḥkām) is a particular ruling in a given case.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).

Possible passages

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This power is also other than the conjecturing (surmising) power, for the reason that this last does not preserve what some other has deemed to be true, but it of its own self deems to be true, whilst the power here treated of does not itself pass judgment of truth or falsehood, but only preserves what another has deemed to be true. This power is called memory, the preserving or keeping faculty.
Avicenna, A Compendium on the Soul
States what Fiqh is; the author is tied to Fiqh in the knowledge graph.
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The precept of returning good for evil has never been regarded as a case of the fulfilment of justice, but as one in which the claims of justice are waived, in obedience to other considerations. Fourthly, it is confessedly unjust to _break faith_ with any one: to violate an engagement, either express or implied, or disappoint expectations raised by our own conduct, at least if we have raised those expectations…
John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism
States what Fiqh is.
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According to this explanation, a person that has a true knowledge of the whole Law is called wise in a double sense; he is wise because the Law instructs him in the highest truths, and secondly, because it teaches him good morals. But as the truths contained in the Law are taught by way of tradition, not by a philosophical method, the knowledge of the Law, and the acquisition of true wisdom, are treated in the books…
Moses Maimonides, The guide for the perplexed
States what Fiqh is.
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Fiqh

Overview

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Philosophers who discussed Fiqh

Related ideas

Opposing perspectives

Place in the tradition