Definition
The science of how scholars extract rulings from the Qur'an, Sunnah, ijmā‘, and qiyās — including rules of language, classification of commands and prohibitions, abrogation, and methods of inference.
Pronunciation: u-ṢŪL al-fiqh
Etymology & Root
Uṣūl = 'roots, foundations'; fiqh = 'understanding.' Uṣūl al-fiqh is the foundations upon which fiqh is built.
Scholarly Notes
Imām ash-Shāfi‘ī's ar-Risālah is the first surviving systematic work in this science. Without uṣūl, fiqh becomes random opinion.
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Related Terms
More from Fiqh Terms
Major ritual purification — full body washing.
Understanding the rulings of the Sharī‘ah.
The minimum wealth threshold making zakāh obligatory.
The direction of the Ka‘bah faced in prayer.
Fasting — fourth pillar of Islam.
Forbidden in the Sharī‘ah.