An Introduction to Usul al-Fiqh

Fiqh, or Islamic Jurisprudence, is one of the major and, perhaps, most weighty of Islamic sciences. Its principles are central to understanding Islamic primary sources and to deducing positive interpretations of the faith.

Our primary sources define these principles in different ways. Nonetheless, the most comprehensive and apt definition is as follows: “Principles of jurisprudence represent a collection of rules and discussions which help infer, with cogent arguments, practical commands of Shari’ah”.

We study fiqh in order to gain expertise in interpreting Shari’ah commands from primary sources. This helps in working out finer details of such commands.

It is important for students of Shari’ah to gain familiarity with these principles. Without possessing such knowledge they cannot become familiar with Shari’ah commands, nor can they infer any points in the face of new challenges that will surely come to face the modern community.

This textbook has been designed to introduce the major principles of Islamic jurisprudence. An attempt has been made to present complete picture of this area of study for high school-level students as well as general adult readers. It will help grasp how divine commands are interpreted and the ways and means employed for obtaining inferences. It is out hope that this in turn will contribute to a better understanding of Islam.