Sources of Fiqh for the Four Imams (Sunni):
- Imam Abu Hanifah:
- Quran: The primary and foundational source of Islamic law.
- Hadith: Prophetic traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
- Ijma: Consensus of the scholars on legal issues.
- Qiyas: Analogical reasoning and applying legal principles to derive rulings.
- Istihsan: Juristic preference and equity.
- Urf: Local customs and practices.
- Imam Malik:
- Quran: The divine scripture of Islam.
- Hadith: Prophetic traditions, focusing primarily on the hadiths of the people of Medina.
- Ijma: Consensus of the scholars of Medina.
- Qiyas: Analogical reasoning.
- ‘Amal Ahl al-Madinah: The practice and customs of the people of Medina.
- Imam Shafi’i:
- Quran: The holy book of Islam.
- Hadith: Prophetic traditions, including both the authenticated (sahih) and the weak (da’if) hadiths.
- Ijma: Consensus of the scholars.
- Qiyas: Analogical reasoning.
- Istihsan: Juristic preference and equity.
- ‘Amal Ahl al-Madinah: The practice and customs of the people of Medina.
- Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal:
- Quran: The primary source of Islamic law.
- Hadith: Prophetic traditions, with a strong emphasis on authentic narrations.
- Ijma: Consensus of the scholars.
- Qiyas: Analogical reasoning, although with more limited application compared to other schools.
- Athar: Narrations and practices of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Sources of Fiqh for Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (Shia):
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq, considered an important figure in early Shia jurisprudence, relied on the following sources:
- Quran: The fundamental source of guidance in Islam.
- Hadith: Prophetic traditions and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) transmitted through the Imams.
- Sunnah: Practices of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Imams from the Ahl al-Bayt (household of the Prophet).
- Ijma: Consensus of the Shia scholars.
- ‘Aql: Reasoning and intellect.
- ‘Amal Ahl al-Bayt: The practice and customs of the Ahl al-Bayt.
It’s important to note that the sources and methodologies of fiqh can vary among different scholars and schools within Sunni and Shia Islam, but the sources mentioned above provide a general understanding of the foundations of their legal reasoning.
