The Four Major Sources
In classical Sunni Islam, there are four major sources of jurisprudence: the Qur'an, the Sunnah, ijma' (consensus), and qiyas (analogy).
There is some dispute amongst the Sunni jurists regarding ijma' and qiyas. The Zahirites in particular reject all forms of qiyas, and Dawud al-Zahiri, Abu Hanifa and Ahmad bin Hanbal only accepted ijma' al-sahaba (consensus of the companions of Muhammad).
Read more about this topic: Usul Al-fiqh
Famous quotes containing the words major and/or sources:
“No culture on earth outside of mid-century suburban America has ever deployed one woman per child without simultaneously assigning her such major productive activities as weaving, farming, gathering, temple maintenance, and tent-building. The reason is that full-time, one-on-one child-raising is not good for women or children.”
—Barbara Ehrenreich (b. 1941)
“On board ship there are many sources of joy of which the land knows nothing. You may flirt and dance at sixty; and if you are awkward in the turn of a valse, you may put it down to the motion of the ship. You need wear no gloves, and may drink your soda-and-brandy without being ashamed of it.”
—Anthony Trollope (18151882)