Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid Syariah 2014 by Sheikh Nurudeen Lemu

Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid Syariah part 1/4 

The actions of a Muslim must be done according to the Islamic commandments(Ahkam) derived and understood from the Islamic jurisprudence(Usul al Fiqh) resources. Every actions in a Muslim life are classified into these categories:

For the School of Thoughts i.e Mazhab Maliki, Mazhab Shafii and Mazhab Hanbali, Hukum are categorized in five groups:


1) Fardh/Wajib - Compulsory or obligatory, sinful if omitted

2) Mustahab/Mandub - encouraged or recommended

3) Mubah - neither obligatory nor recommended (neutral)

4) Makruh - disliked, abominable (abstaining is recommended)

5) Haram - Forbidden or prohibited, Sinful if commited (abstaining is obligatory)

(the Hanafi School of Thought have 7 category of Hukum)

Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid Syariah part 2/4

There are 4 categories of authentication of certainty(credibility) of the meaning and implication of revelation:

1) Qat'i al-tsubut - Authenticated and Certain.
2) Qati al Dilalah - Authenticated but not Certain.
3) Zanni al tsubut - Not Authenticate but Certain.
4) Zanni al Dilalah - Not Authenticate and not Certain.

Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid Syariah part 3/4

Mazhab follow an equation of hierarchy of authority by using various Ijtihad tools like Ijma, Qiyas, Maslaha etc, to formulate a hukum on a religious problem. This is the equation uses by a Mazhab to ijtihad in order to reach a conclusion on a Hukum(haram, mustahab, mubah, makruh or haram).

A) The hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools for the Hanafi would be:


1)Quran, --> 2)Hadith Mutawatir, --> 3)Istihsan, --> 4)Ijma', --> 5)Qiyas --> 6)Hadith Ahad --> 7)Istihab --> 8)Urf, --> dll

B) The hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools for Maliki would be:

1)Quran, --> 2)Hadith Mutawatir, --> 3)Amal of Medina, --> 4)Ijma', --> 5)Maslaha, --> 6)Qiyas, --> 7)Hadith Ahad, --> 8)Urf, --> dll

C) The hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools for Shafii would be:

1)Quran, --> 2)Hadist Mutawatir, --> 3)Ijma, --> 4)Hadist Ahad, --> 5) Qiyas, --> 7)Maslaha, --> 8)Urf-->dll

D) The hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools for Hanbali would be:

1)Quran, --> 2)Hadist Mutawatir, --> 3)Hadist Ahad, --> 4)Ijma, --> 5)Pendapat Sahabat, --> 6)Qiyas, --> 7)Maslaha, --> dll

E) The Syiah, hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools for Ja'fariah would be:

1) Quran --> 2)Hadith Mutawatir -->3)Ijma -->4)Hadist Ahad(only selected ahlul bait hadith)

F) The Zahiri, hierarchy of authority of ijtihad tools would be:

1) Quran --> 2)Hadith Mutawatir -->3)Hadist Ahad -->4)Ijma (no Qiyas or other tools of ijtihad would be considered).

Usul al-Fiqh and Maqasid Syariah part 4/4

There are differences of opinion over the authority of Ahad Hadith among the Mujtahidt Imams and their School of Thoughts(Mazhab).

1) The Hanafi School - Ahad Hadith with no other supporting evidence(Ijma' Qiyas etc) only makes a thing wajib or makruh tahrimi but not Fardh or Haram.(there are 7 Ahkam in the Hanafi School - http://ilmuislamuallaf.blogspot.com/…/ahkam-plural-hukum.ht…)


2) The Maliki School - Ahad Hadith with no other supporting evidence only makes a thing makruh or mustahab. It can only make something Haram or Fardh if supported by Amal of Medina, Qiyas or other Ijtihad tools.

3) Shafii and Hanbali School - Ahad Hadith on its own can make a thing Fard/Wajib or Haram.

For most of the School of Thoughts like Hanafi, Maliki Shafii and most of the Hanbali, except the Zahiri School of Thought, the Ahad Hadith on their own cannot be used to establish essential Creed(Akidah) due to the element of speculation (Zanni) in them.