What are the sources of Islamic law?
The classical consensus: Qurʾan, Sunnah, ijmāʿ (scholarly consensus), and qiyās (reasoning by analogy) — in that order of authority. Each school of fiqh applied them with a slightly different weighting.
2 passages from 2 books in the library
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 2 books by Imam al-Ghazali — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"The correctness of listening is not determined by narrators but by scholars of usul, or principles in jurisprudence. This is well-established in the rules of usul al-fiqh. Even if narrators meet the basic requirement, they might still be deluded by focusing solely on transmission, neglecting the essentials of religion and the meanings of the reports."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Whatever response is given to their arguments, suffice it to say that it is a sufficient path to prove this point. But let us begin by stating that both the texts [nass] and analogy [qiyas] indicate its permissibility. As for analogy, singing comprises several elements that should be examined individually and collectively."
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