About this course
Examine the shared methods used to derive rulings across different areas of Islamic law. The course establishes the vocabulary of fiqh and legal theory, introduces the requirements for ijtihad, and considers the Quran, Sunnah, consensus and reason as sources of legal inquiry.
The later lessons focus on interpretation: commands and prohibitions, general and particular expressions, absolute and conditional meanings, and clear and ambiguous language. Discussions of conflicting hadith, abrogation, reasoning and procedural principles show the range of questions addressed by legal theory.
What you’ll explore
- The vocabulary of legal theory and requirements for ijtihad
- The Quran, Sunnah, consensus and reason
- Apparent meanings, conflicting hadith and interpretive questions
- Commands, prohibitions and general and particular expressions
- Absolute, conditional, clear and ambiguous meanings
- Abrogation, reasoning and procedural principles
Curriculum
- 01Print-Ready Course Notes
- 02Defining Islamic Legal Theory
- 03The Linguistic Meaning of Fiqh
- 04The Technical Meaning of Fiqh
- 05Requirements for Ijtihad
- 06Important Vocabulary
- 07The Sources of Islamic Law
- 08The Quran
Show the full curriculum (27)
- 09The Sunnah
- 10Consensus
- 11Reason
- 12Brief History on the Development of Islamic Legal Theory
- 13The Subjects of Islamic Legal Theory
- 14The Apparent Meanings of the Quran
- 15Problems with the Sunnah
- 16Conflicting Hadith
- 17Issues Common to the Quran and Sunnah
- 18Commands
- 19Prohibitions
- 20The General and the Particular
- 21The Absolute and the Conditional
- 22Implicit Meanings
- 23The Clear and the Ambiguous
- 24The Abrogator and the Abrogated
- 25Two Types of Consensus
- 26Deriving Rulings Using Reason
- 27Procedural Principles
Before you begin
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