❖ The Four Primary Sources of Islamic Law
Islamic jurisprudence is built upon four fundamental sources:① The Book of Allah (Qur’an)
② The Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ
③ Ijma‘ (Consensus of the Scholars)
④ Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
These principles are derived directly from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and serve as the legitimate framework for deriving Islamic rulings.
❖ Practice of the Rightly Guided Caliphs
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA): When faced with a legal issue, he would first look into the Qur’an. If not found, he would refer to the Sunnah. If still unresolved, he would consult the Sahabah. If consensus was reached, he would then issue a ruling accordingly.— I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in 2/118
Ibn ‘Abbas (RA): He would first refer to the Qur’an, then to the Hadith, then to the rulings of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (RA), and finally to his own Ijtihad if no prior sources addressed the issue.
— Sunan al-Darimi 1/55, al-Faqih wa’l-Mutafaqqih 1/203
❖ ① The Qur’an: The First and Foremost Source
The Qur’an is a complete and eternal guide. Allah ﷻ guarantees its preservation:“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder (the Qur’an), and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
— (Surah Al-Hijr: 9)
Allah has stated that the Qur’an encompasses everything necessary for guidance:
“We have not neglected in the Book a thing.”
— (Surah Al-An‘am: 38)
❖ ② The Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ: The Second Source
The Prophet ﷺ explained and exemplified the meanings and application of the Qur’an:“And We revealed to you the Book only so that you may explain to them what they differed about…”
— (Surah An-Nahl: 64)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allah.”
— Sahih Bukhari, 7137
He also clarified ambiguous verses. For example, when the verse was revealed:
“Those who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice…”
— (Surah Al-An‘am: 82)
The Sahabah were worried until the Prophet ﷺ clarified:
“Injustice here refers to shirk (polytheism), not sin.”
— Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 336
❖ Evidence from Ibn Mas‘ud (RA)
A woman challenged him regarding the prohibition of cosmetic alterations. He responded by referencing the Hadith and substantiating it with the Qur’anic verse:“Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, abstain from it.”
— (Surah Al-Hashr: 7)
— Sahih Bukhari, Tafsir: 4886
❖ ③ Ijma‘ (Consensus)
When the companions unanimously agreed on a matter, their consensus became a binding source of law. Scholars also accept consensus from later generations, provided there is no dissent from any qualified scholar.❖ ④ Qiyas (Analogy)
Qiyas applies known rulings from the Qur’an or Sunnah to new situations based on shared reasoning. Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) acknowledged its validity but only under necessity, likening it to eating carrion during starvation or performing Tayammum in absence of water.— Usul Madhhab al-Imam Ahmad, 2/283–285
