What Does Madhhab (Legal School) Mean in Arabic?
مَذْهَب
madhhab
Root: ذ ه ب
Madhhab (Legal School) A madhhab is a school of Islamic jurisprudence built around the methodology of a founding imam. The four major Sunni madhhabs are Hanafi (Abu Hanifa), Maliki (Imam Malik), Shafi'i (Imam al-Shafi'i), and Hanbali (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Each school developed a coherent methodology for deriving legal rulings from the Quran and Sunnah. The existence of multiple madhhabs reflects the richness and flexibility of Islamic legal thought.
Frequently Asked Questions about Madhhab (Legal School)
What does Madhhab (Legal School) mean in Islam?
A madhhab is a school of Islamic jurisprudence built around the methodology of a founding imam. The four major Sunni madhhabs are Hanafi (Abu Hanifa), Maliki (Imam Malik), Shafi'i (Imam al-Shafi'i), and Hanbali (Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal). Each school developed a coherent methodology for deriving legal rulings from the Quran and Sunnah. The existence of multiple madhhabs reflects the richness and flexibility of Islamic legal thought.
What is the Arabic root of Madhhab (Legal School)?
The Arabic root letters of Madhhab (Legal School) are ذ ه ب.
Related Words
حَلَال
Halal (Permissible)
Halal refers to anything permissible or lawful under Islamic law. It applies to food, drink, financial transactions, and behavior. The Quran repeatedly instructs believers to eat from what is halal and good (tayyib). Halal is the opposite of haram (forbidden) and forms one of the five rulings (ahkam) of Islamic jurisprudence.
حَرَام
Haram (Forbidden)
Haram refers to anything strictly forbidden by Islamic law. Committing a haram act is a sin deserving punishment in both this world and the hereafter. Major categories include pork, alcohol, usury (riba), adultery, and murder. Islamic jurisprudence identifies five rulings (ahkam); haram is the most severe prohibition.
فَرْض
Fard (Obligatory)
Fard is an obligatory religious duty in Islam whose performance is rewarded and whose neglect is sinful. The five pillars of Islam — shahada, salah, zakat, sawm, and hajj — are all fard. Fard is divided into fard ayn (individual obligation) and fard kifaya (collective obligation fulfilled when enough people perform it).
وَاجِب
Wajib (Necessary)
Wajib in Hanafi jurisprudence is an obligatory act slightly below fard in rank, established by probable (zanni) rather than definitive (qati) evidence. Neglecting it is sinful but less severe than neglecting fard. Examples include witr prayer, udhiyya (sacrifice), and sadaqat al-fitr. In Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, wajib and fard are synonymous.