What Does Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning) Mean in Arabic?
قِيَاس
qiyas
Root: ق ي س
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning) Qiyas is analogical reasoning — the fourth source of Islamic law. A jurist extends the ruling of an existing text to a new case that shares the same effective cause (illa). For example, since wine is forbidden due to its intoxicating effect (illa), all other intoxicants are prohibited by qiyas. Qiyas allows Islamic jurisprudence to address contemporary issues not explicitly mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah.
Frequently Asked Questions about Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
What does Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning) mean in Islam?
Qiyas is analogical reasoning — the fourth source of Islamic law. A jurist extends the ruling of an existing text to a new case that shares the same effective cause (illa). For example, since wine is forbidden due to its intoxicating effect (illa), all other intoxicants are prohibited by qiyas. Qiyas allows Islamic jurisprudence to address contemporary issues not explicitly mentioned in the Quran or Sunnah.
What is the Arabic root of Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)?
The Arabic root letters of Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning) are ق ي س.
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.