1. Reign of ‘Umar
ibn al-Khattab
Late 8th-early 9th c.
Formalisation of shari‘a
qadi = judge
shari‘a =
Islamic law
al-Awza‘i (d. 774) - active in Syria
Abu Hanifa (d. 767) - active in Iraq
Malik ibn Anas (d. 795) - active in Medina,
wrote al-Muwatta’ (book of legal rulings)

2. hadith = tales of
sayings and actions
of Muhammad and
companions
Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi‘i (d. Egypt 820)
isnad = chain of transmitters
‘ilm al-rijal = “knowledge of men” = science of
studying individuals named in isnads
Late 8th-early 9th c.
Increasing importance
placed on hadith
from Muhammad

3. Al-Shafi’i’s Sources of Islamic Jurisprudence
(fiqh)
1. The Qur’an
2. The hadith
3. Qiyas (analogy)
4. Ijma‘ (consensus - effectively
of the ‘ulama’ [legal
scholars] as expressed in
fatwas [recorded decisions])

4. Schools of Law (madhhabs)
1. Hanafis - in Iraq, following Abu Hanifa
2. Awza‘is - in Syria, following al-Awza‘i
3. Malikis - in Arabia and elsewhere,
following Malik ibn Anas
4. Shafi‘is - in Egypt, following al-Shafi‘i
5. Hanbalis - following Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 855)
6. Zahiris - following Da’ud al-Zahiri (d. 883)

5. mufti = jurisconsult
Pillars of Islam: 1. Shahada (testimony)
2. Salat (ritual prayer)
3. Zakat (almsgiving)
4. Sawm (fasting)
5. Hajj (greater pilgrimage)