Fiqh: Fundamentals of Islamic Law
Fiqh is a branch of Islamic sciences that examines and interprets the religious provisions that regulate the daily lives of Muslims. It literally means “to understand” or “to know something in depth”. It is a set of rules that regulate people’s worship and actions based on basic Islamic sources such as the Quran, hadiths, ijma and qiyas, which is one of the five basic sources of the religion of Islam. Fiqh covers not only worship but also issues such as inheritance, marriage, commercial and criminal law.
Features of Fiqh
1. Comprehensive Discipline:
Fiqh, as an applied science of Islamic law, transforms the theoretical knowledge of religion into a practical life guide. Fiqh scholars create detailed legal provisions by bringing together Quranic verses, the Sunnah of the Prophet, the practices of the companions and rational interpretations.
2. Dynamic Structure:
Fiqh has a dynamic structure with the ability to respond to human needs that change according to time and place. Thanks to the open door of ijtihad, new provisions can be brought to new situations.
3. Four Sects:
In Sunni Islam, four major sects (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali) form the basis of their understanding of fiqh. Each sect offers fiqh views and practices shaped in different geographies and different time periods.
4. Worship and Daily Life:
Fiqh regulates many areas of daily life such as marriage, divorce, trade and criminal law, as well as worship such as prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. This ensures that the science of fiqh has an aspect that touches all segments of both individual and social life.
5. Application and Comment:
Fiqh involves the application and interpretation of provisions appropriate to the living standards of Muslim communities in a particular period and place. This process of interpretation has led to the emergence of different schools of jurisprudence.
6. Justice and Need Balancing:
Fiqh offers various provisions to ensure justice and meet people’s needs in a balanced way. It aims to ensure the peace and stability of society.
Fiqh Science and Its Importance
Fiqh means Islamic law and is a detailed legal framework developed to understand and apply Islam’s sacred laws, known as sharia. It aims to find solutions from an Islamic perspective to the religious, ethical and social problems that Muslims encounter in their daily lives. Drawing on Islamic texts such as the Quran and Hadiths, it provides detailed rules and guidelines in various fields such as worship, muamelat (inter-human relations), family law, inheritance law and criminal law.
The Importance of Fiqh
- Covers All Areas of Life: Fiqh provides practical and detailed information on issues that Muslims encounter in daily life, such as worship, morality, trade, marriage and social relations.
- Provides Understanding of Islamic Laws: Fiqh makes Islamic laws understandable and applicable. Thus, Muslims can organize their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
- Ensuring Social Order: Fiqh has an important role in ensuring social order. It provides guidance on issues of justice, rights and obligations.
- Cultural and Historical Heritage: Fiqh is a critical element in preserving the rich cultural and historical heritage of Islamic civilization and transferring it to future generations.
- Ethics and Moral Guidance: Fiqh helps individuals distinguish between right and wrong by focusing on individual and social ethics and moral values.
- Flexibility and Diversity: Thanks to various sects and interpretations, fiqh has the ability to adapt to changing conditions and different cultural contexts over time.
Fiqh is a living branch of science that Islamic scholars have meticulously focused on, constantly developed and updated for centuries. It shapes Muslims’ lifestyles, beliefs and social relations. Fiqh studies are generally carried out in madrasahs and faculties of Islamic sciences, and being a fiqh scholar requires a broad and deep knowledge.