Taking a novel approach to the topic, this course will give students an in-depth alternative understanding of the development of Islamic law to that made popular by those that cling to the theory of the ‘Closure of the Door of Ijtihād’. It will survey the codification of fiqh in the four schools of Sunni law and beyond to the present day, while also assessing the main principles (usūl) and source books of each school of law.
Why Islamic law developed in the way it did is a contentious issue. The schools of law in Sunni Islam have been at the receiving end of attacks accusing them of being to a degree responsible for the general civilizational stagnation of Muslims. Even those that do not accuse the schools of presiding over the intellectual stagnation of the Muslim world would contend that their existence is indicative of the trend to follow (through taqlid) rather than lead (throughijtihad) and to be submissive rather than assert progressive thought.
A detailed mapping-out of how Islamic law developed does not provide evidence for such claims, rather it indicates that the science of fiqh followed the same trajectory of development as other disciplines of the Islamic sciences: that of an initial phase of genesis then development, ending in a phase of codification and standardization.
Tracing the Law
Watch the course trailer.
Teacher
Shaykh Ruzwan Mohammed is a Sunni theologian and scholar. A graduate in Geopolitics and Arabic from the University of Glasgow, he has studied with a wide array of leading scholars in the Muslim world. As part of his formal Islamic training, he graduated from the Fat’h Islamic Law College in Damascus, graduating from the prestigious 6-year program with a distinction of merit, achieving overall 1st position in his year of graduation.
Curriculum
- 1 - Introduction (4:18)
- 2 - Development of Law focusing on historical events (2:46)
- 3 - Development of Law based on the prevalence of independent legal thought (ijtihad) - [Beginning of revelation] (3:41)
- 4 - Development of Law based on the prevalence of independent legal thought (ijtihad) - Phase Two- Legal productivity (1:50)
- 5 - Development of Law based on the prevalence of independent legal thought (ijtihad) - Phase Three- Stagnation (1:32)
- 6 - The development of Islamic law from the perspective of the formation of the schools (madhahib) (2:09)
- 7 - Theory of codification and standardization of Law (4:37)
- 8 - Phase One- The era of the rightly guided Khalifs and the followers (tabi’un) (5:23)
- 9 - Distinguishing features of Phase One (7:31)
- 10 - The emergence Ahl al-Hadith (traditionalists) and Ahl al-Ra'y (Rationalists) (6:41)
- 11 - Collection, codification and standardization of Law during the early period (2:21)
- 12 - Phase Two- The era of the Imams (6:14)
- 13 - Closing remarks on Early developments (4:41)
- 1 - Overview of theories to the age of Taqlid (4:39)
- 2 - Age of Taqlid (7:19)
- 3 - Closure of the door of Ijtihad (4:26)
- 4 - Phase Four -The Latter era (4:39)
- 5 - Phase Five- The Modern age (2:05)
- 6 - The development of ‘ The Fiqh of Minorities’ (al-Fiqh al-Aqaliyyah) (6:34)
- 7 - Notes on Islamic law and the application of Hadd (5:07)
- 8 - Application of Hadd as a measure of Shari’ah indexing (7:35)
- 9 - Summary of the codification and standardization of Law thesis (3:26)
Testimonials
"What I found interesting in the course is how it changed my what I have always had in my mind, that the books we study in a school of law are in someway distant from the ‘Quran and Sunnah’. These lessons showed me just how essential these books are in understanding what is in the Quran and Sunnah."
"Being brought up as a Hanafi in terms of my daily practice of Islam, it was so insightful to see the way this actually represents the teachings of the most illustrious Companions!"
"I had read a book about this topic previously, but this course gave me a completely different view of the subject! Rather than being an innovation, a Bidah, the Sunni madh’habs are actually the clearest forms of early Islam, just codified for easy reference. The insights into the intellectual minds of the Four Imams was awesome!"
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s in the course?
The course covers the development of Islamic law and the science of Fiqh from the beginning of Islam to the Modern age, as well as dedicated sessions on each of the four schools of Sunni law.
Are there any prerequisites?
The class assumes basic Islamic literacy of terms and an interests in the science of Fiqh. It is particularly useful for those that have covered a basic study of fiqh, such as that covered in the iSyllabus Diploma course.
Is there a minimum age for this class?
The course is suitable for anyone with basic Islamic literacy of terms and an interests in the science of Fiqh.