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In plain terms
Fiqh
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Fiqh is the human effort to understand and apply Islamic law. It works out everyday practice — prayer, transactions, family life — from the Qur'an, hadith, and scholarly reasoning. Because it is interpretive, qualified scholars sometimes reach different conclusions within it.
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Related terms
Sharia
Sharia is the broader body of Islamic law and guidance from the Qur'an and the sunnah. Fiqh is the detailed human scholarship built on top of it. The two words are related, but…
Madhhab
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Ijtihad
Ijtihad is the disciplined effort a qualified scholar makes to work out a ruling. It applies when a question isn't answered directly by the Qur'an or sunnah. Later scholars can…