Was there a madhhabiyyah fiqhiyyah during the era of the ṣaḥābah? A historical and analytical account

• Main Author: Zaim, Muntaha Artalim
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Mission Soft Foundation 2024
• Subjects: BPK36 Islamic law (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/117050/1/117050_Was%20there%20a%20madhhabiyyah%20fiqhiyyah.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/117050/; https://en.islamonweb.net/was-there-a-fiqh-madahib-during-the-era-of-the-sahabah-a-historical-and-analytical-account

There is a common misconception among some individuals that madhhabiyyah (the adherence to specific legal schools of thought) is a recent development and that following a particular madhhab is prohibited. This belief, however, oversimplifies the matter. The issue of madhhabs is far more complex than such claims suggest. Historically, the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and the categorization of different schools of thought have deep roots that trace back to the era of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. These early scholars laid the foundations for systematic legal frameworks that continue to guide Islamic jurisprudence to this day. Thus, the notion of adhering to a madhhab is not a novelty, nor is it merely a matter of taqlid; rather, it is a scholarly practice grounded in centuries of jurisprudential development, and it holds an important place in the preservation and dissemination of Islamic law.