Madhhab (School of Law)
An Islamic school of law with its own methodology for legal derivation from the sacred sources.
Madhhab (plural: madhahib) literally means "way" or "direction" and refers to an Islamic school of law with its own systematic methodology for deriving legal rules from the Quran and Sunnah. In Sunni Islam, there are four recognized schools of law: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali.
Each madhhab has its own approach to prayer with characteristic differences in details: the placement of the hands (qabd vs. irsal), recitation of Bismillah (aloud or silently), saying "Amin" (aloud or silently), calculation of Asr time, and the number of rak'ah in certain voluntary prayers.
The four imams deeply respected each other despite their differences. Imam Abu Hanifah said: "When a hadith is authentic, it is my madhhab." Imam al-Shafi'i said: "If you find an authentic hadith that contradicts my statement, then know that my statement is that hadith." And Imam Ahmad said: "Do not follow me blindly — take from the sources they took from." This humility illustrates the flexibility of the schools of law.
Related terms
Salat al-Mayyit (Funeral Prayer)
The prayer for the deceased, performed before the burial.
Jannah (Paradise)
The eternal paradise, the reward for faith and good deeds.
Sahabi (Companion of the Prophet)
A person who met the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a believer and died as a Muslim.
Salat al-Layl (Night Prayer)
The voluntary night prayer consisting of 11 rak'ah, highly recommended in Shia Islam.
Irsal (Arm Position in Prayer)
The Shia practice of letting the arms hang at the sides during prayer.
Makruh (Discouraged)
Actions that are discouraged in Islamic law but not forbidden.