Islam
However, these prescriptions and prohibitions may be broad, so their
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application in practice varies. Islamic scholars (known as ulema) have elaborated systems of
law on the basis of these rules and their interpretations.
Fiqh, or "jurisprudence", is defined as the knowledge of the practical rules of the religion. The
method Islamic jurists use to derive rulings is known as usul alfiqh ("legal theory", or
"principles of jurisprudence"). According to Islamic legal theory, law has four fundamental
roots, which are given precedence in this order: the Qur'an, the Sunnah (actions and sayings
of Muhammad), the consensus of the Muslim jurists (ijma), and analogical reasoning (qiyas).
For early Islamic jurists, theory was less important than pragmatic application of the law. In
the 9th century, the jurist ashShafi'i provided a theoretical basis for Islamic law by codifying
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