LessonsThe Mujtahid’s Duty: Evidence Hierarchy, Conflicts, and Revised IjtihadQuiz

كتاب الله، ثم سنة رسول الله ﷺ، ثم الإجماع، ثم القياس
The Book of Allah, the Sunnah, consensus, and then analogy.

1. Quran: A ruling established directly or through sound textual indication.
2. Sunnah: An authenticated Prophetic statement, act or tacit approval that explains a rule.
3. Ijma: Established agreement of qualified jurists.
4. Qiyas: Extending an established ruling to a new case through its legally effective cause.

The ordering is practical rather than decorative. Once a matter is established by the superior evidence, a later method cannot simply override it. Careful verification of a text's authenticity, meaning, scope and reconciliation with other evidence remains essential.

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Four successive sources of legal evidence

The Mujtahid’s Duty: Evidence Hierarchy, Conflicts, and Revised Ijtihad

كتاب الله، ثم سنة رسول الله ﷺ، ثم الإجماع، ثم القياس
The Book of Allah, the Sunnah, consensus, and then analogy.

1. Quran: A ruling established directly or through sound textual indication.
2. Sunnah: An authenticated Prophetic statement, act or tacit approval that explains a rule.
3. Ijma: Established agreement of qualified jurists.
4. Qiyas: Extending an established ruling to a new case through its legally effective cause.

The ordering is practical rather than decorative. Once a matter is established by the superior evidence, a later method cannot simply override it. Careful verification of a text's authenticity, meaning, scope and reconciliation with other evidence remains essential.