Islamic law. Ahmad was more knowledgeable than others about the Quran, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions and those who followed them in righteousness. Thus, scarcely any position of his contradicts an explicit scriptural text, as occurs with others. Generally, whenever he holds a weak position, another position within his school agrees with the stronger view. Most of his distinctive positions on which his school has not differed are the stronger views.

Examples include his view permitting a change from hajj alone, or hajj combined with ‘umrah, to ‘umrah followed by hajj with release from ihram between them; his acceptance, when necessary, of testimony from non-Muslims under Muslim protection concerning Muslims, as in the case of a bequest made while travelling; his view that marrying a woman who has committed fornication is forbidden until she repents; his acceptance of a slave’s testimony; and his view that the Sunnah in dry ablution is to wipe the hands up to the wrists after striking the ground once.

Another example is his view that a woman experiencing non-menstrual bleeding should, in some circumstances, refer to her usual menstrual pattern; in others, distinguish between the types of blood; and in others, follow the usual menstrual patterns of most women. Three rulings concerning her have been reported from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and Ahmad applied all three, unlike the others.

Further examples are his permission of fruit-sharing and crop-sharing agreements on land without trees as well as land planted with trees, whether the seed is supplied by both parties or by either one of them, and his permission of similar arrangements, even though these fall under partnership rather than hire and are not contrary to analogical reasoning. There are many comparable examples.

As for what some people call a position unique to him because he differs on it from Abū Hanīfah and al-Shāfi‘ī, even though Mālik’s position agrees with Ahmad’s or is close to it