Review Questions on the Assigned Material

Usul al-Fiqh

1. Define uṣūl al-fiqh by considering each of its two component words, and set out the lexical and technical meanings of fiqh, indicating the qualifiers that delimit the definition.
2. Define uṣūl al-fiqh as the formal title of this specific discipline and explain that definition.
3. What benefit does uṣūl al-fiqh provide, and who was the first scholar to compile it as an independent science?

The Rulings
4. Define aḥkām (legal rulings) linguistically and technically, and elucidate the definition.
– What are the prescriptive rulings (aḥkām taklīfiyyah)?
– Define each one, mentioning the qualifiers that safeguard the definition.
– What are the declaratory rulings (aḥkām waḍʿiyyah)?
– Define each of them and supply an illustrative example.
– What is the ruling on performing a fāsid (invalid) act of worship, contract, or stipulation, and what textual evidence supports that ruling?
– In which situations is a distinction drawn between what is fāsid and what is bāṭil (void)?

Knowledge
5. What is ʿilm (knowledge)? Provide an example and mention the qualifiers that delimit the definition.