WorksheetsIslamic Law and Jurisprudence (Diagnostic Quiz)
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 11mins
Which statement best describes the relationship between Shari‘ah and Fiqh?
Both terms mean exactly the same and can always be used interchangeably.
Shari‘ah is the divine, perfect law of Allah, while Fiqh is the human understanding and application of that law.
Shari‘ah refers only to ‘ibādāt (ritual worship), while Fiqh refers only to mu‘āmalāt (transactions).
Shari‘ah is limited to the Qur’ān, whereas Fiqh is limited to the Sunnah.
Literally, the Arabic word “Fiqh” means:
To submit and surrender.
The straight path.
Understanding and deep comprehension.
A recurring custom or usage.
Usūl al-Fiqh is best defined as:
The detailed legal rulings on acts of worship and transactions.
The historical development of Islamic law in different regions.
The principles and methods used to derive legal rulings from their evidences in the Qur’ān, Sunnah and other sources.
The codified statutes enacted by the Muslim ruler.
Which of the following is NOT one of the five well-known categories of ḥukm taklīfī (normative legal rulings)?
Wājib (obligatory)
Mandūb (recommended)
Mubāḥ (permissible)
Ṣaḥīḥ (valid)
Which of the following is an example of ḥukm waḍ‘ī (declaratory ruling) rather than ḥukm taklīfī?
The obligation of the five daily prayers.
The prohibition of consuming interest (ribā).
Considering travel as a cause (sabab) that allows shortening the prayer.
The recommendation to fast extra days in Sha‘bān.
The five essential (ḍarūrī) objectives that the Shari‘ah seeks to protect include all of the following EXCEPT:
Religion (al-dīn)
Life (al-nafs)
Environment (al-bī’ah)
Property (al-māl)
Which of the following lists contains ONLY the primary sources of Islamic law (as agreed upon by the majority of jurists)?
Qur’ān, Sunnah, Ijmā‘, Qiyās
Qur’ān, Sunnah, ‘Urf, Maṣlaḥah
Qur’ān, Ijmā‘, Istihsān, Istishāb
Sunnah, ‘Urf, Maṣlaḥah, Siyar
Which definition of the Qur’ān is most accurate from the perspective of Usūl al-Fiqh?
The sayings of the Prophet recorded by his Companions.
The speech of Allah revealed to Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ through Jibrīl, in its precise wording and meaning, transmitted to us by tawātur.
Any text written in Arabic that contains guidance.
The collected opinions of the Companions on legal matters.
One wisdom behind the gradual (segmental) revelation of the Qur’ān was:
To make it easier to translate into different languages.
To allow the Companions to memorize it and implement its rulings step by step.
To keep the exact text secret from the early Muslims.
To reduce the authority of the Sunnah.
From the viewpoint of the uṣūlīs, the Sunnah is defined as:
The practices of any righteous Muslim community.
The sayings, actions and tacit approvals of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ.
Only the Prophet’s personal habits and preferences, such as food and dress.
Any report found in the books of ḥadīth, regardless of authenticity.
The main difference between Ḥadīth and Sunnah in Usūl al-Fiqh is that:
Ḥadīth refers to weak reports, while Sunnah refers only to authentic reports.
Ḥadīth is broader and includes the practice of the Companions, while Sunnah is restricted to the Qur’ān.
Ḥadīth is the narration that carries the information, whereas Sunnah is the normative example and law deduced from that conduct.
There is no difference; the two terms are completely identical in all disciplines.
Ijmā‘ (consensus) is best defined as:
The majority opinion of any Muslim community.
The unanimous agreement of the mujtahids of the Muslim ummah, in any era after the Prophet’s death, on a shar‘ī ruling.
The agreement of the Companions during the Prophet’s lifetime.
The opinion of the four Sunni madhāhib.
Which of the following is NOT a type of ijmā‘ mentioned by the jurists?
Explicit ijmā‘ (ijmā‘ ṣarīḥ)
Tacit ijmā‘ (ijmā‘ sukūtī)
Regional ijmā‘ (ijmā‘ maḥallī) that is limited to one city
Definitive ijmā‘ that is well known and established
Which of the following lists correctly identifies the four pillars (arkān) of Qiyās?
Qur’ān, Sunnah, Ijmā‘, Qiyās
Aṣl (original case), Far‘ (new case), ‘Illah (effective cause), Ḥukm (ruling)
Wājib, Mandūb, Makrūh, Ḥarām
Mujtahid, Muqallid, Fatwā, Qaḍā’
In Qiyās, the term ‘Illah refers to:
The textual proof that mentions the ruling.
The new case for which no explicit ruling exists.
The effective cause, an attribute found in both the original and new case that justifies carrying over the ruling.
The final court judgment.
Istihsān (juristic preference) is:
The unrestricted use of personal opinion, without any reference to evidence.
A method of setting aside a strict analogy in favour of an alternative ruling that better serves justice and public interest.
The same as consensus (ijmā‘).
A principle that applies only in acts of worship (‘ibādāt).
Maṣlaḥah Mursalah (unrestricted public interest) is defined as:
Any benefit explicitly mentioned in a Qur’ānic verse.
A consideration that secures a benefit or prevents harm, is in harmony with the objectives of the Shari‘ah, and has no specific textual indication for or against it.
Any custom practiced by Muslims over a long period of time.
The same as Qiyās, since both rely on rationality.
Istishāb (presumption of continuity) means:
Preferring the view of the majority of scholars.
Presuming that a previously established state of affairs continues to exist until there is evidence of change.
Abandoning old rulings in favour of new ones.
Giving priority to custom over textual evidence.
Which of the following statements about ‘Urf (custom) is MOST accurate?
Any custom automatically overrides explicit Qur’ānic texts.
Custom is never considered in Islamic law.
Custom refers to recurring practices accepted by people of sound nature, and may be considered if it does not contradict Shari‘ah.
Only pre-Islamic customs of the Arabs are valid in fiqh.
Which maxim is expressed by the Arabic phrase “Al-Umūr bi-Maqāṣidihā”?
Hardship begets ease.
Matters are judged by their intentions.
Harm must be removed.
Custom is given legal consideration.
The maxim “Al-Yaqīn Lā Yazūl bi’l-Shakk” (certainty is not overruled by doubt) is closely related to which uṣūlī concept?
Istishāb (presumption of continuity)
Qiyās (analogy)
Istihsān (juristic preference)
Naskh (abrogation)
Shortening the prayer during travel (qaṣr) is an example of:
A ḍarūrī (essential) maṣlaḥah.
A taḥsīnī (embellishing) maṣlaḥah.
A ḥājī (complementary/need-based) maṣlaḥah and a rukhsah (legal concession) to remove hardship.
A purely customary ruling with no basis in revelation.
Which of the following is NOT one of the five major universal legal maxims (al-qawā‘id al-fiqhiyyah al-kubrā)?
Al-Ḍarar Yuzāl (Harm must be eliminated)
Al-‘Ādah Muḥakkamah (Custom is legally relevant)
Al-Muslimūn ‘alā Shurūṭihim (Muslims are bound by their conditions)
Al-Mashaqqah Tajlib al-Taysīr (Hardship begets ease)
Ijtihād is best described as:
The independent juristic effort to derive rulings from the evidences for new or unresolved cases.
Blind adherence (taqlīd) to the statements of earlier scholars without proof.
The unanimous agreement of scholars in a particular era.
The abrogation (naskh) of earlier rulings with later texts.
According to the ḥadīth about the judge who strives and is correct or mistaken, what is the implication for ijtihād?
A mujtahid is rewarded only if he reaches the correct answer.
A mujtahid is sinful if he makes a mistake.
A mujtahid who exerts effort and reaches a correct ruling receives two rewards, and if he errs he still receives one reward.
Only the Companions were allowed to perform ijtihād.
Which of the following is a basic condition (sharṭ) for a mujtahid?
Being a native Arabic speaker is sufficient by itself.
Knowing the Qur’ān, Sunnah, Arabic, Uṣūl al-Fiqh, and the areas of consensus and abrogation related to the issue.
Memorizing one classical fiqh text.
Being elected by the community.
Taqlīd in Islamic legal theory refers to:
Independent juristic reasoning by a qualified scholar.
Following a mujtahid’s ruling without demanding to know the detailed evidences, especially by a layperson.
Rejecting all previous scholarly opinions.
Comparing two analogies and choosing the stronger.
Which of the following is NOT usually cited as a reason for legitimate differences of opinion among qualified scholars (ikhtilāf)?
A ḥadīth did not reach a scholar, or he considered its chain weak.
A scholar understood a text differently from another scholar.
A scholar believed a text had been abrogated while another did not.
A scholar deliberately ignored the texts in order to follow his tribe’s customs.
According to Article 7(b) of the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (PD 1083), “Muslim Law (Sharī‘a)” refers principally to ordinances and regulations as found in:
The Qur’ān only.
The Qur’ān and the Hadith.
The four Sunni madhāhib.
Philippine civil statutes.
Under Article 6(2) of PD 1083, which of the following correctly lists the four Sunni schools of law recognized for purposes of the Code?
Ḥanafi, Māliki, Shāfiʿi, Hanbali
Ḥanafi, Jaʿfari, Shāfiʿi, Ẓāhiri
Māliki, Ibāḍi, Jaʿfari, Ẓāhiri
Ḥanbali, Jaʿfari, Ibāḍi, Shāfiʿi
