Usul al-fiqh is the body of knowledge which clarifies

the various foundation principles and research methods ""

and principles that aid us extracting the rulings
fromQuran and Sunnah and shows us how to derive " " ( )
benefit from them. In other words, it helps us find
evidences for various rulings through comparison, co-
analysis, combination and other relevant principles of
information analysis from sources of Islamic guidance -
Quran and Sunnah.
This process of understanding the primary sources and
extracting from them guidance and ruling in a
systematic manner is called ijtihad (independent
research).

Usul al-fiqh gives us a research framework for
understanding the language of
the Quran and Sunnah and how to use various types of " "
evidences in a manner in which they serve as a guide to '
our Islamic practices and belief. By understanding usul '
al-fiqh as a research methodology, we also come to : (.
understand how scholars construct their positions :
through the use of evidences found in the Arabic
language or in the Quran and Sunnah.

It also helps us understand the basis of difference of
opinion between the scholars and appreciate the reasons
behind such difference which is primarily the
framework (usool) used to interpret various sources of
guidance and evidences from Quran and Sunnah.
Following this approach, there can be more than one
correct ways for doing things. I am presenting a couple
of ahadith to establish this point further:

If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his
reasoning (ijtihad) and he is correct, then he will have
two rewards. If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply
his reasoning and he is mistaken, then he will have one
reward.

"You are in a time of many jurisprudents (fuqaha),

few speakers, many who give and few who ask; so
action in this
time is better than knowledge. There will soon come a
time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who
beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is
better than action.