Islamic law, or shariah, is the expression of God's command for Muslims in society and

consists of rules and regulations which help determine whether any particular action is
allowed or not.

Usul al-figh is the term for the ways and methods used by Muslim scholars to understand the
Qur'an and sunnah. The main aim of shariah and usul al-figh is to guide Muslims towards living
their lives according to the will of God. The main source of shariah is the Qur'an, followed by
the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad. Only after the Qur'an and sunnah have been referred,
can any other source be used. This principle is illustrated in the following hadith, where the
Prophet praised Mu'adh for knowing to base his opinions firstly on the Qur'an and sunnah,
and then to use another source.

The Qur'an is considered by Muslims to be the word of God and its main message is the
oneness of God. It contains stories of the prophets and historical events of the Prophet's
time, as well as rules and regulations about many aspects of Islam. It provides Muslims with
general guidance and answers to ensure the welfare of humanity in this life and the next. God
states in the Qur'an that it guides to what is best and gives glad tidings to those who do good
that their reward will be a great reward.

The basis for ijma, or scholarly consensus, being a source of law is the command by God in
the Qur'an to use consultation to resolve issues. The Qur'an states, "Those who answer the
call of their Lord, established prayer, and whose affairs are by consultation." (42:38)

Ijma is the agreement of the learned scholars of the Muslim community at any given time.
Thus, ijma or scholarly consensus, is the third source of usul al-figh. Ijma has played a key role
in developing the rules and regulations for the Muslim community.

God revealed the Qur'an to the Prophet to explain to people what was revealed for them. His
words and actions are detailed in the sunnah, and God made following the guidance and
example of the Prophet obligatory in the Qur'an by stating, "O you who believe, obey God and
obey the Messenger."