What is the reason and method for the adoption of the four schools of thought, to the exclusion of others, by the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, and what is the wisdom behind their existence given the sufficiency of the Quran, the Sunnah, and the interpretations of the Companions? Who adopted them, and why did other schools of thought that emerged in their era and were identical to them not persist? And how did the four Imams differ on subsidiary matters despite stemming from a single source?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The question posed by the inquirer has been addressed previously in fatwas numbered: 47571, 47171, 43966, 37917, and 33675. One may also consult 'Khulasat Tareekh al-Tashree' al-Islami' (A Summary of the History of Islamic Legislation) by Abd al-Wahhab Khallaf, or 'Tareekh al-Tashree' al-Islami' (The History of Islamic Legislation) by Manna' al-Qattan.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/153451
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 153451
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy