Sources of Islamic Law
1 What is the primary source of Islamic law?
(a) Historical chronicles (b) The Quran
(c) Tribal customs alone (d) None of these
2 Which source records the sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
(a) Tafsir alone (b) Fiqh manuals alone
(c) Sunnah (d) None of these
3 In conventional Sunni legal theory, Ijma refers to:
(a) Consensus of qualified Muslim scholars on a legal ruling (b) Personal preference
(c) Analogy between cases (d) None of these
4 Which method extends a ruling from an established case to a new case based on a shared effective cause?
(a) Isnad (b) Ijma
(c) Naskh (d) None of these
5 Which of the following is a recognized source of Islamic law in the conventional Sunni framework?
(a) Quran (b) Sunnah
(c) Ijma (d) None of these
6 Which source provides the foundational text of Islam?
(a) The works of later jurists alone (b) The Quran
(c) Historical biographies alone (d) None of these
7 What is the main function of Sunnah in relation to the Quran?
(a) To replace the Quran completely (b) To remove all legal obligations
(c) To explain, exemplify, and supplement Quranic guidance (d) None of these
8 Which term refers to the principles and methods used to derive legal rulings?
(a) Sirah (b) Tajwid
(c) Qira’at (d) None of these
9 Which source consists of transmitted reports about the Prophet’s statements, actions, and approvals?
(a) Hadith literature (b) Political constitutions alone
(c) Poetry collections alone (d) None of these
10 What is Qiyas?
(a) A Quranic chapter (b) Analogical reasoning in jurisprudence
(c) The call to prayer (d) None of these
11 Which term is associated with independent juristic reasoning by a qualified scholar?
(a) Hijrah (b) Sawm
(c) Ijtihad (d) None of these
12 In legal theory, which term can refer to a consideration of public welfare or interest?
(a) Qiblah (b) Isnad
(c) Tajwid (d) None of these
13 Which of the following is a recognized juristic method in some schools of Islamic law?
(a) Istihsan (b) Rejection of all evidence
(c) Arbitrary personal desire (d) None of these
14 What is Istislah commonly associated with?
(a) Quranic recitation rules (b) Consideration of public interest within legal methodology
(c) The lunar calendar alone (d) None of these
15 Which source is the principal reference for the words and teachings revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?
(a) The writings of later historians (b) The decisions of every modern court
(c) The Quran (d) None of these
16 Which term refers to the Prophet’s normative example?
(a) Sunnah (b) Qiyas
(c) Ijma (d) None of these
17 What is the role of Hadith criticism in Islamic legal scholarship?
(a) To replace all legal reasoning with history (b) To assess the reliability of reports used as evidence
(c) To determine geographic borders (d) None of these
18 Which statement about Ijma is most accurate?
(a) It means an individual scholar’s private opinion (b) It is another word for analogy
(c) It is a recognized concept of scholarly consensus in Islamic legal theory (d) None of these
19 Which of the following is not a primary source in the conventional Sunni framework?
(a) Quran (b) Sunnah
(c) Ijma (d) None of these
20 What is the effective cause in Qiyas commonly called?
(a) Illah (b) Qiblah
(c) Isnad (d) None of these
21 Which of the following is generally regarded as a secondary method of legal reasoning rather than a revealed text?
(a) The Quran (b) Qiyas
(c) Sunnah (d) None of these
22 Why is knowledge of Arabic important in Islamic legal interpretation?
(a) It eliminates the need for any legal method (b) It makes all juristic differences impossible
(c) It helps scholars interpret the language and context of foundational texts (d) None of these
23 Which term means the consensus of qualified scholars in classical legal theory?
(a) Ijma (b) Qiyas
(c) Ijtihad (d) None of these
24 Which of the following can help clarify the meaning of a Quranic verse?
(a) An unrelated local custom in every case (b) Relevant Quranic context and authentic Sunnah
(c) Personal opinion without evidence (d) None of these
25 Which term is associated with the Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Madinah?
(a) Ijma (b) Qiyas
(c) Hijrah (d) None of these
26 Which is the most accurate statement about the use of custom (‘urf) in Islamic jurisprudence?
(a) Every custom automatically overrides the Quran and Sunnah (b) Custom is always irrelevant
(c) Custom is the only source of Islamic law (d) None of these
27 What is the general purpose of Ijtihad?
(a) To derive rulings from relevant evidence when juristic reasoning is required (b) To disregard the foundational sources
(c) To make personal preferences binding on everyone (d) None of these
28 Which of the following is a foundational text, rather than a later juristic method?
(a) Qiyas (b) The Quran
(c) Istihsan (d) None of these
29 Which term refers to the collected reports about the Prophet, assessed according to transmission and content?
(a) Fara’id (b) Maqasid
(c) Hadith (d) None of these
30 Which statement about the relationship between Quran and Sunnah is most accurate?
(a) The Sunnah is unrelated to Islamic practice (b) The Quran has no role in law
(c) The two are interchangeable terms for one identical text (d) None of these
31 Which of the following is commonly studied as part of Usul al-Fiqh?
(a) Rules of inference and the evidentiary status of sources (b) Mineral classification
(c) The construction of astronomical telescopes (d) None of these
32 What does the term Dalil mean in legal discussion?
(a) Pilgrimage (b) Evidence or proof
(c) Fasting (d) None of these
33 Which of the following is a form of transmitted evidence relevant to Islamic legal study?
(a) A modern advertisement alone (b) An unsupported rumor
(c) An authenticated Prophetic report (d) None of these
34 What is the term for a juristic opinion issued in response to a legal or religious question?
(a) Fatwa (b) Adhan
(c) Khutbah in every context (d) None of these
35 Which statement about legal sources is most accurate?
(a) All sources have equal status in every school (b) Jurists use recognized hierarchies and methods to assess evidence
(c) Personal preference always prevails (d) None of these
36 Which of the following is a recognized concept in Islamic legal theory?
(a) Rejecting all evidence (b) Treating every report as equally authentic
(c) Nasikh and mansukh, concerning abrogating and abrogated texts (d) None of these
37 Which term is used for analogical deduction in Islamic jurisprudence?
(a) Qiyas (b) Qira’at
(c) Tajwid (d) None of these
38 Which statement about juristic methods is correct?
(a) Every school uses all methods in exactly the same way (b) Methods of reasoning have no rules
(c) Jurists may differ over the authority and application of particular methods (d) None of these
39 What is the purpose of examining the context of a legal text?
(a) To ignore its wording (b) To make all interpretations identical
(c) To replace evidence with guesswork (d) None of these
40 Which term is associated with the higher objectives of Islamic law?
(a) Maqasid al-Shariah (b) Isnad
(c) Qiblah (d) None of these
41 Which source is central to understanding the Prophet’s practical explanation of Islamic obligations?
(a) Later political speeches alone (b) Sunnah
(c) Folklore alone (d) None of these
42 Which of the following best describes a legal precedent in a modern court system?
(a) A synonym for Quran (b) A form of Quranic recitation
(c) A prior judicial decision that may guide later cases under that system’s rules (d) None of these
43 Which statement about modern legislation and classical Islamic legal sources is most accurate?
(a) Modern legislation and classical sources are identical concepts (b) Modern legislation automatically replaces every religious source in all Muslim societies
(c) Modern states and legal systems differ in how they incorporate Islamic legal principles (d) None of these
44 What does the term ‘urf generally mean?
(a) Custom or established social practice (b) Pilgrimage
(c) Call to prayer (d) None of these
45 Which term refers to a qualified scholar’s effort to interpret evidence and derive a ruling?
(a) Adhan (b) Ijtihad
(c) Hijrah (d) None of these
46 Which of these is a foundational source in the conventional Sunni framework?
(a) Qiyas (b) Istihsan
(c) Maslahah (d) None of these
47 Which statement about Qiyas is correct?
(a) It compares a new case with an established case because of a relevant shared cause (b) It is a form of Quranic recitation
(c) It means scholarly consensus (d) None of these
48 Which term refers to the chain of narrators transmitting a Hadith?
(a) Matn (b) Fiqh
(c) Isnad (d) None of these
49 In Hadith terminology, what is the Matn?
(a) The narrator’s occupation (b) The chain of narrators
(c) The legal school of the narrator (d) None of these
50 Which statement best summarizes the sources of Islamic law?
(a) Islamic law relies exclusively on local custom (b) Islamic legal theory recognizes foundational texts and juristic methods, with details differing among schools
(c) Islamic law rejects all transmitted evidence (d) None of these
Answer Key
1 (b) The Quran
2 (c) Sunnah
3 (a) Consensus of qualified Muslim scholars on a legal ruling
4 (d) None of these
5 (c) Ijma
6 (b) The Quran
7 (c) To explain, exemplify, and supplement Quranic guidance
8 (d) None of these
9 (a) Hadith literature
10 (b) Analogical reasoning in jurisprudence
11 (c) Ijtihad
12 (d) None of these
13 (a) Istihsan
14 (b) Consideration of public interest within legal methodology
15 (c) The Quran
16 (a) Sunnah
17 (b) To assess the reliability of reports used as evidence
18 (c) It is a recognized concept of scholarly consensus in Islamic legal theory
19 (d) None of these
20 (a) Illah
21 (b) Qiyas
22 (c) It helps scholars interpret the language and context of foundational texts
23 (a) Ijma
24 (b) Relevant Quranic context and authentic Sunnah
25 (c) Hijrah
26 (d) None of these
27 (a) To derive rulings from relevant evidence when juristic reasoning is required
28 (b) The Quran
29 (c) Hadith
30 (d) None of these
31 (a) Rules of inference and the evidentiary status of sources
32 (b) Evidence or proof
33 (c) An authenticated Prophetic report
34 (a) Fatwa
35 (b) Jurists use recognized hierarchies and methods to assess evidence
36 (c) Nasikh and mansukh, concerning abrogating and abrogated texts
37 (a) Qiyas
38 (c) Jurists may differ over the authority and application of particular methods
39 (d) None of these
40 (a) Maqasid al-Shariah
41 (b) Sunnah
42 (c) A prior judicial decision that may guide later cases under that system’s rules
43 (c) Modern states and legal systems differ in how they incorporate Islamic legal principles
44 (a) Custom or established social practice
45 (b) Ijtihad
46 (d) None of these
47 (a) It compares a new case with an established case because of a relevant shared cause
48 (c) Isnad
49 (d) None of these
50 (b) Islamic legal theory recognizes foundational texts and juristic methods, with details differing among schools