This six-week course introduces how Islamic law (fiqh) developed and how the major schools of law (madhabs) were formed.
You will start by learning the basic terms and sources of Islamic law, then explore how the earliest generations of Muslims understood and practiced it.
From there, the course looks at the contributions of the great scholars - Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik ibn Anas, Imam Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal - and how their approaches shaped the different madhabs we have today.
In the final week, you will tackle practical questions: Do you have to follow a madhab? Can you take opinions from different schools? And how do you choose one? By the end, you will have a clear and balanced understanding of both the history and how it applies to your daily life.
Week One: Introduction to Terminology & Legal Sources; Fiqh during the first 3 generations
Week Two: Imam Abu Hanifa and the Hanafi School
Week Three: Imam Malik and the Maliki School
Week Four: Imam Shafi' and the Shafi' School
Week Five: Imam Ahmad and the Hanbali School
Week Six: Miscellaneous Questions about Madhaahib
• Individuals seeking to deepen their understanding of the history behind the four schools of thought
• Individuals seeking knowledge of a specific madhab they may already follow
• Individuals hoping to make an informed choice before choosing a specific madhab
Shaykh Ammar Jakda was born and raised in Cambridge, Ontario. After completing his high school education, he traveled to Gujarat, India, where he completed the memorization of the Qur’an. His pursuit of Islamic knowledge then took him to the United Kingdom, where he studied for a number of years at Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda in Blackburn, before continuing his studies at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama in Lucknow, India, one of the most prestigious seminaries in the Muslim world, from which he graduated as an ʿālim. He later spent two years in Istanbul, Türkiye, specializing in the Islamic rational sciences, particularly theology and logic.
Shaykh Ammar currently serves as the Director and Lead Instructor at Tamhid Institute, and is also pursuing an undergraduate degree in Near & Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto.
