Fiqh (Arabic: ‫[ فقه‬fiqh]) is Islamic jurisprudence.

Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law

—based directly on the Quran and Sunnah—that complements Shariah with evolving
rulings/interpretations of Islamic jurists. Fiqh deals with the observance of rituals, morals and
social legislation in Islam. There are four prominent schools of fiqh, the Madh'hab, within Sunni
practice and two schools within Shi'a practice. A person trained in fiqh is known as a Faqih
(plural Fuqaha).

Etymology
The word fiqh is an Arabic term meaning "deep understanding" or "full comprehension".
Technically it refers to the science of Islamic law extracted from detailed Islamic sources (which
are studied in the principles of Islamic jurisprudence)--the process of gaining knowledge of
Islam through jurisprudence, and the body of legal advisements so derived, is known as fiqh.
The historian Ibn Khaldun describes fiqh as "knowledge of the rules of God which concern the
actions of persons who own themselves bound to obey the law respecting what is required
(wajib), forbidden (haraam), recommended (mandūb), disapproved (makrūh) or merely
permitted (mubah)". This definition is consistent amongst the jurists.

Introduction
There are cases where the Qur'an gives a clearly defined and concrete answer on how to deal
with different issues. This includes how to perform the ritual purification (Arabic: wudu) before
the obligatory daily prayers (Arabic: salat). On other issues, the Qur'an alone is not enough to
make things clear. For example, the Qur'an states one needs to engage in daily prayers (Arabic:
salat) and fast (Arabic: sawm) during the month of Ramadan, however, it does not define how to
perform these duties. The details about these issues can be found in the traditions of Islamic
prophet Muhammad (Arabic: Sunnah). This is true for most detailed issues, thus the Qur'an and
Sunnah are the basis for the Islamic Divine Law (Arabic: Shariah).

With regard to some topics, the Qur'an and Sunnah are simply silent. In those cases, the Muslim
jurists (Arabic: Fuqaha) try to arrive at conclusions using other tools. Sunni jurists use analogy
(Arabic: Qiyas) and historical consensus of the community (Arabic: Ijma). The conclusions
arrived at with the aid of these additional tools constitute a wider array of laws than the Sharia
consists of, and is called fiqh. Thus, in contrast to the sharia, fiqh is not regarded as sacred, and
the schools of thought have differing views on its details, without viewing other conclusions as
sacrilegious. This division of interpretation in more detailed issues has resulted in different
schools of thought (Arabic: madh'hab).

This wider concept of Islamic jurisprudence is the source of a range of laws in different topics
that govern the lives of the Muslims in all facets of everyday life.
Islamic Law
Fida Hussain solangi, a renowned jurist has discoursed upon the following issues as under:
Islamic law (fiqh) covers two main areas, rules in relation to actions and rules in relation to
circumstances surrounding actions.

Rules in relation to actions ('amaliyya — ‫ )عملية‬comprise:

• Obligation (fardh)
• Recommendation (mustahabb)
• Permissibility (mubaah)
• Disrecommendation (makrooh)
• Prohibition (haraam)

Rules in relation to circumstances (wadia') comprise:

• Condition (shart)
• Cause (sabab)
• Preventor (mani)
• Permit/Enforce (rukhsah, azeemah)
• Valid/Corrupt/Invalid (sahih, faasid, batil)
• In time/Debt/Repeat (adaa, al-qadaa, i'ada)

Fiqh is grouped into two parts:

1. Ibadaat (worship)
2. Mua'malaat (dealings & transactions)

Islamic dietary laws provide direction on what is to be considered clean and unclean regarding
diet and related issues. Islamic jurisprudence specifies which foods are halāl (lawful) and which
are harām (unlawful). This is derived from commandments found in the Qur'an, the holy book
of Islam, as well as the Hadith and Sunnah, libraries cataloguing things Prophet Mohammed is
reported to have said and done. Extensions of these rulings are issued, as fatwas, by Mujtahids,
with varying degrees of strictness, but they are not always widely held to be authoritative.
According to the Quran, the only foods explicitly forbidden are meat from animals that die of
themselves, blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than God, but a person is not
guilty of sin in a situation where the lack of any alternative creates an undesired necessity to
consume that which is otherwise unlawful. (Quran 2:173)

Healthy diet
A healthy diet is considered important in Islam. Some Muslim scholars consider excessive
consumption a sin, citing the following verses in the Qur'an, which they interpret as supporting
that position:
O Children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and
drink: But waste not by excess, for Allah loveth not the wasters. (Qur'an 7:31)
It is He Who produceth gardens, with trellises and without, and dates, and tilth with produce of
all kinds, and olives and pomegranates, similar (in kind) and different (in variety): eat of their
fruit in their season, but render the dues that are proper on the day that the harvest is gathered.
But waste not by excess: for Allah loveth not the wasters. (Qur'an 6:141)
O’ Believers! Eat of the good and pure (lawful) that We have provided you with and be grateful
to Allah, if you truly worship Him. (Qur'an 2:172)
O People! Eat of what is lawful and good on the Earth and do not follow the footsteps of
Shaitaan, for he is your open enemy. (Qur'an 2:168)

Prophet Mohammed is reported to have stated:

"Man fills no vessel worse than his stomach. It is sufficient for the son of Adam to have a few
mouthfuls to give him the strength he needs. If he has to fill his stomach, then let him leave one-
third for food, one-third for drink and one-third for air." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn
Maajah. Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5674).
"A believer eats in one intestine (is satisfied with a little food), and a kafir (unbeliever) or a
hypocrite eats in seven intestines (eats too much)." (Reported by Ibn 'Umar. Sahih Bukhari,
Volume 7, Book 65, Number 306)
"The food for two persons is sufficient for three, and the food of three persons is sufficient for
four persons." (Reported by Abu Huraira. Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 65, Number 304)

Food Hygiene
Food hygiene is an important part of Islamic dietary law.

Slaughter
Main article: Dhabīḥah

Dhabīḥah (‫حة‬ َ ‫)َذِبْي‬is a prescribed method of ritual, animal slaughter, it does not apply to most
aquatic animals. The animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim or by one of the People of the
Book, generally speaking, a Christian or a Jew, while mentioning the name of God (Allah in
Arabic). According to some fatwas, the animal must be slaughtered specifically by a Muslim,
however, other fatwas dispute this, ruling that, according to verse 5:5 of the Qur'an, an animal
properly slaughtered by People of the Book is halal. Thus, many Muslims will eat kosher meat.
Other relevant verses in Qur'an include 2:173, 5:3, 5:5, 5:90, 6:118, 6:145, 16:115.

Animals for food may not be killed by being boiled or electrocuted, and the carcass should be
hung upside down for long enough to be blood-free. All water game is considered halal
(according to some Muslims): Lawful to you is all water-game, and what the sea brings forth, as
a provision for you [who are settled] as well as for travellers, although you are forbidden to hunt
on land while you are in the state of pilgrimage. And be conscious of God, unto whom you shall
be gathered. Quran 5:96
There are generally no restrictions on the consumption of vegetarian food as the restrictions
pertain to slaughter.

Food certification

Due to the recent rise in Muslim populations in the United States and Europe, certain
organizations have emerged that certify that food products and ingredients met dhabiha
standards. The Muslim Consumer Group is an example of an organization that employs
certification labelling, using the H-MCG symbol, to identify the status of different edible and
non-edible consumer products.

In Islam, Halal is an Arabic term meaning “lawful or permissible” and not only encompasses
food and drink, but all matters of daily life. When it comes to halal food, most people think of
meat products only. However, Muslims must ensure that all foods, particularly processed foods,
pharmaceuticals and non food items like cosmetics are also halal. Often these products contain
animal by-products or other ingredients that are not permissible for Muslim consumption.

Since 1991, mainstream manufacturers of soups, grains, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, prepared

foods, and other industries, as well as hotels, restaurants, airlines, hospitals and other service
providers have pursued the halal market. Halal Certification tells Muslims that the ingredients
and production methods of a product have been tested and declared permissible by a certification
body. It also allows companies to export products to most Middle Eastern countries and South
East Asian Countries. The oldest and most well known Halal Certifier in the USA is Islamic
Services of America.

In Europe, several organizations have been created over the past 20 years in order to certify the
halal products. A survey recently published by a French association of Muslim Consumers
(ASIDCOM) shows that the market of halal products has been developed in a chaotic way in
Europe.[1] The European certification organizations do not have a common definition of "halal"
nor agreed upon control procedures and traceability. The controls implemented by individual
agencies are all very different: it can go from an annual audit of the slaughterhouse to checking
each production with permanent controls in place and on-going independent.

Prohibited food

Some animals and manners of death or preparation can make certain things haram to eat, that is,
taboo food and drink. These include what are regarded as unclean animals.

Alcohol

In Islam, alcoholic beverages—or any intoxicant—are generally forbidden. Intoxicants were

forbidden in the Qur'an through several separate verses revealed at different times over a period
of years. At first, it was forbidden for Muslims to attend to prayers while intoxicated (4:43).
Then a later verse was revealed which said that alcohol contains some good and some evil, but
the evil is greater than the good (In Surah Al-Baqarah: 219, it states "They ask Thee concerning
Wine and Gambling, Say: In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater
than the profit."). This was the next step in turning people away from consumption of it. Finally,
"intoxicants and games of chance" were called "abominations of Satan's handiwork," intended to
turn people away from God and forget about prayer, and Muslims were ordered to abstain (5:90-
91). In addition to this, most observant Muslims refrain from consuming food products that
contain pure vanilla extract or soy sauce if these food products contain alcohol; there is some
debate about whether the prohibition extends to dishes in which the alcohol would be cooked off
or if it would be practically impossible to consume enough of the food to become intoxicated.
The Zaidi and Mutazili sects believe that the use of alcohol as always been forbidden and refer to
this Qur'an Ayah (4:43) as feeling of sleepiness and not to be awake. Alcohol as part of a
medication, where a non-alcoholic alternative is not available, is allowed.

Blood

Drinking blood and its by-products is forbidden. This includes meats that have not been drained
of blood. However, this does not apply to blood transfusions or organ transplants because they
are not eaten

Pork

Consumption of pork and products made from pork is strictly forbidden in Islam.

The origin of this belief is derived from the chapter of the Cow (Al Baqara) speaks of this: Quran
2.173 which states: He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine,
and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced
by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then is he guiltless. For
Allah is Oft-forgiving Most Merciful.

Gelatin made from porcine skin or bones, which makes up roughly 50% of the supply of gelatin
on the market, is forbidden.

Gelatin made from other animals, fish for example, is acceptable. Kosher gelatin is questionable.
While all kosher foods follow avoiding the Kashrut (Jewish) prohibition of eating impure
animals, which include pigs, in Israel, there are more lenient positions that allow pig gelatin,
arguing that it has been so deformed, it is no longer pig. Therefore, gelatin in food items depends
on the level of stringency of the kosher certificate on the food. However, it is typical to use algal
sources of thickeners, in the home or in commercial products, to ensure they are halāl.