alAhkam

Al-Ahkam, in Islamic jurisprudence, denotes the divine legal rulings that govern actions and situations. Al-ahkam al-shar'iyya are the rulings that determine what is obligatory, recommended, permissible, disliked, or forbidden. The term distinguishes rulings from broader ethics, manners, or historical reports, and they apply to acts of worship, personal conduct, and social transactions.

Rulings are principally drawn from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad). Jurists add secondary sources such as ijma' (consensus of scholars) and qiyas (analogical deduction) when authorities are not explicit. Some legal theories also consider purposes of Sharia (maqasid) and welfare, though these influence interpretation rather than primary texts.

Classifications commonly include five categories: fard or wajib (obligatory actions, e.g., the five daily prayers, zakat, fasting in Ramadan, Hajj for those able); mustahabb (recommended acts, such as optional prayers and charity); mubah (permitted acts with no moral valuation); makruh (disliked acts); and haram (forbidden acts, such as theft, alcohol, or prohibited usury).

Al-ahkam cover both worship (ibadat) and transactions (muamalat), including contracts, foods, and behavior in society. Jurists from different schools (madhahib) may disagree on details, but they share the aim of deriving rulings that preserve worship, life, intellect, lineage, and property, within the framework of Sharia.