Important Notice: Our web hosting provider recently started charging us for additional visits, which was unexpected. In response, we're seeking donations. Depending on the situation, we may explore different monetization options for our Community and Expert Contributors. It's crucial to provide more returns for their expertise and offer more Expert Validated Answers or AI Validated Answers. Learn more about our hosting issue here.

What are the sources of religious authority in Islam?

0
Posted

What are the sources of religious authority in Islam?

1

There are two basic sources of authority in Islam. The first is the Speech of God embodied in the Qur’an. The second source of authority is the Sunnah, the words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad. Shi’ah Muslims have a third authority for religion beside the above two authorities recognized by all Muslims. The teachings and writings of a number of early charismatic leaders called Imams descended from the Prophet’s son-in-law Ali are an additional source for Shi’ahs, since they believe these descendants are infallible and consider their words and explanations nearly as authoritative as the Qur’an and Sunnah. Muslim scholars use these sources in order to understand the principles of Shari’ah (Islamic Law) contained in them, and to develop legal opinions on existent as well as novel situations. The authentic sources also serve as criteria for differentiating between religiously-based actions or opinions and those resulting from other factors, such as culture, social status or circumstance. Fo

Related Questions

Thanksgiving questions

*Sadly, we had to bring back ads too. Hopefully more targeted.