Usul Al-Fiqh For The Muslim Who Is Not A Mujtahid

It is well known amongst the scholars that knowledge of Usūl-ul-fiqh is generally considered Fardh al-Kifāyah (a collective obligation). A collective obligation means that as long as some Muslims learn and practice it, the rest of the Muslims are exempt from the obligation of learning it. It is compulsory for the Muslim community to have scholars who are capable of deducing the Islamic rulings from the legislated sources [The Qur’ān and Sunnah] and to respond to the needs of the Muslim community by issuing legal verdicts and rulings for them to follow.

When a person looks at the separate subjects of Usūl-ul-fiqh, he discovers that it is divided into two types:

1. Subjects that are essential for becoming a scholar and that he needs to be able to deduce rulings from the sources of Islamic Law. It is not something that will be of benefit to a Muslim who is not a scholar. These subjects are required for the scholars and not for every Muslim.

2. Subjects that are essential for every Muslim to learn. It is an obligation on every Muslim because he needs it in his daily actions.