Islamic Jurisprudence: Ethical Foundations Jurisprudence is the theory of law or a system of laws applied to a particular country. The Qur’an, (the word of God) and the hadith (the words and example of the Prophet), present the values and principles that are the foundation of Islamic ethics. If these did not yield an answer, recourse was then had to the use of qiyas, analogy, which entailed a search for situations in the foundation texts or already established rulings that had common elements with the issue to be decided. A fourth source was ijma’ (consensus) of scholars and the wider community. There is considerable discussion about the definition and authority of this source. Islamic jurisprudence FIQH is a systematic organisation of and guide to Islam’s legal provisions (whether ritual observances, family, commercial or criminal) and its ethical values. It is comprehensive and covers every area of life. For jurisprudential purposes, broadly speaking, human acts are classified as obligatory, recommended, neutral, undesirable or forbidden. They are sub­divided into two categories: those that have to do with duties to God, (‘ibadat), and those that concern human relationships (mu‘amala). Shari’ah (Islamic Law) ­ means to ‘surrender to Allah’ and a Muslim is ‘one who surrenders’. The inner lifeforce of Islam is Shari’ah, it is the law and the complete and total submission to the will and authority of Allah. Shari’ah regulates all areas of a Muslim’s life. It deals not only