MASABIH · مصابيح · SCHOLARLY REFERENCE

A Guide to Islamic Sciences
56 Independent Disciplines

Each of these sciences is an independent discipline — with its own books, scholars, methodology, and foundational principles.

56
Independent Sciences
8
Categories
1400+
Years of Scholarship

Quranic Sciences

The primary source of Islamic law — seven independent disciplines

7 Sciences
1

Tajweed (التجويد)

The science of correct Quranic recitation — articulation points, letter characteristics, and proper pronunciation

2

Qirāʾāt (القراءات)

The ten canonical readings of the Quran and the variant recitations transmitted by the ten Imams

3

Tafseer (التفسير)

Exegesis and commentary of the Quran — the rulings and guidance derived from its verses

Tafseer bi'l-Ma'thur Tafseer bi'l-Ra'y Ishārī Tafseer
4

Rasm & Dabt (الرسم والضبط)

The Uthmanic script of the Mushaf as written by the Companions — and the diacritical marks added by the Successors

5

ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (علوم القرآن)

Causes of revelation, Meccan and Medinan verses, abrogation, the miraculous nature of the Quran, and history of its compilation

6

Ṭabaqāt al-Qurrāʾ (طبقات القراء والمفسرين)

Biographies and ranks of the scholars of Quranic recitation and exegesis across the generations

7

Uṣūl al-Tafseer (أصول التفسير)

The principles, rules, and methodologies of sound Quranic exegesis

📖

Hadith Sciences

The secondary source of Islamic law — six independent disciplines

7 Sciences
8

ʿIlm al-Muṣṭalaḥ (علم المصطلح)

The technical terminology of Hadith scholars — classification of reports by authenticity (Sahih, Hasan, Daif, Mawdu)

Ṣaḥīḥ Ḥasan Ḍaʿīf Mawḍūʿ
9

Mutūn al-Ḥadīth (متون الحديث)

The canonical Hadith collections — the Six Books (al-Kutub al-Sitta) and other major compilations of the Sunnah

10

Sharḥ al-Ḥadīth (شروح الحديث)

Commentary on Hadith — derivation of rulings and knowledge from the prophetic traditions

11

al-Rijāl & al-Jarḥ wal-Taʿdīl (الرجال والجرح والتعديل)

Biographies of Hadith narrators and the critical evaluation of their reliability

12

ʿIlm al-ʿIlal (علم العلل)

Identifying the subtle hidden defects in Hadith chains that are imperceptible to most scholars

13

al-Takhrīj (التخريج ودراسة الأسانيد)

Hadith research methodology — locating reports and evaluating chains to determine authenticity

⚖️

Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh)

Practical legal rulings — seventeen independent disciplines

17 Sciences
14

al-Fiqh al-Madhhabi (الفقه المذهبي)

Jurisprudence within the established legal schools — each school has its own texts, terminology, and principles

15

al-Fiqh al-Muqāran (الفقه المقارن)

Comparative jurisprudence — studying the agreements and differences between the legal schools

16

ʿIlm al-Qaḍāʾ (علم القضاء)

Islamic judiciary — the principles, evidence rules, and procedures of Islamic courts

17

Fiqh al-Nawāzil (فقه النوازل)

Jurisprudence of contemporary and emerging issues — combining legal principles with knowledge of modern realities

18

ʿIlm al-Farāʾiḍ (علم الفرائض)

Islamic inheritance law — the distribution of estates according to the Quranic rules of shares

19

al-Ādāb al-Sharʿiyya (الآداب الشرعية)

The system of Islamic etiquette and prescribed conduct across all areas of life

20

Uṣūl al-Fiqh (أصول الفقه)

The foundational principles for deriving legal rulings from their sources — the basis of all legal reasoning

21

Takhrīj al-Furūʿ (تخريج الفروع على الأصول)

Connecting individual legal rulings back to their foundational theoretical principles

22

al-Qawāʿid al-Fiqhiyya (القواعد الفقهية)

Universal legal maxims governing many subsidiary rulings — analogies, parallels, and distinctions

23

Tārīkh al-Tashrīʿ (تاريخ التشريع)

The emergence of the legal schools, their codification, and the biographies of jurists across the centuries

24

al-Siyāsa al-Sharʿiyya (السياسة الشرعية والحسبة)

Islamic governance, public accountability (Hisba), and enjoining good while forbidding evil

25

ʿIlm al-Maqāṣid (علم المقاصد)

The higher and lower objectives of Islamic law — a criterion for legal reasoning and preference

26

al-Ḥisāb al-Falakī (الحساب الفلكي)

Astronomical calculations for prayer times, the Qibla direction, moon sighting, and worship schedules

27

al-Ḥisāb al-Raqamī (الحساب الرقمي)

Mathematical calculations for inheritance distribution and financial transactions in Islamic law

28

ʿIlm al-Fatwā (علم الفتوى)

The principles, conditions, and etiquette of issuing legal opinions (Fatwas)

29

ʿIlm al-Wāqiʿ (علم الواقع المعاصر)

Understanding contemporary realities — a prerequisite for sound legal opinions on modern issues

30

Ṭuruq al-Istinbāṭ (طرق الاستنباط)

Methods of deriving legal rulings from the Quran, Sunnah, consensus, and other legal sources

🧠

Rational Sciences

Theology, reasoning, and disputation — seven independent disciplines

7 Sciences
31

ʿIlm al-Tawḥīd (علم التوحيد)

Divine oneness — the rights of Allah, the pillars of faith, and the realities of the Hereafter

32

ʿIlm al-Kalām (علم الكلام)

Islamic speculative theology — rational discussion of doctrinal issues and theological debates

Rational Theology Sects & Doctrines
33

ʿIlm al-Jadal (علم الجدل)

The principles of scholarly argumentation and disputation in religious matters

Legal Disputation Theological Disputation
34

ʿIlm al-Manṭiq (علم المنطق)

Logic — the rules of correct thinking and systematic reasoning, the instrument of the rational sciences

35

ʿIlm al-Falsafa (علم الفلسفة)

Philosophy — familiarity with philosophical schools and the ability to respond to their arguments

36

Ādāb al-Baḥth (آداب البحث والمناظرة)

The ethics of scholarly research and the rules of academic debate conducted with integrity

37

Ādāb al-Khilāf (آداب الخلاف)

The etiquette of scholarly disagreement — understanding its causes, types, and proper limits

📜

Historical Sciences

History, Seerah, and genealogy — five independent disciplines

5 Sciences
38

al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya (السيرة النبوية)

The biography of the Prophet ﷺ from birth to death — events, lessons, and standpoints

39

al-Shamāʾil al-Nabawiyya (الشمائل النبوية)

The physical and moral qualities of the Prophet ﷺ — his manner in eating, dress, and conduct

40

al-Maghāzī wal-Futūḥ (المغازي والفتوح)

The military expeditions of the Prophet ﷺ and the early Islamic conquests

41

al-Tārīkh al-Islāmī (التاريخ الإسلامي)

History of Islamic civilization from the earliest generation — caliphs, dynasties, and major events

42

ʿIlm al-Ansāb (أنساب العرب والعجم)

Genealogy — Arab and Islamic lineages, essential for understanding the Seerah, history, and certain legal rulings

🗣️

Arabic Language Sciences

The instrument of the Islamic sciences — thirteen independent disciplines

13 Sciences
43

al-Mufradāt al-Lughawiyya (المفردات اللغوية)

Arabic vocabulary and lexicology — the primary tool for understanding and interpreting classical texts

44

al-Naḥw (النحو)

Arabic syntax (grammar) — the rules of sentence structure and word endings that protect against error in understanding texts

45

al-Ṣarf (الصرف)

Arabic morphology — word structure, patterns, and conjugation that reveal the original meaning of a term

46

al-Balāgha (البلاغة)

Arabic rhetoric (Maʿānī, Bayān, Badīʿ) — the foundation for appreciating Quranic eloquence and literary excellence

Badīʿ (Figures of Speech) Bayān (Figurative Language) Maʿānī (Semantics)
47

al-Ishtiqāq (الاشتقاق)

Etymology and word derivation — tracing words back to their roots to uncover original meanings

48

al-Shiʿr (الشعر)

Arabic poetry — the anthology of the Arabs and a primary source for interpreting the language

49

al-ʿArūḍ wal-Qawāfī (العروض والقوافي)

Prosody and rhyme — the meters and rhythmic patterns of Arabic poetry

50

al-Inshāʾ (الإنشاء)

Arabic composition — the rules and art of written expression and correspondence

51

al-Adab wal-Naqd (الأدب والنقد)

Arabic literature and literary criticism — evaluating the quality and merit of speech and writing

56

Mutūn al-Lugha (متون اللغة)

Classical Arabic dictionaries and lexicons — the primary sources of the language

53

al-Hijāʾ wal-Khaṭṭ (الهجاء والخط)

Rules of correct Arabic writing and calligraphy — orthography and script standards

54

ʿIlm al-Tārīkh (علم التاريخ)

Historical writing and document dating — the methodology of recording and ordering events in time

55

ʿIlm al-Kitāba (علم الكتابة)

Arabic spelling standards — rules governing the writing of letters and their correct forms

✨

Spiritual Sciences

Purification of the soul and rectification of the heart — a discipline in its own right

1 Science
56

al-Tazkiya, al-Akhlāq & al-Sulūk (التزكية والأخلاق والسلوك)

علم تزكية النفس وإصلاح القلب — المحاسبة والمراقبة والاستقامة على منهج القرآن والسنة. يشمل الأخلاق الإسلامية وآداب التعامل مع الله ومع الخلق، وعلم السير إلى الله بالأعمال الصالحة.

Purification of the Soul Islamic Ethics The Path to Allah
🌐

Contemporary Supporting Sciences

What the scholar needs to understand the realities in which he issues rulings

4 Sciences
+1

Principles of Law (مبادئ القانون)

Foundations of positive law — understanding legal systems that inform contemporary Islamic legal opinions

+2

Principles of Economics (مبادئ الاقتصاد)

The science of wealth production, distribution, and consumption — supply, demand, markets, and contemporary economic systems

+3

Principles of Medicine (مبادئ الطب)

Foundational medical knowledge relevant to Islamic jurisprudence — purity, worship, and medical emergencies

+4

Media Criticism (النقد الإعلامي)

Analysis of media content — distinguishing news from opinion and verifying the reliability of sources

May Allah reward every scholar who contributed to clarifying these sciences and defining their boundaries — from the Companions and Successors to the scholars of this age.

Begin Your Journey with Masabih

A specialized Islamic bookstore — curated books in these sciences, delivered throughout Morocco.

Browse the Bookstore