DefinePK

Abstract

As the first generation of Islamic history and the direct witnesses to the revelation of the divine law, the opinions of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) hold significant position in the Muslim theological and legal tradition. Consequently, the Muslim Ummah has treated their sayings, actions, and understanding of legal issues—often termed as āthār of the Companions—as one of the most important sources of Islamic law besides the Qur’ān and the sunnah. Their opinions and decrees constitute one of the basic foundations on which all classical legal systems are based, though there are interesting debates among them regarding the framework in which these opinions and decrees are to be used. This article analyzes the framework in which ḥanafī jurists utilized the āthār of the Companions while citing various examples from ḥanafī legal tradition.