Al-Waadih Fee Usool ul-Fiqh by Muhammad Hussein Abdullah

The ‘Ulamaa who have said that Al-‘Urf is a Masdar (source) for the Islamic legislation acknowledge it as a Daleel in the case where there is no text (Nass) from the Kitaab or the Sunnah. If the ‘Urf was contrary to the Kitaab or the Sunnah, then it is rejected and not taken.

The Maalikiyah and Hanafiyah utilised the ‘Urf in other than the place of the text i.e. where there a Nass (text) for the Hukm (judgment) upon a reality from the realities does not exist. The ‘Urf in their view is that which the people have made habitual and become accustomed to in their Mu’aamalaat (societal transactions) and violating the considered ‘Urf, in their opinion, leads to difficulty and hardship. This is based upon the statement of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

For that reason, the ‘Ulamaa of the Maalikiy and Hanafiy Madh’habs said: The established (matter) by the Saheeh ‘Urf and not the Faasid is established by a Daleel Shar’iy.

The Shaarih (explainer) of the book: ‘Al-Ashbaah Wa-n-Nazhaa’ir’ said: “The established (matter) by ‘Urf is established (proven) by a Daleel Shar’iy.

As-Sarkhasy (rh), who is from the Hanafiy Madh’hab, said in ‘Al-Mabsoot’: “The established (matter) by the ‘Urf is like the established (matter) by text (An-Nass)”. The meaning of this statement of his indicates that the established matter by the ‘Urf is established by a Daleel that is other than the text (Nass).

The Fuqahaa’ of the Hanafiyah have settled to leave the Qiyaas if it opposes the ‘Urf and they have called that ‘Istihsaan Al-‘Urf’. They said that the ‘Urf specifies (Takhsees) the ‘Aamm (general) if the general text was Zhanniy (indefinite). An example of leaving the generality in the Zhanniy text for the sake of the ‘Urf is that it was related that the Nabi (saw) forbade the sale that was accompanied by a Shart (condition). However, despite that, the majority of the Hanafiyah and Maalikiyah permitted every Shart (condition) that the ‘Urf has given consideration to and even if that condition was linked with the trade.

The Fuqahaa have also sought judgement in the ‘Urf in respect to the the Muwassa’ (broad/wide) and the Mudayyaq (narrow). So the Ahnaaf, for example, held that if the trader sells something in the market to someone else and the two contracting parties have not expressed explicitly whether the cost is to be brought forward or delayed, whilst it was known by way of custom that the seller would take a known cost every Jumu’ah, then the payment will be made upon that basis without the need for elaboration, in accordance to the ‘Urf (custom). Ash-Shaafi’iyah held that if a person swore an oath not to eat eggs, he would not have broken his oath if he had eaten fish eggs because the name of ‘egg’ is not applied to them in accordance to the ‘Urf.

Ibn ul-Qayyim Al-Hanbaliy authored a subject under the title: “The changing of the Fatwaa in accordance to the change of the ‘Urf” within his book ‘A’alaam Al-Muwaqqi’een’. He mentioned within it a number of examples to show the ‘Urfi (customary) consideration which included amongst them: “That if a man was to swear an oath that he would not ride a Daabbah (four-legged animal) whilst it was known in accordance to the ‘Urf (custom) of that land which he was from that the word ‘Daabbah’ refers to the donkey specifically, then he would not have broken his oath by riding a horse or a camel”.

And Ibn ‘Aabideen said in his book ‘The spread of ‘Urf in respect to basing some of the Ahkaam upon the ‘Urf’: “If the ‘Urf goes against the Daleel Ash-Shar’iy from every perspective then it is undoubtedly rejected, like Ribaa or the man wearing gold. If it does not oppose it from every angle in the case where the Daleel has been mentioned generally and the ‘Urf has then opposed it in some of its individual elements (that fall under its generality), then the ‘Urf is Mu’tabar (considered) if it was general and specifies the generality of the Daleel”.

Al-‘Izz ud-Deen Abdis Salaam mentioned that the consideration of ‘Urf is apparent in the issues (Masaa’il) dealt with by the Fuqahaa if it was Fi’liy (action based) i.e. Whether they are ‘Aamm (general) or Khaass (specific).