Qiyaas takes the forth position within the Islamic legislation as it comes after the Qur’aan, the Sunnah and Ijmaa’. However, it also holds a particular significance within the area of Islamic Fiqh which is distinguished from the rest of the Shar’iyah Adillah. That is due to the following matters:

1 – Qiyaas has a firm relationship with the Qur’aan, the Sunnah and the Ijmaa’. That is due to these three Adillah Al-Ijmaaliyah containing texts which include Shar’iyah ‘Ilal (reasonings) which require Qiyaas for the purpose of deducing Ahkaam Shar’iyah. Without Qiyaas it is not possible to deduce or extract these Ahkaam.

2 – The realities of life are continuously and newly occurring and are various whilst it is required from the Muslim to regulate his actions in accordance to the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah. It is therefore necessary for these new realities to have Ahkaam Shar’iyah that explain and clarify what the Muslim’s position towards them should be. Al-Qiyaas is from the Adillah (evidences) that make clear the Ahkaam AshShar’iyah for these realities. That happens by linking or attaching the newly occurring realities with the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah which the Wahi brought down due to the similarity between them in respect to the ‘Ilal (reasonings) of the Ahkaam.

Consequently, Qiyaas represents a permanent source to derive the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah for the new realities that occur through the course of human life. This is what makes Islaam proceed along with human life across all times and capable of dealing with all newly occurring realities attached to this human life.

3 – Qiyaas has added to and enriched the Fiqh with many practical Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah since the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) until our present time.

And may Allah’s mercy be upon Al-Muzniy the companion of AshShaafi’iy when he said the following about Qiyaas:

“The Fuqahaa from the time of the Messenger (saw) until this current day of ours have used measures (Maqaayees) in all of the Ahkaam in the matters of their Deen and they have agreed that the match for the Haqq is the Haqq and that the match for the Baatil is the Baatil and as such it is not permissible for anyone to deny Al-Qiyaas”.