Al-Istishaab a harshen larabci yana nufin (zumunci/tare da wani). Ana cewa mutum ya "istashbata" wani hali ko yanayi idan ya riƙe shi. Haka kuma, Al-Istishaab shi ne neman zumunci da tsayuwa a kansa.

Al-Istishaab linguistically means (to accompany/associate). It is said that you ‘Istishabta’ a condition or state (of being) if you held on to it. And Al-Istishaab is (also) the seeking of companionship and remaining firm upon it.

Hukm ne (hukunci) na tabbatar da wani al'amari a yanzu bisa ga tabbatarsa a baya.

It is the Hukm (judgement) by affirming a matter in the present time based upon its affirmation in the past.

A cikin kowane al'amari da aka tabbatar da kasancewarsa, sannan sai shakku ya taso game da rashin kasancewarsa, asali shi ne cewa yana nan yadda yake. Misali, wanda ya auri mace bisa dogaro da cewa budurwa ce, sannan bayan ya kwana da ita sai ya yi ikirarin cewa ba budurwa ba ce, ba za a amince da shi ba sai da Bayyinah (hujja ko shaida mai inganci). Hakan ya faru ne domin asalin al'amarin shi ne budurci, saboda an tabbatar da shi kuma an kafa shi tun lokacin haihuwarta. Don haka budurcinta yana tare da ita (Istishaab) har zuwa lokacin da ta yi aure.

In respect to every matter that was confirmed to be present and then doubt occurs in respect to it no longer being present, then the origin is that it remains (in presence). So for example, the one who marries upon the basis that the woman was a virgin and then claims after having relations with her that she was not will not be believed except by a Bayyinah (valid testimonial proof/evidence). That is because the original position is that of virginity because that was affirmed and established since the time of her birth. As such her being a virgin accompanies (Istishaab) her until the time that she marries.

Wani misali kuma ya shafi wanda aka sani cewa yana raye, saboda haka ana hukunta cewa yana ci gaba da kasancewa a raye muddin babu wata hujja da ta tabbatar da akasin haka.

Another example relates to the one who is known to have been alive and so is judged to be remaining alive as long as a Daleel does not exist establishing the contrary to that.

Duk al'amarin da aka san rashin kasancewarsa sannan shakku ya tashi game da kasancewarsa, to asali shi ne ci gaba da yanayin rashin kasancewa.

Every matter about which its non-existence is known and then doubt arises in respect to its existence, then the origin (Al-Asl) is the continuance of the condition of non-existence.

Misali, idan wani ya sayi kare bisa sharadin cewa kare yana da kwarewa wajen farauta, sannan daga baya ya yi ikirarin cewa ya gano cewa kare ba a horar da shi ba, to ana gaskata shi. Dalili shi ne asali shi ne kare ba a horar da shi wajen farauta tun daga haihuwarsa, don haka rashin horon ya kasance a kan Istishaab.

For example, if someone purchases a dog upon the basis that the dog is skilled in hunting and then claims after that that he discovered that the dog had not been trained, he is believed. That is because the Asl (origin) is that the dog has not been trained to hunt from its birth and as such the non-existence or absence remains as Istishaab.

Haka kuma, idan mutum ya yi da'awar cewa ya auri wata mace, sai ita ta musanta da'awarsa, ba a karɓar maganarsa bisa dalilin Istishaab, muddin bai kawo Bayyinah (hujja mai karfi) da zai tabbatar da hakan ba. Wannan saboda Asali shi ne rashin auren.