Al-Istishaab kilughawi maana yake ni (kuandamana/kuambatana). Inasemekana kwamba mtu "amemuistishaabu" hali au hali fulani ikiwa aliishikilia. Na Al-Istishaab pia ni kutafuta urafiki na kubaki imara juu yake.

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.

Ni Hukm (hukumu) ya kuthibitisha jambo la sasa kwa kuzingatia kuthibitishwa kwake huko nyuma.

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

Katika kila jambo ambalo lilithibitika kuwepo, kisha ikatokea shaka juu ya kutokuwepo kwake tena, msingi ni kwamba bado linaendelea kuwepo. Kwa mfano, mtu aliyeoa kwa msingi kwamba mwanamke huyo alikuwa bikira, kisha akadai baada ya kufanya tendo la ndoa naye kwamba hakuwa bikira, hatasikilizwa isipokuwa kwa Bayyinah (ushahidi thabiti unaokubalika). Hiyo ni kwa sababu msimamo wa asili ni ubikira, kwa kuwa hilo lilithibitishwa na kuanzishwa tangu wakati wa kuzaliwa kwake. Kwa hiyo, ubikira wake unaendelea kuwepo (Istishaab) hadi wakati alipoolewa.

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.

Mfano mwingine unahusu yule anayejulikana kuwa alikuwa hai, na hivyo anahukumiwa kuendelea kuwa hai mradi tu hakuna Daleel inayothibitisha kinyume chake.

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.

Kila jambo ambalo kutokuwepo kwake kunajulikana, kisha shaka ikatokea kuhusu kuwepo kwake, basi msingi (Al-Asl) ni kuendelea kwa hali ya kutokuwepo.

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.

Kwa mfano, ikiwa mtu atanunua mbwa kwa msingi kwamba mbwa huyo ni stadi wa kuwinda, kisha baadaye akadai kwamba aligundua mbwa huyo hakuwa amefunzwa, basi anaaminiwa. Hii ni kwa sababu Asl (asili) ni kwamba mbwa hajafunzwa kuwinda tangu kuzaliwa kwake, na hivyo kutokuwepo kwa mafunzo hayo kunabaki kuwa 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.

Vivyo hivyo hivyo, ikiwa mtu anadai kwamba amemwoa mwanamke na yeye (mwanamke) anakanusha madai yake, basi hasadikiwi, kwa msingi wa Istishaab, mradi hajatoa Bayyinah (ushahidi halali) wa kuthibitisha hilo. Hiyo ni kwa sababu Asl (msingi) ni kutokuwepo kwa ndoa.