Kwa lugha, As-Sabab maana yake ni: Kile ambacho kwacho mtu hufikia jambo fulani lililokusudiwa. Kwa sababu hiyo kamba na njia huitwa Sabab, kwa kuwa kila moja kati yake hufikisha kwenye jambo lililokusudiwa.

As-Sabab linguistically means: That which arrives by it to a certain intended matter and for that reason the rope and the road are called a Sabab because each of them arrive to an intended matter.

Kuhusu Sababu kama aina miongoni mwa aina za Hukm Ash-Shar'iy Al-Wad'iy, wanazuoni wa Usul wanaifafanua kama:

As for the Sabab as a type from among the types of Hukm Ash-Shar’iy Al-Wad’iy then the Usooliyeen define it as:

Sabab ni sifa (maelezo) ya wazi na inayodhibitika ambayo dalili ya Kisharia inaelekeza kuwa ni kiashiria cha kuwepo kwa Hukm.

The Sabab is a Wasf (description) Zhaahir Mundabit that the Shar’iy Daleel guides to as being an indicator for the presence of the Hukm.

Maana ya Dhaahir: Ni kile kinachohisiwa (Mahsoos) na si kilichofichika (Khafiy), ambacho binadamu anakihisi kwa hisia zake na kwa akili yake (Aql).

The meaning of Zhaahir: That it is Mahsoos (sensed) and not Khafiy (hidden/concealed), that the human senses it with his senses and his Aql (mind).

Maana ya Mundabit: Inamaanisha kwamba pale sifa hii (Wasf) inapopatikana, basi hukm (hukumu) pia hupatikana, kwa kuwa sababu (Sabab) na yaliyosababishwa (Musabbab) yameunganishwa au kufungamanishwa pamoja katika kuwepo na kutokuwepo.

The meaning of Mundabit: It means that when this description (Wasf) is found then the Hukm is also found as the Sabab and the Musabbab (the cause and caused matter) are connected or tied together in presence and non-presence.

Mfano wa hilo ni Kauli ya Allah Ta‘ālā:

An example of that is the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

Au kauli ya Mtume ﷺ:

Or the statement of the Messenger (saw):

Aya na Hadithi zote mbili zinaeleza kwamba kupungua au kuzama kwa jua (Zawaal) kutoka kwenye mstari wa adhuhuri (meridian) ni sababu (Sabab) ya kujulikana kuwepo kwa Swalah. Maana yake ni kwamba likija wakati huu, basi Swalah ya Dhuhri inakuwa imeingia, na inaruhusiwa kuiswali inapotimia masharti (Shuruut).

So the Aayah and the Hadeeth both explain that the decline or passing of the sun (Zawaal) from the meridian is the Sabab (cause) for the identification of the existence of the Salaah. The meaning of that is that if this time comes into being then the Salaah of Zhohr comes into being and then it is allowed to perform it when the conditions (Shuroot) are met.

Kwa hiyo, Sababu ni ‘Alama (ishara au kiashiria) ya kuwepo au kutokuwepo kwa Swalaah. Kuhusu wajibu wa Swalaah, basi huu ni katika Ahkaam At-Takleefiy, na Daleel yake ni Kauli ya Allah Ta’Aalaa:

Consequently, the Sabab is an ‘Amaarah’ (sign or indicator) for the presence or non-presence of the Salaah. As for the obligation of the Salaah, then this is from the Ahkaam At-Takleefiy and its Daleel is the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

Na:

And:

Vivyo hivyo hivyo kwa Sababu ya Saumu (kufunga). Allah (SWT) amesema:

The same applies to the Sabab of the Sawm (fasting). Allah (swt) said:

Na Mtume wa Allah ﷺ alisema:

And the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

(Ahmad na imethibitishwa kuwa Sahih na At-Tirmidhi)

(Ahmad and verified as Saheeh by At-Tirmidhi)

Maandishi haya mawili yanaeleza kwamba kuonekana kwa Hilaal (mwezi mpya) wa Ramadhaan ndio Sababu ya kuwepo kwa funga ya Ramadhaan.

These two texts explain that the sighting of the Hilaal (new moon) of Ramadhaan is the Sabab for the presence of the fasting of Ramadhaan.

Vivyo hivyo, kufikia au kufika kwa Nisaab ndiko Sababu ya kuwepo kwa Zakaah, Idtiraar (dharura ya lazima) ndiyo Sababu ya kuruhusiwa kula Maitah (nyama ya mzoga), na 'Uqood za Shar'iyah (mikataba ya kisheria) ndizo Sababu ya kuruhusiwa kunufaika na mali au kuihamisha (yaani kuimiliki na kuitumia upendavyo).

Similarly, the attainment or reaching of the Nisaab is the Sabab for the presence of the Zakaah, the Idtiraar (necessity) is the Sabab for the permissibility of eating the Maitah (carrion meat) and the Shar’iyah ‘Uqood (contracts) are the Sabab for the permissibility to benefit from or transfer property (i.e. to take ownership and dispose of it).

Kwa hiyo Sababu ndiyo kiashiria cha kuwepo au kutokuwepo kwa Hukm, na lazima kuwepo na Daleel Shar'iy inayoonyesha Sababu hii. Hiyo ni kwa sababu Sababu ya Shar'iy lazima iwe na Daleel Shar'iy inayoielekeza, ili ichukuliwe; vinginevyo haitazingatiwa kuwa Sababu ya Shar'iy kwa kuwepo kwa Hukm Ash-Shar'iy.

The Sabab is therefore the indicator for the presence or non-presence of the Hukm and there must be a Daleel Shar’iy that indicates this Sabab. That is because the Shar’iy Sabab must have a Daleel Shar’iy that guides to it for it to be taken otherwise it would not be considered to be a Shar’iy Sabab for the presence of the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy.

Zaidi ya hayo, kuwepo kwa Hukm Ash-Shar'iy kunategemea kuwepo kwa Sabab Ash-Shar'iy, hivyo kwa kukosekana kwake Hukm nayo hukosekana. Baadhi ya wanazuoni wameifafanua Sabab kwa kuzingatia mtazamo huu, wakasema: 'Sabab ni kile ambacho kuwepo kwake huleta kuwepo (kwa Hukm), na kukosekana kwake huleta kukosekana (kwa Hukm)'.

In addition, the presence of the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy rests upon the presence of the Shar’iy Sabab so that in its absence the Hukm is also absent. Some have defined the Sabab based upon this angle and so they stated: ‘The Sabab is what necessitates by its presence the presence (of the Hukm) and necessitates by its absence the absence (i.e. of the Hukm)’.

Hivyo basi, Shaari' (Mtunga Sheria) alimwelekezea Mukallaf kwa Hukm Ash-Shar'iy At-Takleefiy na akaweka alama au kiashirio kinachoongoza kwenye uwepo wa Hukm hiyo, na alama au kiashirio hiki ni Sabab Ash-Shar'iy.

As such, the Shaari’ (Legislator) addressed the Mukallaf with the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy At-Takleefiy and put down a sign or indicator that guides to the presence of the Hukm and this sign or indicator is the Sabab Ash-Shar’iy.