1) Mwenyezi Mungu Ta'aalaa alimtuma Mtume Muhammad ﷺ na Uislamu kwa wanadamu wote. Hivyo alianza na Waarabu, huku Qur'aan Tukufu ikiwa imeteremshwa kwa lugha yao. Kuteremshwa kwake kulikuja katika zama ambazo lugha ya Kiarabu ilikuwa imefikia kilele cha ukomavu wake, na kwa hakika katika enzi ya dhahabu ya lugha hii. Ilikuwa wakati ambapo makabila ya Waarabu yalikuwa yameanzisha masoko maalum ya sanaa, ili waweze kuwasilisha mashairi yao na kushindana wao kwa wao kwa kuzingatia ujuzi na ufanisi wao.

1) Allah Ta’Aalaa sent the Messenger Muhammad (saw) with Islaam to mankind in its entirety. So he began with the Arabs whilst the Qur’aan Al-Kareem had been revealed in their language. Its revelation came in the age when the Arabic language was at is ripest and indeed in the golden age of this language. This was at a time when the Arab tribes had established special arts markets so that they could present their poetry and compete with one another in respect to their skills and prowess.

Waarabu walielewa Qur'ani na Hadithi kwa sababu lugha ambayo Aya na Hadithi zilishuka nayo ilikuwa ni kipaji cha asili, tabia na mwelekeo wa kuzaliwa nao walio pewa. Walikuwa na uwezo wa kufahamu kikamilifu maana za maneno yake, na walielewa mitindo yake. Kwa hiyo kila mmoja wao alikuwa akichukua Hukmu ya Shari'a aliyoihitaji bila ugumu.

The Arabs understood the Qur’aan and the Hadeeth because the language which the Aayaat and Ahaadeeth came in represented a natural talent, trait and inborn disposition which they were endowed with. They could fully take in the meanings of its worded expressions and understood its styles. Consequently, each of them would take the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy that he required without difficulty.

Hali ya Waislamu iliendelea hivyo katika zama za Maswahaba na Taabi'in hadi mwanzoni mwa karne ya pili ya Hijria.

The situation of the Muslims then continued like that in the era of the Sahaabah and the Taabi’een until the beginning of the second Hijri century.

2) Baada ya hapo, Dola ya Kiislamu ilipanuka, na mataifa mengine mengi yaliingia katika Uislamu, kama vile Warumi, Waajemi, Wahindi na Waberber. Waarabu kisha wakachanganyika nao kwa kuishi pamoja na kwa lugha yao ya kuzungumza. Matokeo yake, lugha ya Kiarabu ilidhoofika kutokana na kuingia kwa maneno, lahaja na mitindo yenye asili isiyo ya Kiarabu. Hili likasababisha kudhoofika kwa uelewa wa matini za Shari‘ah miongoni mwa wengi wa Waarabu. Kwa sababu hiyo, walihitaji kanuni na misingi ya kiisimu ili kuzielewa Aayaat na Ahaadeeth kama walivyozielewa Waislamu wa mwanzo. Wanazuoni walitoa jibu na kufanya juhudi za kuandika na kuweka Minhaaj (mbinu) ya kueleza namna ya kuchota Ahkaam Ash-Shar‘iyah za kivitendo kutoka katika Kitaab na Sunnah.

2) After that, the Islamic State had expanded and many other nations had entered into Islaam like the Romans, the Persians, Hindus and Berbers. The Arabs then mixed with them in terms of where they resided and in respect to their speech. As a result, the Arabic tongue weakened due to the insertion of expressions, colloquialisms and styles of a non-Arabic origin. This led to the weakening of the understanding of the Shar’iyah texts amongst the majority of the Arabs. As a result, they became in need of linguistic controls and principles in order to understand the Aayaat and the Ahaadeeth as the first Muslims had understood them. The scholars responded and made efforts to put down and provide a Minhaaj (methodology) to explain the manner of how to deduce the practical Ahkaam Ash'Shar’iyah through the Kitaab and the Sunnah.

3) Kutokana na wingi wa kanuni na masharti haya ya kiisimu na ya Kishari'a (Dawaabit), elimu ya Usuli al-Fiqh iliundwa, na mwanzo wa elimu hii ulikuwa katika karne ya pili ya Hijria.

3) From the host of these linguistic and Shar’iy principles and controls (Dawaabit) the ‘Ilm of Usool ul-Fiqh was formed and the beginning of this ‘Ilm was in the second Hijri century.

4) Kitabu cha kwanza kukusanya baadhi ya kanuni za elimu hii ndani ya kitabu kimoja kilikuwa cha Imamu Abu Yusuf (rh), mwanafunzi wa Imamu Abu Haneefah (rh), kama alivyotaja Ibn un-Nadeem katika kitabu chake ‘Al-Fihrist’. Hata hivyo, kitabu hiki cha Abu Yusuf hakikutufikia.

4) The first to gather together some of the principles of this ‘Ilm within a book was Al-Imaam Abu Yusuf (rh) the companion of Al-Imaan Abu Haneefah (rh) as was mentioned by Ibn un-Nadeem in his book ‘Al-Fihrist’. However, this book written by Abu Yousuf did not reach us.

Shia wamesema kwamba aliyeandika kwa mara ya kwanza mada ya Usool ul-Fiqh alikuwa Al-Imaam Ja'far Muhammad Al-Baaqir, lakini kauli hii haijathibitishwa kwa ushahidi.

The Shee’ah have said that the first to put the subject of Usool ul-Fiqh into writing was Al-Imaam Ja’far Muhammad Al-Baaqir however this statement has not been supported by evidence.

Wanazuoni (ʿUlamaa) waliotangulia Ash-Shaafiʿiy walikuwa wakizungumzia masuala ya Usūl al-Fiqh, wakifanya istinbāṭ (hitimisho) na kutoa pingamizi, lakini hawakuwa na mbinu kamili iliyoandikwa kwenye karatasi ambayo ingeweza kurejelewa baadaye.

The ‘Ulamaa before Ash-Shaafi’iy used to speak about the issues of Usool ul-Fiqh, make deductions and objections however they did not have a complete methodology that was put down on paper that could be referred back to.

5) Kitabu cha kwanza kilichotufikia katika eneo la somo la Usool ul-Fiqh ni 'Ar-Risaalah' ya Al-Imaam Muhammad Bin Idrees Ash-Shaafi'iy (rh), aliyefariki mwaka 204 baada ya Hijrah. Alijadili Adillah Al-Ijmaaliyyah kwa namna iliyopangwa na yenye mpangilio; Kitabu, Sunnah, Qiyaas na Ijmaa'. Pia alishughulikia kanuni za kilugha na jinsi ya kuzitumia kupata Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah. Kwa hiyo, elimu ya Usool ul-Fiqh aliyoitoa Ash-Shaafi'iy iliwakilisha kipimo chenye nidhamu cha kutambua maoni sahihi kutoka yale yasiyo sahihi, na kipimo sahihi cha kujua lipi ni katika Shar'a na lipi si katika Shar'a.

5) The first book that reached us in the subject area of Usool ul-Fiqh was ‘Ar-Risaalah’ of Al-Imaam Muhammad Bin Idrees Ash-Shaafi’iy (rh) who passed away in the year 204 after Hijrah. He discussed the Adillah Al-Ijmaaliyyah in an ordered and organised manner; the Kitaab, the Sunnah, Qiyaas and Ijmaa’. And he also dealt with the linguistic principles and how to use them to deduce the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah Therefore, the ‘Ilm of Usool ul-Fiqh that Ash-Shaafi’iy provided represented a disciplined yardstick to know the correct opinions from the incorrect ones and a precise measure to know what is from the Shar’a and what is not from the Shar’a.

Ash-Shaafi'iy alijizuia mwenyewe kwenye Minhaaj (mbinu) hii katika Istinbaat (kuchota hukumu) za Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah, na akajenga Madh'hab yake, inayojulikana kama Madh'hab ya Shaafi'iy katika Fiqh, juu yake, ambayo ilirekodiwa katika kitabu chake 'Al-Umm'.

Ash-Shaafi’iy restricted himself to this Minhaaj (methodology) in his Istinbaat (deduction) of the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah and based his Madh’hab, known as the Shaafi’iy Madh’hab in Fiqh, upon it which was recorded in his book ‘Al-Umm’.

Katika "Muqaddamah" yake, alipokuwa akizungumzia elimu ya Usuli al-Fiqh, Ibn Khaldoun alisema: "Wa kwanza kuandika ndani yake alikuwa Ash-Shaafi'iy, Allah amridhie. Aliidikteti ndani yake (uwanja huo wa elimu) katika kitabu chake maarufu cha 'Risaalah', na katika hilo alizungumzia amri na makatazo, Bayaan, Khabar, An-Naskh (kufuta hukumu), na Hukm ya 'Illah iliyokuja katika maandishi kuhusiana na Qiyaas..." (Al-Muqaddamah uk. 455).

In his ‘Muqaddamah’ when discussing the ‘Ilm of Usool ul-Fiqh Ibn Khaldoon said: “The first who wrote in it was Ash-Shaafi’iy, may Allah be pleased with him. He dictated in it (the subject area) in his famous ‘Risaalah’ and in this he spoke about the commands and forbiddances, the Bayaan, the Khabar, An-Naskh (abrogation) and the Hukm of the ‘Illah that has come in the text in respect to Qiyaas...” (Al-Muqaddamah p455).

Katika kitabu chake "Ar-Risaalah," Ash-Shaafi'iy alipanga ngazi za Adillah Al-Ijmaaliyyah na kuziweka katika nafasi zake: "Tunahukumu kwa mujibu wa Kitabu na Sunnah ambavyo kuna makubaliano juu yake, ambavyo hakuna tofauti ndani yake na nafasi yake ni ya msingi, kwa sababu si Halali kutumia Qiyaas wakati Khabar (yaani Sunnah) ipo." (Historical study of Fiqh and its Usool – Dr. Mustafa Sa'eed, uk. 181, Juzuu 1)

In his ‘Risaalah’ Ash-Shaafi’iy ordered (graded) the levels of the Adillah Al-Ijmaaliyyah and placed them in their positions: “We judge (or pass verdict) in accordance to the Kitaab and the Sunnah upon which a consensus has been formed, in which there is no difference and its position is essential, because it is not Halaal to resort to Qiyaas whilst the Khabar (i.e. Sunnah) is present” (Historical study of Fiqh and its Usool – Dr. Mustafa Sa’eed p181 Vol 1)