Mwanzilishi wa madhehebu haya, Daawood ibn ‘Alee, alizaliwa Kufah mnamo mwaka 815 WK. Masomo yake ya mwanzo ya Fiqh yalikuwa chini ya wanafunzi wa Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee, lakini baadaye aliegemea katika kujifunza Hadeeth, na akajiunga na halaqa ya Hadeeth ya Imaam Ahmad ibn Hambal. Aliendelea kusoma chini ya Ahmad hadi alipofukuzwa kutoka madarasa ya Ahmad kwa sababu alitoa maoni kwamba Qur-aan ni Muhdath (iliyoanza kuwepo hivi karibuni) na hivyo ni kiumbe.

The founder of this school of thought, Daawood ibn ‘Alee, was born in Kufah in the year 815 CE. His early Fiqh studies were under Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee’s students, but he later inclined towards the study of Hadeeth and joined the Hadeeth circle of Imaam Ahmad ibn Hambal. He continued to study under Ahmad until he was expelled from Ahmad’s classes because he voiced the opinion that the Quraan was Muhdath (newly existent) and therefore created.

Baada ya kufukuzwa kwake, alichukua njia huru ya kufikiri kwa msingi wa maana zilizo wazi na za moja kwa moja (DHaahir) za matini za Qur'aan na Sunnah. Kwa sababu ya mbinu hii, madhehebu yake iliitwa Madh-hab ya DHaahiree, naye akajulikana kama Daawood adH-DHaahiree.148

After his expulsion, he took and independent path of reasoning based on the obvious and literal meanings (DHaahir) of the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. Because of this approach, his Madh-hab was called the DHaahiree Madh-hab and he became known as Daawood adH-DHaahiree.148

Kama Maimamu wengine wote, Daawood alichukulia Qur-aan kuwa chanzo kikuu cha sheria ya Kiislamu, kikifuatiwa na Sunnah. Hata hivyo, yeye alizingatia kuwa ni tafsiri za kimaandishi tu za maandiko hayo ndizo zilizokuwa halali; yaani, yalipaswa kutumika tu katika hali mahsusi ambazo yalizieleza.

Like all of the other Imaams, Daawood considered the Qur’aan to be the foremost source of Islamic law follwed by the Sunnah. However, only literal interpretations of their texts were insidered by him to be valid . that is, they were only to be applied in the particular circumstances which they described.

Imamu Daawood alikubali Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba. Alitoa hoja kwamba makubaliano yao yangeweza kuwa tu katika hukumu za Sharia zilizoteremshwa kwa Mtume ﷺ na kujulikana kwa Maswahaba, lakini hazikusimuliwa kama Hadithi kwa sababu moja au nyingine.

Imaam Daawood gave credence to the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah, He reasoned that their unanimity would only have been on points of law revealed to the Prophet (s.w.) and known to the Sahaabah, but not narrated as Hadeeths for some reason or other.

Kwa hiyo, Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba haikuzingatiwa na yeye kuwa ni matokeo ya kutumia akili (Qiyaas).

There fore, the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah were not considered by himas resulting from reasoning (Qiyaas).

Kwa kuwa Imam Dawūd alizuia matumizi ya Qur'ani na Sunnah kwa maana yake ya kimaandishi tu, alikanusha moja kwa moja uhalali wa hukumu zinazotegemea aina yoyote ya maoni ya kiakili, ikiwa ni pamoja na Qiyās.149 Hata hivyo, kanuni ya Mafhūm (maana inayofahamika) aliyoitumia kwenye Qur'ani na Sunnah badala ya Qiyās iligeuka kuwa karibu isiyotofautishwa na Qiyās (kupima kwa mfano kwa njia ya kiakili).150

Since Imaam Daawood limited the application of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah to their literal meaning, he automatically denied the validity of rulings based on any form of reasoned opinion, including Qiyaas.149 However, the principle of Mafhoom (understood meaning) which he applied to the Qur’aan and Sunnah in place of Qiyaas turned out to be virtually indistinguishable from Qiyaas (analogical deduction)150

Kutokana na upeo mdogo wa Madhhab ya Dhaahiri na kukosekana kwa wanazuoni mashuhuri wa kuyarithisha misingi na hukumu zake, madhhab hii haikudumu kwa muda mrefu. Kwa hakika, haikupata nafasi katika eneo lolote la dola ya Kiislamu wakati wa uhai wa Imaam Daawood, wala katika karne moja na nusu iliyofuata kifo chake.

Due to the limited scope of the DHaahiree Madh-hab and the absense of outstanding scholars to pass on its principles and rulings, it did not last very long. In fact, it did not get a foothold in any area of the Muslim empire during Imaam Daawood’s lifetime, nor in the century and a half which followed his death.

Katika nyakati za baadaye, wanazuoni wote waliokataa uhalali wa Qiyaas walipewa jina la Dhaahiriyya, ingawa kwa kweli hawakuwa wamesoma chini ya Daawood wala wanafunzi wake, wala hawakuwa wamesoma kazi zao.

In later times, all scholars who denied the validity of Qiyaas were labelled as DHaahirees, even though they had not actually studied under Daawood or his students, or even read their works.

Mwanafunzi mashuhuri zaidi wa Madhhab ya Dhaahiriyyah alikuwa msomi mahiri wa Kihispania wa karne ya 11 Milaadia aliyeitwa ‘Alee ibn Ahmad ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (alifariki mwaka 1070 Milaadia). Ibn Hazm aliifufua Madhhab hii na kuitetea katika kazi nyingi bora alizoandika katika nyanja mbalimbali za masomo ya Kiislamu; kwa mfano, Ihkaam al-Ahkaam katika fani ya Usool al-Fiqh, al-Fisal katika elimu ya Itikadi, na al-Muhallaa katika Fiqh. Kutokana na juhudi zisizochoka za Ibn Hazm, Madhhab hii ilishika mizizi Uhispania ya Kiislamu ambako ilistawi, na kutoka hapo ikaenea katika baadhi ya maeneo ya Afrika Kaskazini na sehemu nyingine. Ilibaki kuenea sana Uhispania hadi dola ya Kiislamu ilipoanza kusambaratika huko mwanzoni mwa karne ya 15 Milaadia. Kwa kutoweka kwa dola ya Kiislamu ya Andalus, Madhhab hii nayo ilitoweka, ikiacha nyuma maandishi kadhaa ya kielimu, mengi yake yakiwa ni kazi za Ibn Hazm mwenyewe.151

The most noted student of the DHaahiree Madh-hab was a brilliant 11th century CE Spanish scholar named ‘Alee ibn Ahmad ibn Hazm al-Andaloosee (died 1070 CE). Ibn Hazm revived this Madh-hab and defended it in the numerous outstanding works which he wrote in various fields of Islamic study; for example, Ihkaam alAhkaam in the field of Usool al-Fiqh, al-Fisal in theology and alMuhallaa in Fiqh. Due to Ibn Hazm’s tireless efforts, the Madh-hab took hold in Islamic Spain where it flourished, and from there it spread to some areas of North Africa and elsewhere. It remained prevalent in Spain until the Islamic State began to crumble there in the early 1400’s. Whith the disappearance of the Muslim state of Andalus, the Madh-hab also disappeared, leaving behind only a number of scholarly writings, most of which were done by Ibn Hazm himself.151