Tumeona kwamba ingawa Maimamu wa madhehebu manne makubwa wote walikubaliana juu ya ubora wa misingi minne ya msingi ya sheria ya Kiislamu (Qur'ani, Sunnah, Ijmaa' na Qiyaas), bado zimejitokeza na zipo tofauti fulani katika hukumu za madhehebu yao. Tofauti hizi zilitokea kwa sababu mbalimbali, kuu zikiwa zinahusiana na mambo yafuatayo:

We have seen that although the Imaams of the four major Madh-habs were all agreed on the primacy of the four fundamental priciples of Islamic law (the Qur’aan, the Sunnah, Ijmaa’and Qiyaas), certain differences have occurred and still exist among the rulings of their Madh-habs. These differences arose for various reasons, the chief ones being related to the following aspects:

Tafsiri ya maana za maneno na miundo ya kisarufi; simulizi za Hadiyth (upatikanaji, uhalisi, masharti ya kukubalika, na ufafanuzi wa mgongano wa maandishi); ukubalika wa kanuni fulani (Ijmaa', desturi za watu wa Madiyna, Istihsaan, na maoni ya Maswahaba); na mbinu za Qiyaas. Itatajwa misimamo ya Madhehebu nne zilizopo pale inapohusika.

interpretation of ward meanings and grammatical constructions; Hadeeth narrations (availability, authenticity, conditions for acceptance, and interpretation of textual conflict); admissibility of certain principles (Ijmaa’, customs of the Madeenites, Istihsaan, and opinions of the Sahaabah); and methods of Qiyaas. Mention will be made of the positions of the four existing Madh-habs where relevant.