Maana ya kilugha ya neno daleel ni kiashiria (daleel), na neno daleel linaweza kutumika kwa kile kilicho na dalili na mwongozo, na hii ndiyo inayoitwa daleel katika ufafanuzi uliowekwa na wanazuoni wa fiqhi, kwa kuwa wameifafanua kwa: ambayo uchunguzi sahihi wake unamwongoza kwenye jambo lililotakwa kwa khabari (matloub khabari). Kuhusu daleel ya usuul (misingi ya fiqhi), wameifafanua kwa: kile kinachoongoza katika kupata elimu kuhusu jambo lililotakwa khabari; kwa maneno mengine ni kile kinachochukuliwa kama ushahidi, (kuthibitisha) kwamba kile kinachotafutwa ni hukumu ya kishari'ah.

The linguistic meaning of the (word) daleel is the indicator (daleel), and the word daleel can be used for what has indication and guidance, and this is what is named daleel in the definition set by the jurisprudents, as they defined it by: which the correct scrutinize in it leads to an announced request (matloub khabari). As for the daleel of the usoul (principals); they defined it by: what leads to the knowledge about the announced request, in another word it is that which is taken as evidence, (to prove) that what is searched for is a shari'ahi verdict.

Kila dalili ya kisheria huonyesha hukumu kwa uhakika au kwa kutokuwa na uhakika. Ikiwa dalili inaonyesha kwa uhakika, kwa kuwa imepokewa kwa uhakika kama Qur'ani na hadithi mutawatir, na dalili yake pia ni ya uhakika, basi hakuna mzozo kuhusu kuzingatiwa kwake. Na ikiwa inaonyesha hukumu bila uhakika, lakini chanzo chake (upokezi wake) ni cha uhakika kama Qur'ani na hadithi mutawatir, nayo pia inazingatiwa. Ikiwa chanzo chake si cha uhakika kama hadithi ahaad (zilizopokewa na mtu mmoja mmoja), basi ni lazima kuihakiki, yaani kuhakikisha usahihi wa hadithi kabla ya kuamua kuikubali, na si sahihi kuikubali bila masharti. Ikiwa hadithi ni sahihi (sahih), ni lazima ikubaliwe hata kama haina uhakika, kwa sababu khabari ya mtu mmoja mmoja yenye usahihi wa kutoka kwake inachukuliwa kuwa ni dalili, hata kama usemaji wake si wa uhakika; na uhakiki ni kujua usahihi wake na kuwa na utulivu kwamba imetoka kwa Nabii ﷺ. Dalili za kisheria ni za aina mbili. Moja yake inahusiana na maneno ya matini na yale yanayodhihirishwa kwa maana yake ya moja kwa moja (mantouq) na maana yake ya kufahamika kwa mazingira (mafhoum). Aina ya pili inahusiana na maana ya kiakili (ma'qoul) ya matini, yaani inahusiana na 'illah ya kisheria (sababu ya kutungwa kwa sheria). Kwa upande wa aina ya kwanza ya dalili: hizo ni Kitabu (cha Allah Ta'ala), Sunnah na Ijma' ya Maswahaba. Aina ya pili ni Qiyas (kupima kwa mlinganisho wa kielimu), ambayo inahitaji 'illah ya kisheria iliyoonyeshwa katika matini ya sheria.

Every shari'ahi daleel indicates the verdict decisively or indecisively. If the daleel indicates decisively, for it is decisively transmitted like the Qur’an and the motawaatir hadeeth, and its indication is also decisive; there is no dispute over its consideration, and if it indicates the verdict indecisively, but its origin (transmission) is decisive like the Qur’an and the motawaatir hadeeth; it is also considered. If its origin is indecisive like the ahaad (individually narrated) hadeeth, then it is a must to verify it, i.e. making sure of the authenticity of the hadeeth before deciding to accept it, and it is not right to accept it unrestrictedly. If the hadeeth is veritable (sahih); it must be accepted even if it is indecisive, because the individually narrated (khabar) that has an authentic issuance is considered as an evidence, even if its issuance is indecisive, and the verification is to know the authenticity and to be tranquilled that it is issued by the prophet (SAW). The shari'ahi evidences are of two types: one of them is related to the expressions (words) of the text and what is denoted by their literal meaning (mantouq) and their connotation (mafhoum). The second type is related to the reasoned meaning (ma’qoul) of the text, i.e. related to the shari'ahi illah (reason of the legislation). As for the first type of the evidences: that is the book (of Allah Ta’ala), the Sunnah and the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah (consensus of the Sahaabah). The second type is the (Qyas) scholarly measuring (analogy), which needs the shari'ahi illah that is showed in the shar,i text.

Ushahidi wa Kishariah haukubaliwi isipokuwa umetoka kwa Mtume ﷺ, ama kupitia maandiko yenyewe au kupitia yale ambayo maandiko yanayaashiria, yanayohusiana na maandiko hayo. Vinginevyo, hauhesabiwi kuwa dalili ya Kishariah. Kwa upande wa maandiko, hakika ni dalili, iwe yanasomwa, yaliyoteremshwa kama maneno na maana, nayo ni Qur'ani; au yasiyosomwa, yaliyoteremshwa kama maana, ambayo Mtume ﷺ ameyaeleza kwa kauli yake, kitendo chake na idhini yake, nayo ni Sunnah. Ama yale ambayo maandiko yanayaashiria, yanahesabiwa kuwa dalili iwapo maana yake inahusiana na maandiko yenyewe (si na ijtihadi), nayo ni Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba na Qiyas. Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba inahesabiwa kuwa dalili ya Kishariah kwa sababu inadhihirisha kuwepo kwa dalili ya maandiko (Sunnah), na udhihirisho wake unafanya dalili yake ihusiane na maandiko yenyewe. Pia maandiko yaliyotoka kwa Mtume ﷺ yameashiria kuwa Ijmaa yao ni dalili, kwa sababu katika Qur'ani na Hadithi kumekuja yaliyowasifu Maswahaba waziwazi na kuhimiza kuwafuata. Pia kwa sababu waliona hali ya Mtume ﷺ katika usemi wake, kitendo chake na kimya chake (idhini yake). Kwa hiyo, kukubaliana kwao juu ya jambo kunaashiria kuwa walikuwa wameona dalili juu ya jambo hilo, na ikawa imewajulikana, hivyo wakakubaliana juu ya hukumu ya Kishariah bila kusimulia dalili yake. Kwa msingi huo, Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba ni ushahidi wa Kishariah na hoja inayoweza kutegemewa, kwa kuzingatia maandiko ya Kishariah yanavyoashiria juu yake; na kwa hayo, inadhihirisha kuwepo kwa dalili, hivyo dalili ya Ijmaa' inahusiana na maandiko yenyewe. Ama Qiyas, dalili yake inahusiana na maandiko yenyewe, kwa sababu maandiko huwa either yanabeba 'illah (sababu za kutungwa kwa hukumu) au hayabebi 'illah. Ikiwa maandishi yana illah, basi illah hiyo inachukuliwa kuwa ni ushahidi popote inapokuwepo, na Qiyas itajengwa juu yake; na hii ndiyo Qiyas ya kisharia. Ikiwa maandishi hayana illah, basi hakuna Qiyas (kulinganisha kwa kufananisha). Pia, maandishi yaliyotoka kwa Mtume ﷺ yameonyesha kuwa Qiyas inazingatiwa kuwa ni ushahidi wa kisharia; Mtume ﷺ aliongoza kuelekea Qiyas na akaikubali. Kwa hiyo, Qiyas inachukuliwa kuwa ni dalili ya kisharia na hoja ambayo hukumu zinaweza kujengwa juu yake, kwa kuzingatia illah ya kisharia iliyomo katika maandishi. Hivyo basi, ushahidi wa Qiyas unahusiana na maandishi yenyewe, kwa sababu maandishi ya kisharia ndiyo yaliyoonyesha hilo.

The evidence is not considered to be shari'ahi unless it came from The Messenger (SAW) either through the text or what the text denotes, which is related to the text, otherwise it is not considered to be shari'ahi daleel. As for the text, it is certainly a daleel, whether it is recited which was revealed as text and meaning, and that is the Qur’an, or not recited, which was revealed as meaning, and The Messenger (SAW) expressed it by His words, action and approval, and that is the Sunnah. As for what the text denoted, that is considered to be a daleel if its denotation is related to the text itself (not to the ijtihaad), and that is the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah, and the Qyas. As for the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah, it is considered to be shari'ahi daleel because it discloses that there is a daleel of the text (the Sunnah), and its disclosure makes the evidence for it related to the text itself, and also the texts which came from The Messenger (SAW) denoted the consideration of their Ijmaa’ as a daleel. That is because there came in the Qur’an and in the Hadeeth what explicitly praised the Sahaabah and considered imitating them, and because they saw the Messenger (SAW) in the state of His speech, deed and silence (approval). So their consensus on a matter denotes that they had seen a daleel (for that matter), and it became famous to them, so they had an Ijmaa’ on the shari'ahi verdict without narrating the daleel of it. Upon that the Ijmaa’ of the Sahaabah Is considered to be shari'ahi evidence and a proof which can be based on, with regard to the denotation of the shari'ahi text on it, and with regard to that, it discloses that there is an evidence, so the evidence for the Ijmaa’ is related to the text itself. As for the Qyas; its evidence is related to the text itself, because the texts are either containing ilal (reasons of the legislation) or not containing ilal. If the text contains illah, then the illah is considered to be a proof where ever it exists, and the Qyas will be based on it, and this is the shari'ahi Qyas. If the text does not contain illah, then there is no Qyas (analogy). Also the texts which came from the Messenger (SAW) denoted the consideration of the Qyas as shari'ahi evidence; the Messenger (SAW) had guided to the Qyas and approved it. Accordingly the Qyas is considered to be a shari'ahi daleel and a proof on which verdicts can be based, with regard to the shari'ahi illah contained in the text. So the evidence on the Qyas is related to the text itself, because the shari'ahi text denoted it.