从语言上讲，فقه（fiqh）的意思是理解（فهم），正如真主（SWT）所说：

Linguistically, Fiqh means understanding (Fahm), as in the saying of Allah (swt):

“我们不理解（ma nafqahu）你所说的大部分内容。”（TMQ Hud: 91）即我们听不懂。

“We do not comprehend (ma nafqahu) much of what you say.” (TMQ Hud: 91) i.e. we do not understand.

作为一个法学术语，“Fiqh”（菲格赫，伊斯兰教法学）有两层含义：

As a juristic term, Fiqh has two meanings:

A. 乌苏勒学者如阿米迪、扎尔克haški、拜达维和沙瓦尼等，将“菲格哈”（fiqh）定义为：“对从其详细证据（al-adillah al-tafsiliyyah）中推导出的实践性沙里亚事务的知识。”1

A. The Usuli scholars such as Amidi, al-Zarkashi, al-Baydawi and Shawkani have defined fiqh as, „the knowledge of the practical Shar‟ai matters that are derived from their elaborated evidences (al-ad‟Illah al-tafsiliyyah)‟.1

例如，一位Faqih（教法学家）会知道堕胎问题的裁决，此外，他还会知道这一裁决是如何推导出来的，以及依据的来源。

As an example, a Faqih would know the ruling for the issue of abortion; in addition, he would know how and from where this ruling was extracted from.

B. 所有伊斯兰律法。这一定义与“沙里亚”一词同义。

B. All the Islamic laws. This definition is synonymous to the term Shari‟ah.

了解穆斯林在生活中所应遵守的伊斯兰教法规定，是每一位穆斯林的个人义务，因为他被要求依照其造物主安拉（SWT）所启示的法律来完成他的一切行为。这是因为立法者（Ash-Shar‟i）向人类、向信士所发出的责任性（Takleef）的训令，无论是关于信仰（Iman）还是人的行为，对任何人都是具有决定性的训令。安拉（SWT）说：

Knowing the Shari‟ah rules with which a Muslim is obliged with in life is an individual duty upon every Muslim, as he is commanded to undertake all his actions according to the laws revealed by his creator, Allah (swt). This is because the address of accountability (Takleef) with which the Legislator (Ash-Shar‟i) addressed mankind, and addressed believers, is a decisive address to anyone whether it was about the creed (Iman) or human actions. Allah‟s (swt) says:

“任何信道的男人或女人，一旦真主和祂的使者作出了决定，就不应再在此事上有自己的选择。”（古兰经 艾哈兹卜章：36）

“It is not for any believer, male or female, to have any option in any matter upon which Allah and His Messenger have judged.” (TMQ Al-Ahzab: 36)

）“谁做了一个微尘重的善事，必将见到它；谁做了一个微尘重的恶事，也必将见到它。”（《古兰经》第99章 宰勒祖莱赫：7-8）

) “Whoever performs a particle‟s weight of good will see it, and whoever performs a particle‟s weight of evil will see it.” (TMQ Al-Zalzalah: 7-8)

在那一天，每个灵魂都将面对它所行的一切善举和一切恶行，它将希望自己与那恶行之间有遥远的距离。但真主警告你们提防祂自己。（《古兰经》阿黎·伊姆兰：30）

“The Day that every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done, it will wish that there was a great distance between it and (its evil). But Allah cautions you about Himself.” (TMQ Al-Imran: 30)

“每个灵魂都将因其所作所为而获得报偿。”（TMQ 《奈海勒》：111）

“And each soul will be recompensed for all its actions.” (TMQ An-Nahl:111)

责任（Takleef）在经文中已明确确立，因此穆斯林在进行任何行为时，都有义务遵守伊斯兰法（Shari'ah）的规定。由此，每位穆斯林都有义务了解自己在今世所受约束的伊斯兰法规定。至于在伊斯兰法其他领域进一步求知，则是集体义务（Fard ul Kifaya），而非个人义务（Fard ul Ayn），也就是说，如果有一部分人履行了这一义务，其余人便可免除责任。

Accountability (Takleef) has come in a decisive manner in the texts, so a Muslim is accountable to restrict himself to the Shar‟a rules when he undertakes any action. Consequentially it becomes obligatory upon every Muslim to know the Shari‟ah rules with which he is bound by in this life. As for gaining further knowledge in other areas of the Shari‟ah this is a collective obligation (Fard ul Kifaya) not an individual duty (Fard ul Ayn) i.e. if some people fulfil this, then the obligation is lifted from the rest.

这一点得到了安斯·本·马立克所传述的圣训的加强，他说：真主的使者ﷺ说：

This is strengthened by what was narrated by Anas bin Malik who said: The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“求知是每一位穆斯林的义务。”（伊本·马哲）

“Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.”(Ibn Majah)

法学（Fiqh）是穆斯林在生活中必须遵守的规则的一部分，包括宗教功修（'Ibadat）和社会交易（Mu'amalat）。因此，学习法学是穆斯林的必修事项之一。有许多尊贵的圣训鼓励学习法学。

Jurisprudence (Fiqh) is part of the rules with which a Muslim is bound by in his life such as ritual worships („Ibadat) and social transactions (Mu‟amalat). Hence studying Fiqh is among the compulsory matters for Muslims. There are noble Ahadith encouraging the studying of fiqh.

据穆阿维叶·本·艾布·苏夫扬传述，安拉的使者ﷺ说：

It is narrated from Mu‟awiyya bin Abu Sufyan that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

“谁得到安拉的恩典，安拉就使他通晓宗教。”（布哈里）

“The one for whom Allah wills good, He grants him fiqh in the deen.” (Bukhari)

哈扎姆·本·哈基姆从他的叔叔那里传述，他的叔叔说，真主的使者ﷺ说：

Also Hazzam bin Hakeem narrated from his uncle from the Messenger of Allah (saw) who said:

“你们所处的时代，有众多的法学家（fuqaha），演讲者少；施与者多，请求者少，所以此时的行动比知识更好。不久之后将会来到一个时代，法学家少，演讲者多；乞求者多，施与者少，所以此时的知识比行动更好。”这些圣训明确地彰显了伊斯兰教法学（fiqh）的尊贵，并鼓励人们研习它。据传，欧麦尔·本·哈塔卜说：

“You are in a time of many jurisprudents (fuqaha), few speakers, many who give and few who ask; so action in this time is better than knowledge. There will soon come a time of few jurisprudents, many speakers, many who beg and few who give; so knowledge in this time is better than action.” These ahadith are explicit in the virtue of fiqh and encouraging its study. It was narrated that Umar bin al-Khattab said:

“一名夜间礼拜、白昼敬拜的信士去世，其损失远不及一位明辨真主所定合法与非法之事的明智学者去世之严重。”（艾哈迈德圣训集）

“The death of one thousand worshippers who pray at night and worships in the day is less serious than the death of one intelligent knower (Baseer) of the halal and haram of Allah.” (Ahmad).