The Influence of the Political Hegemony of the First Abbasid Period on the Emergence of Sunni Fiqh Schools (132-247 AH/750-861 AD)

Abstract

Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is one of the pillars of Islam; it is a body of doctrine used to interpret Islamic principles. Through it, they could explain the concepts and the intentions of their religion, as not everyone could easily understand the texts of the Quran and the Prophet’s sayings. They interpreted the mysteries by depending on knowledgeable religious men and the followers’ speeches. Abbasi era is the golden age of fiqh; it was a scientific attempt that authorities made at that time to register books and activate the brain to give answers to the questions that people had on Islam and other religions. In that phase, it reached its peak, attributed to the role and encouragement by some of the Caliphates. They encouraged and spent money on religious men; they supported their writings, translations, collecting, and reshaping the old books. They established (The Home of Wisdom), a knowledge association, supporting the emergence and success of fiqh and science. This study aims to present the political role of that era in progressing the fiqh of Islam, encouraging in collecting and rewriting of books; they presented explanations and interpretations of the texts and deeds of the Prophet. A comparative explanatory method is adopted for analysis. The research concludes that the political phase had an impact on writing and registering the Sunnite fiqh and the emergence of reflective thinking.