Madhhab
/ˈmæd.hæb/noun
A school or tradition of Islamic jurisprudence, theology, or religious interpretation.
Did you know?In Arabic, madhhab is linked to the root ذ-ه-ب, meaning “to go,” making a legal tradition metaphorically a path that its followers travel.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ḏ-h-b
“To go, depart, or proceed”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
ḏahaba
“He went or departed”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
maḏhab
“A place or way of going; a path or course”
Medieval Islamic period
Arabic
maḏhab
“A recognized school of legal or theological interpretation”
19th Century
English
madhhab
“A school of Islamic jurisprudence or religious thought”
Modern English
English
madhhab
“An Islamic legal school or interpretive tradition”