The Shi'ah scholars of Fiqh have divided all issues of Fiqh into three parts. (a) The acts of worship, (b) The prohibited acts Muharramat and (c) The laws, Ahkam. This classification is recorded in the following works.

1. Marasim by Sallar Dailami (448 A.H.)
2. al-Mabsut by al-Shaykh al-Tusi (460 A.H.).
3. Kafi by Abu al-Salah al-Halabi (5th Century Hijrah)

The most popular classification of the issues of Fiqh is that of Muhaqqiq al-Hilli. In his Shara'y'I' he has classified the issues of Fiqh into four categories (a) Acts of worship, (b) The bilateral or multilateral contracts (al-'uqud) (c) The Unilateral contracts one-sided dispositions (iqa' at) and (d) the laws. (al-Ahkam). 55

Fadil al-Miqdadi (826 A.H.) and Fayd Kashani (1090 A.H.) also have proposed their own classifications 56. But Muhaqqiq al-Hilli's classification is still followed.

Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, the great contemporary scholar of Fiqh and philosopher, has organized a new classification with a view to other legal classifications. The issues of Fiqh are placed under the following categories.

1. Acts of worship ('ibadat).
2. Properties both public, taxes, kbums, Anfal, alms, and private property which deals with ownership.
3. Personal matters within the family and society.
4. Public affairs ranging from public problems in a society such as judicial, peace and war, international relation affairs and the issues of general wilayah 57.

Today, the scholars of Fiqh after the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the social issues therein are working to implement the Islamic system. The Consultative Assembly and the government, as well as the Supreme Council have tried their best to change the old legal system into a 100% Islamic system. It still suffers from the secular systems. They may need to change the traditional classification of legal issues into new classifications with reference to the political, economic and social conditions of the post-revolution era.

Managing the universities and other institutions to properly and necessary for comparative studies in social sciences and Fiqh all these pursuits may necessitate some changes in reorganized classification of the issues of Fiqh.

New Classification

The Islamic revolution brought some development in the methods of finding the rules from Fiqh and in teaching, but not to the required extent. More precise classification may be found to encompass both the spirits of Fiqh and contemporary affairs. The following is the latest classification of Fiqh:

Contemporary Classification

A classification of the issues of Fiqh according to contemporary Scholars of Fiqh of the School of Najaf and Qum

1 Laws of Worship 'ibadat
2 Laws of cleanliness
3 Laws of contracts
4 Judicial laws

Other Classifications

1. General Fiqh deals with the Issues of Fiqh as a whole.
1 Judicial Fiqh deals with settling disputes
2. Civil Fiqh comprises various issues of contracts.
3. Family Fiqh deals with matrimonial affairs i.e., marriage, divorce, inheritance and testaments.
4. Economic Fiqh deals with the issue of ownership, etc.
5. Fiqh with regard to rites covers those issues, which pertain to Islamic rituals.
6. Political Fiqh deals with the matters related to religious vigilance (Hasabah), rulership, foreign policy, Jihad, defense and international laws 58.

Endnotes

1. The Qur'an, 3: 19.
2. The Qur'an, 5: 3.
3. The Qur'an, 9: 122.
4. Imam 'Ali (a.s) said to his son Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah: "Be learned in religion, for verily the fuqaha' are heirs of the prophets (a.s). Bihar al-'anwar, vol. 1, p. 216.
5. See Fadil Miqdad, Nadd al-qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah, p. 5; al-Shahid al-'Awwal, al-Qawa'id, p.30.
6. See Mawsa'at al-Fiqh al-lslami (Jamal 'Abd al-Nasir), vol. 10, p. 12 and Farhang-e 'Ulum-e 1slami by Dr. Sajjadi, p. 406.
7. Muhammad Taqi Hakim, al-'Usul al-'ammah lil-Fiqh al-Muqarin, p. 15.
8. Fadil Miqdad, Nadd al-qawa'id, p. 6.
9. Ibid
10. Al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 36
11. Dr. Katuziyan, Muqaddimeh-ye 'ilm-e huquq, p. 59; "Daramadi bar huquq-e Islami Nashriyyeh-ye, Hawzeh WA Danishgah), vol. 1, p. 72.
12. al-,usul al-'ammah lil-Fiqh al-Muqarin, p. 55; Dr. Muhammad Salam Madkur, Maba-hith al-Hukm 'ind al-'usliliyyin, vol. 1, p. 55; Kifayat al-'usul, vol. 2, P.302
13. Hanafi scholars of Fiqh have mentioned this classification; refer to Maba hith al-Hukm 'ind al-'usuliyyin, vol. 1, p. 63.
14. al-Usul al-'ammah lil-Fiqh al-Muqarin, p. 59; Huquq-e Islami, p. 65.
15. al-Usul al- 'ammah lil-Fiqh al-Muqarin, p. 59; Huquq-e Islami, vol. 1, p. 65.
16. Ibid
17. Ibid
18. Barrasiha-ye Islami (anthology of 'Allamah Tabataba'i's articles), Wilayat wa Hukumat, p. 180.
19. al-Shaykh Muhammad Hasan al-Najafi, Jawahir al-Kalam, vol. 40, p. 100.
20. Imam Khumayni, al-Rasa'il, p. 49, and Sayyid Kazim Ha'iri, Bunyan-e Hukumat dar Islam. 212, Persian trans. of Asas al-Hukumat al-'lslamiyyah.
21. Dr. Muhammad Salam Madkur, p. 29
22. Ibid, p. 34.
23. Sa'id Ibn Musayyab and Dawud al-Zahiri are considered to be among the Fuqaha' of Madinah and Hijaz.
24. 'Amir al-Sha'bi and Sufyan al-Thawri are considered to be among the Fuqaha, of Kufah and Iraq.
25. Imam al-'Awza'i, the founder of the Awza'i Madhhab is considered to be among the Fuqaha' of Syria.
26. Yazid Ibn Habib and Layth Ibn Sa'd are considered to be among the Fuqaha' of Egypt.
27. See 'Allamah Hajj Aqa Buzurg Tehrani, Ta'rikh hasr al-Ijtihad, p. 95 ff. Hashim Ma'ruf al-Husayni, al-Mabadi' al-'ammah lil-Fiqh al-Ja'fari, p. 340 ff
28. al-Maqrizi, al-Khutat, vol. 2, p. 344.
29. Madkhal al-Fiqh al-'Islami, p. 57.
30. Dr. Subhi Mahmasani, Falsafa-ye qanun guzari dar Islam, Chapter 8, "Qawanin 'Uthmani wa Majalleh-ye ahkam-e 'adliyyah", p. 71, and Chapter 9 entitled "Sayr-e wa tatawwur-e qanun guzari dar kishwarha-ye Islami", p. 84; also refer to Dr. Muhammad Faruq Nabhan, al-Madkhal lil-Tashri' al-'Islami, p. 354.
31. Islam did not ask the Muslims to follow any particular school of Fiqh. So a Muslim may follow any school of Fiqh which correctly narrates with rules codified in special books. Followers of the four Madhhab can follow any other Madhhab, and it is quite valid to follow the Ja'fari Madhhab like the other four Madhhab (Hambastagi-ye Madhahib-Islami translated by Bi Azar Shirazi, P.310).
32. Dr. Muhammad Faruq Nabhan, al-Madkhal lil-Tashri' al- 'Islami, p. 360
33. Ustadh Mustafa Zarqa', al-Madkhal al-Fiqhi al-'amm, vol. 1, p. 223.
34. Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, vol. 1, pp. 120, 327.
35. 'Allamah Sayyid Hasan al-Sadr, Ta'sis al-Shi'ah, p. 31.
36. Refer to the previous sources and Ta'rikh al-Fiqh al-Ja'fari, by Sayyid Hashim Ma'ruf al-Husayni, pp. 132 ff.
37. Shaykh Muhammad Jawad Maghniyah, Tarikh al-Fiqh al-Jafari, p. 108
38. Ibid p. 127
39. Dr. Muhammad Rawwas Qalachi, Mawsu'at'al-Fiqh A1i Ibn abu-Talib (a.s.), (Dar al-Fikr, Damascus)
40. Ibid.p.6
41. al-Shaykh Agha Buzurg Tehrani, al-Dhari'ah ila Tasanif al-Shi 'ah, 3rd ed., (Dar al-Adwa, Beirut, 1403 A.H.).
42. Tawfiq al-Fakiki al-Mahami, al-Ra'i wa al-Ra'iyah. (Mu'assasah-e Nahj al-Balaghah, Tehran, 1402 A.H.), p. 39.
43. Ibid p. 8
44. Ibid p. 7
45. Sayyid Hussain Sadr, T'asis al-Shi'ah lil 'ulun' al-Islami, Manshurat 'alami, Tehran, p. 298. Sayyid Hussain al-Hussaini, Tarikh al-Fiqh al-Jafari, (Dar al-Nashr li al-Jamein), pp. 207-224.
46. Ibid p. 226
47. Shaykh Hur al-'Amili, Wasael al-Shi 'ah, Vol. 18, p. 104.
48. Kazim Mudir Shanabchi, 'ilm al-Hadilh, (Dafter intesharat-e Islami Publications, Qum, 1362 A.11.), p. 74. Rabbani Shirazi, introduction of Wasael al-Shi'ah, p.
49. Rabbani Shirazi, op. cit
50. al-Tehran, op. cit., Vol. 1, p. 17. 'Amili, op. cit.
51. Shaykh Hur 'Amili, op. cit., Vol. 20, p. 49.
52. Ghazzali, ihya' al-'ulum, Vol. 1, p. 3 Dr. Subhi Mahmasani, Falsafa Qanunguzari Dar Islam, p. 19
53. Dr.Muhammad Salam Madhkhur, Madkhal al-Fiqh, al-Islami, pp. 18-20
54. Dr. Muhammad Faruq Banham, al-Madkhal li al-Tashri' al-Islami, p. 34.
55. Dr. Wahbah al-Zahaili, al Fiqh al-lslami Adillah, Vol. 1,p. 19
56. al-Shahid al-Awwal, al-Imam abi 'abdallah Bin Makki al-'amili, al-Qawa'id wa al-Fawa'id fi al- Fiqh wa al-'usul wa al-'Arabiah, (Manshurat al-Maktabat al-Mufid, Qum), p.30.
57. Hussain Moddarresi Tabataba'i, Zamin dar Fiqh Islami, Vol. 1, pp. 31-32.
58. 'Allamah Shahid Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, al-Fatawa al-Wadihah, Vol. l, p. 132.
59. Some people ascribe general Fiqh to political Fiqh and some others take it in the sense of international laws of Islam.