This book presents a brief overview of the historical development of Islamic law and its schools of jurisprudence (the madh-habs). It identifies the main reason for the appearance of the madh-habs and the factors leading to differences among them, with a call to understanding juristic differences and removing them where possible.

In The Evolution of Fiqh: Islamic Law & the Madh-habs, Dr. Bilal Philips presents a brief overview of the historical development of Islamic law and its schools of jurisprudence (the madh-habs). The book identifies the main reason for the appearance of the madh-habs and the factors leading to differences among them. For those to whom the madh-habs have been a mystery, this aspect of the book will be extremely enlightening. The main message of the book is a call to understanding juristic differences, with an aim to remove them where possible, and a proposal for the unification of the madh-habs.