What is "madhhab"

n. (alternative form of madhab English)

A ( , , "doctrine"; pl. , ) is a school of thought within fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). In the first 150 years of Islam, there were numerous madhahib, most of which have become extinct or merged with other schools. The Amman Message, which was endorsed in 2005 by prominent Islamic scholars around the world, recognized four Sunni schools ( Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali), two Shia schools ( Ja'fari, Zaidi), the Ibadi school and the Zahiri school.