A madhhab refers to any school of thought within Islamic jurisprudence. The major Sunni madhhab are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali. Rulings of these schools are followed across the Muslim world without exclusive regional restrictions, but they each came to dominate in different parts of the world. For example, the Maliki school is predominant in North and West Africa; the Hanafi school in South and Central Asia; the Shafi’i school in East Africa and Southeast Asia; and the Hanbali school in North and Central Arabia.

Sunni

Sunni schools of jurisprudence are each named after the classical jurist who taught them. The four primary Sunni schools are below,

1. Hanafi

The Hanafi school was founded by Abu Hanifa an-Nu’man (699–767). It is followed by Muslims in the Levant, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, most of India, Bangladesh, Northern Egypt, Iraq and Turkey and the Balkans and by most of the Muslim communities of Russia and China. There are movements within this school such as Barelvis and Deobandi, which are concentrated in South Asia.

2. Maliki

The Maliki school is based on the jurisprudence of Imam Malik ibn Anas (c. 711–795). It has also been called “School of Medina” because the school was based in Medina and the Medinian community. It is followed by Muslims in Nigeria, Algeria, North Africa, West Africa, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Upper Egypt, and in parts of Saudi Arabia.

3. Shafi’i

The Shafi’i school is based upon the jurisprudence of Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi’i (767–820). It is followed by Muslims in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, Upper Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Swahili coast, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Palestine, Philippines, Singapore, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Yemen, Kurdistan, and southern India (such as the Mappilas of Kerala and the Konkani Muslims). Most Chechens and Dagestani people also follow the Shafi’i school. It is the official school followed by the governments of Brunei and Malaysia. The Shafi’i school is also large in Iraq and Syria.

4. Hanbali

The Hanbali school is based on the jurisprudence of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (780-855) who had been a student of Imam al-Shafi. It is followed by Muslims in Qatar, most of Saudi Arabia and minority communities in Syria and Iraq. There are movements that are highly influenced by Hanbali fiqh such as Salafism and Wahhabism concentrated in Saudi Arabia.

Shia

Shias, a term that stems from shi’atu Ali, Arabic for “partisans of Ali,” believe that Ali and his descendants are part of a divine order.

1. Ja’fari

Twelver Shia adhere to the Ja’fari theological school associated with Ja’far al-Sadiq. In this school, the time and space bound rulings of early jurists are taken more seriously, and the Ja’fari school uses the intellect instead of analogy when establishing Islamic laws, as opposed to common Sunni practice.

2. Zaidi

Zaidi Muslims also follow their own school in the form of the teachings of Zayd ibn Ali and Imam Abu Hanifa. In terms of law, the Zaidi school is quite similar to the Hanafi school from Sunni Islam. This is likely due to the general trend of Sunni resemblance within Zaidi beliefs.