In the terminology of the 'ulema...

In the terminology of the 'ulema, however, it gradually came to be especially applied to the profound understanding of the Islamic laws. The 'ulema of Islam have divided the Islamic teachings into three parts: First , the realities and beliefs: the aim of which is awareness, faith and certitude, and which are related to the heart and the mind, containing issues like the issues related to the unseen past and the unseen future, to Prophethood, revelation, angels and Imamate.

Second , morality and self-perfection: the goals of which are the spiritual qualities of how to be and how not to be, containing issues like cautiousness of God ( taqwa ), justice ( 'idalat ), generosity, courage, fortitude and patience ( sabr ) being satisfied and content with God ( riza ) firmness on the true path ( istiqamat ) and so on.

Third , the laws and issues of actions: which is related to the special external actions that human beings must perform and how the actions they perform are to be and how they are not to be. The jurisprudents of Islam have termed this last division, fiqh (jurisprudence), perhaps from the viewpoint that since the early days of Islam the laws were the most subject to attention and queries. Therefore, those whose specialty was in this subject came to be known as the fuqaha (jurisprudents).

Two Types of Law It is necessary that we mention some of the special terms of the jurisprudents. Amongst these is the names of the two divisions the jurisprudents have made of the Divine Laws: the laws of (human ) duty ( hukm taklifi ) and the laws of (human) situations ( hukm waz'i ). The laws of duty include those duties which contain obligation, prohibition, desirability, undesirability, and, simple permissibility. These five laws are termed as "the five laws" ( ahkam khamsah ).

The jurisprudents say that in the view of Islam no single action is empty of one of these five laws.