Founder: Imam Abu Hanifa (8th century CE)
Largest Sunni school by following. Heavy use of reasoned analogy (qiyas) and juristic preference (istihsan).
Predominant regions: South Asia, Central Asia, Turkey, Levant
Founder: Imam al-Shafii (9th century CE)
Systematized usul al-fiqh (Islamic legal theory). Strict ordering of sources: Quran, Sunnah, ijma, qiyas.
Predominant regions: Southeast Asia, East Africa, Yemen, Egypt
Founder: Imam Malik (8th century CE)
Foregrounds the practice of the people of Medina (amal ahl al-Madina) alongside the standard sources.
Predominant regions: North Africa, West Africa, Gulf
Founder: Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (9th century CE)
Emphasizes literal adherence to Quran and Sunnah; conservative use of analogy.
Predominant regions: Arabian Peninsula
Founder: Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (8th century CE)
Predominant Shia school; uses Quran, Sunnah (of the Prophet and the Imams), ijma, and ʻaql (reason).
Predominant regions: Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, parts of South Asia