Schools under Muslim law:

In Islam the people have been been divided into two sects having different views regarding certain aspects of Islam. After the death of the Prophet, there was a dispute regarding the manner in which the successor should be chosen. One group was of the opinion that the successor of the Prophet should be selected.

This sect is known as Sunni sect. However, some people including Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, believed that the successor of the Prophet should be based on succession and thus they constituted the Shia sect.

Therefore, the Muslim community got divided into two parts in the basis of conflict of ideology regarding succession after the death of the Prophet where shia favors successor leader and Sunni favors elected leaders. Thus, the school of Muslim law can be broadly classified into two categories ; Sunni schools and Shia schools.

Sunni schools. There are four different schools under Sunni sect. These schools are based largely on the same principle and differ only on minor respect. The difference in the four schools emerged because of the difference in the degree of reliance placed on the different sources.

However, all schools recognize the relevance and importance of all four sources:
Quran, Ijma, Sunnah and Qiyas.

Under Sunni law, there are four major sub schools which are as follow:

• Hanafi School: Abu Hanafi was the founder of the school. He was known as a master of jurisprudence. He also extended the doctrine of Ijma and interpretation of the text. This type of school is prevalent in Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, and India.
   
• Maliki School: Malik Iba Annas was the founder of this school. This school follows the tradition and validity of Ijma.
   
• Shaffie School: Mohammed Ash Shatei was the founder of the school. He adopted the views of Abu Hanifa and his master Imam Malik. This type of school is prevalent in South India.
   
• Hanabali School: Abu Abdullah Hamid Harabal was the founder of the school. He placed implicit reliance on traditions and restricted Qiyas, and Ijma to narrow limits. He gave liberal interpretation of traditions.
   
• Shia Schools:
  Shia sect is considered as the minority in the Muslim world.

Under Shia school there are majorly 3 sub schools which are:

1. Ithna Asharis: These schools are based on the following of Ithana Asjaris laws. The followers of these schools are mostly found in Iran and Iraq. In India also, there is a majority of Shia Muslims who follow the principles of Ithna Asharis Law. The people who follow this law believe that the last of the imams disappeared and is to return as Mehdi (Messiah). This school follows the successor of Prophet Muhammad. It is further divided into two parts: Akhari and Ushali.
    
2. The Ismailis: According to the Ismaili school, in India, there are two groups: the Khojas and the Bohoras. The Khojas or Western Ismailis represent the followers of the present Aga Khan, who they consider the 49th Imam in this line of Prophet.
    
3. Zaidy: The followers of this school are not found in India but are most numerous in South Arabia. The followers of this school are considered to be political activists and often reject the twelve Shia school philosophies.

Conclusion:
Muslim law is governed by the teaching of the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad. There have been many different schools which follow their own interpretations of these teachings on point on which the Quran is silent. While the major schools of the Muslim can be divided under two sects of Shia schools and Sunni schools ,even the schools under the sect have been further divided under various schools but one school cannot be said to be better positioned than the other school and thus even though there are many schools in Muslim law, they all lead to one path. Thus the teaching of this course can be compared to different paths which all lead to the same destination.