Far from a myopic or rigid body of law, the Sunni Shariah tradition thus became a swirl of stunning diversity. Not only were there four distinct schools of law, but each school also had a range of opinions on any one question. Furthermore, the recorded legacies of the extinct madhhabs of scholars like Tabari and the ancient opinions of scattered Companions and Successors added to the body of legal knowledge. The statement ‘the Shariah says…’ is thus automatically misleading, as there is almost always more than one answer to any legal question.
