In the eyes of the most puritanical, the qadis’ more pragmatic rules and principles often strayed too far from the teachings of the Prophet. The judges needed to be strict and rigorous in their reasoning, the scholars argued, and to avoid putting too much weight on local customs or relying upon their own judgement and ideas. Eventually, even the more practically oriented qadis had to ascribe the legal principles they applied, where they could, to the Prophet.
