Zahiri is a school of thought in Islamic Jurisprudence. The founder of this school is Dawud ibn Ali al Isbahani al Baghdadi. He is better known as al Zahari because of his insistence on sticking to the manifest (zahir) or literal meaning of expressions in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Zahir literally means, "the apparent," or "literal sense." The Zahirists, thus, use the literal sense when interpreting religious texts and do not seek hidden or inward interpolation. Followers of the school are Zahiriyah.

Among the vast amounts of textual evidence for their claim, the Zahirists use verses similar to "...this is a clear Arabic language" (Quran 16:103) to back their view. Anyone, in their understanding, possessing knowledge of the Arabic language is able to understand the message of God inasmuch is necessary to fulfill his religious duties. The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

However, it should be known that the name Zahiri itself is not endorsed by the adherents of this method, using other textual proof to suggest that there is no name to be known by except what has been mentioned thereby in the religious texts. God said, "He named you submitters (Ar. muslimeen) from before and in this." (Quran 22:76) Ibn Hazm, a well-known practitioner and teacher of this methodology, would refer to himself and those who followed this view as Ashab-uz-Zahir, or "the companions of the literal sense," defining, rather than labeling. The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Abu Muhammad Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa`id ibn Hazm (أبو محمد علي بن احمد بن سعيد بن حزم) (November 7, 994 – August 15, 1069) was an Andalusian Muslim philosopher and theologian of Persian descent [1] born in Córdoba, present day Spain. ...

In history the Zahiri understanding has been persecuted by those preferring to interpret the texts by their inward meanings; this came to such an extent that many of the scholars of Sunni and Shi'ite religion have labeled the Zahiri school extinct. It is more likely that the school never became established by a name but only the idea, as the adherents thereof would only call themselves submitters (Ar. muslimeen). Thus, this "school," or understanding, is alive in anyone who believes in and follows said methodology. Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ...

Present day

Eventhough this school doesn't exist present day, the Zahiri methodology is said to be the root of the present day Salafi movement ^{[citation needed]}, the followers of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab. This article is on the beliefs of the followers of the Salaf. ... Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab al-Tamimi (1703AD – 1792AD) (Arabic:محمد بن عبد الوهاب التميمى) was an Arab theologian born in the Najd, in present-day Saudi Arabia and the most famous scholar of the Wahhabi movement. ...

External links

• History of Usul ul-Fiqh (Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence)- including discussion about the Zahiri Usul
• The Development of Fiqh - including discussion of the Zahiris