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The term "Ra'y" in Islam refers to personal thought and opinion. It was an early method of legal reasoning that preceded and was criticized by traditional authorities for being too arbitrary. Ra'y is considered a forerunner to qiyas, which is analogical reasoning used in Islamic law to deduce principles from the Quran and Sunnah when situations are not explicitly covered.12

Qiyas is one of the four sources of Islamic jurisprudence, alongside the Quran, Sunnah, and ijma' (scholarly consensus). The need for qiyas arose as the Islamic state expanded and encountered new situations beyond the direct guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.1

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