Compare the Four Schools

Side-by-side positions of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools on common practical questions.

Topics	Hanafi	Maliki	Shafi'i	Hanbali
Prayer posture & recitation	Hands folded below the navel; witr is three connected rak'ahs.	Hands commonly left at the sides in obligatory prayer; qunut in Fajr before bowing.	Basmala recited aloud as a verse of the Fatiha; qunut in Fajr after bowing.	Hands folded on the chest; wiping over socks permitted under stated conditions.
Ablution & purity	Touching the opposite sex does not break ablution; wiping covers the whole foot.	Touching with desire breaks ablution; rinsing the mouth and nose is obligatory.	Touching the opposite sex breaks ablution regardless of desire; wiping is partial.	Touching with desire breaks ablution; wiping over socks widely permitted.
Fasting	Intention may be made up to midday; swallowing unintentionally is forgiven.	Intention must precede dawn; swallowing is excused only if forgotten.	Intention before dawn is required; any nourishment invalidates the fast.	Intention before dawn required; leaving the prayer deliberately is gravest.
Zakat	Zakat may be paid in monetary value rather than in kind; nisab in silver or gold.	Zakat paid to categories locally present; agricultural zakat on harvest.	Zakat paid to categories physically present in the locality where it is due.	Zakat in kind preferred; monetary value permitted with need.
Trade & contracts	Urf (settled custom) is a valid consideration where no text governs.	Masalih mursala (public interest) and sadd al-dhara'i' used to block harm.	Istihsan explicitly rejected; only analogy after text and consensus.	Widest scope for freely agreed contractual conditions in trade.

Based on the classical manuals of each school.