Etiquettes Of Social Life
The Five Branches of the Sharee'ah
The Sharee'ah consists of following five branches or parts:
(Beliefs): e.g. beliefs
in the Oneness of Allah
Ta'aala 
and the Risaalat (Prophethood)
of Rasoolullaah 
sallallahu alayhi wasallam
(Righteous deeds): e.g. Salaat, Sawm.
(Transactions, Contracts):
e.g. trade and commerce.
(Moral character): e.g. humility,
generosity, etc.
(Beautified social conduct): i.e. good
relationship with people, e.g. abstention from acts which cause others inconvenience, such as disturbing a person in his sleep.Of the above five constitutional branches of Islaam,
Muslims in general
nowadays regard only two branches as being integral parts of the Deen. These
are Aqaa’id (beliefs) and Ibaadaat
(worship).
The
Ulama-e-Zaahir (those Ulama concerned only with the external dimension of
Islaam - with only the letter of the law) consider
the third branch, viz. Mu’amalaat (mutual dealings and
transactions) also an integral
part of Deen.
The
Mashaa’ikh (of Tasawwuf) consider the fourth branch, viz.
Akhlaaq (moral character) also as part of Deen.
However,
the fifth branch, viz. Aadaab-e-Mu,aasharat
(Social
Etiquette) has been excluded by all three groups, excepting a few among them. In fact, it is
believed that this branch is totally unrelated to Deen.
The
other branches of the Deen are more or less all dealt with and discussed in lectures and discourses. On the contrary, no mention
whatever is made of this fifth branch (Mu'aasharat)(
). Hence, this branch has been assigned to the limbo of
oblivion both theoretically and practically.