The Construction and Application of Using a Scale to Measure Islamic Doctrinal Behavior Tendency

Abstract

This study aimed to construct and apply a scale to measure the doctrinal trends of a sample of Yarmouk University students, by using well-known doctrinal issues in purity and prayer topics from the four Islamic Sunni jurisprudence doctrines, namely, anafī, Mālikī, Shāfiī, and anbalī. The study adopted an inductive method to select the jurisprudential issues and analytical descriptive methodology and used the questionnaire as a method to build the syllabus and apply it to the sample. The results of the study show that there are doctrinal distinctions between the students based on their home countries and regions. The results show, also, that most students mix more than one doctrine in their application of purity and prayer. More specifically, the results show that Jordanian students tend to use two doctrines, namely, anbalī and Shāfiī; the Turkish students tend to follow two doctrines, namely, anafī and Shāfiī; and Chinese students turn to three doctrines, namely, anafī, Shāfiī, and anbalī. In South African countries, students turn to Shāfiī in most cases and, then, Mālikī and anbalī in some cases. Thai and Malaysian students prefer Shāfiī in most cases.