The Ẓāhirī school (Arabic: الزَاهِرائ, romanized: az-Ẓāhira), also known as Zahirism, is a Sunni madhhab, or school of Islamic jurisprudence. It was founded in the 9th century by Dawud al-Ẓahiri, a Muslim scholar, jurist, and theologian during the Islamic Golden Age. The school continued to exist because of the work of the Andalusian scholar Ibn Hazm, although only some of his works have survived.
Zahirism is known for following the literal meaning of the Qur'an and hadith. It also accepts the agreement (ijma) of the first generation of Muhammad's closest companions, known as the Sahaba, as a source of Islamic law. Unlike many other schools of Islamic law, it rejects analogical reasoning and the use of local customs and traditions (urf) as sources of law.
Some Zahirists, however, do not follow Ibn Hazm's approach. They may accept a limited form of qiyas, known as qiyas al-jali, and some forms of religious reasoning.