The purpose of this article is to identify the basic elements of the Islamic legal system. The article begins with an overview of the nature of the Islamic legal system. This will be followed, by the methods of literal interpretation and a description of the sources of Islamic Law. The research proves   that the judge trained in modern law, with a little effort on his part, can easily deal with Islamic legal materials. It will help him feel comfortable within the Islamic legal domain. Likewise, a qāḍī asked to decide cases within the common law environment will realize that the legal materials he is evaluating for purposes of decision are not entirely alien. The materials may be divine in one case, and more or less secular in the other, but the underlying concepts and the human mental processes are the same.