Islamic jurisprudence concerns the knowledge and skills required of Muslim jurists and the etiquette they are expected to observe. These requirements and etiquette set standards for an answer being sound and acceptable to follow, and minimize the potential for errors. Just as rules of grammar protect those who follow them from mistakes in expressions, rules of logic protect those who follow them from mistakes in arguments; jurisprudence sets standards for interpreting legal texts and making legal arguments which, when followed correctly, protect from making mistakes in arriving at legal rulings. Students of jurisprudence read through a series of texts with their instructors. One of the first books of jurisprudence taught to students is the
Waraqat
of Imam al-Juwayni, often with a short commentary by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli. This translation introduces these two texts to English-speaking audiences and should serve readers as an introduction to the basic topics of jurisprudence, preparing them to study more advanced material.