Taqlid or taqleed (Arabic تَقْليد taqlīd) is a doctrine in Islamic theology referring to the acceptance of a religious ruling in matters of worship and personal affairs from someone regarded as a higher religious authority (e.g. an 'ālim) without necessarily asking for the technical proof. Most often, this refers to the adherence to one of the four classical Sunni schools of fiqh, or jurisprudence (see madhhab).