Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh) relies on various sources to derive legal rulings. When direct textual evidence from the Quran or Sunnah is absent for a new issue, scholars employ secondary methodologies. This question focuses on one such principle.
The correct answer is Qiyas. Qiyas refers to analogical deduction, a method where a ruling from a known case (with textual evidence) is extended to a new case based on a common effective cause (illah). It allows for the application of Islamic law to contemporary issues not explicitly covered by primary texts.
Ijma (not Jima) is the consensus of Muslim scholars, not individual reasoning. Istihsan is juristic preference, a departure from strict analogy for a more equitable solution, but not the general principle of analogy itself. Ijtihad is the broader independent reasoning by a qualified scholar, which encompasses Qiyas, but Qiyas is the specific method of analogy.