Qur'an

Ijma'

Basis in Islam

It has its basis in the Qur'an:
⭐ O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution. (Surah An-Nisa 4:59)
‘You are the best of the people evolved for the mankind enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil’ (Al Imran 3:110).

It has its basis in the Hadith:
‘My community will never agree upon an error.’
- Importance:
  - Hadith gives legitimacy to the practice of ijma whereas another viewpoint could be that when a group of scholars well versed in the teachings of the Qur’an and Hadith reach a decision in the light of the primary sources of Islamic law their chances of reaching a wrong decision are rare.
  - Ijma of one generation can be revised by another which helps to keep Sharia laws in tune with the times. All valid answers are to be credited.
“The hand of Allah is with the congregation (al-jama`a)“

Ijma on the prohibition of marriage to one’s grandmother based on Quranic verse.

During the battle of Uhud, the Prophet PBUH consulted his companions and followed the opinion of the majority and fought the battle out of the city though he was personally against it.

The word ijma’ itself means collecting or gathering or unanimity and is a secondary source of Islamic law.

Ijma is a unanimous agreement of the jurists of the Community of a particular age on a certain issue.

It is referred to when there is no clear teaching in the Qur’an or sunna but is always in harmony with the primary sources of Islamic law.

Basis of ijma’ can be found not only in the ahadith but also in the Qur’an:
⭐ O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution. (Surah An-Nisa 4:59)
‘My community will never agree upon an error’

Ijma of the Jurists.
- Related to legal matters and can be defined as an agreement among a group of Muslims about an issue on which the Qur’an and sunna have not given a final word.

There is a difference of opinion amongst legal experts about who makes up this second group of Muslims.
- According to some it is agreement amongst the residents of Madina, others think it is the Prophet’s (pbuh) Companions whose ijma’ is valid as they were the most knowledgeable after the Prophet (pbuh) in matters of Islamic law. Yet others believe it should be the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

According to Shi’a Muslims ijma’ of jurists of the same period as the Prophet (pbuh) or the Shi’a Imams is binding, another opinion is that ijma’ should be done by jurists who are experts on legal matters whilst yet another view is that the agreement of the Muslim community at large constitutes ijma’.
- They could also say that ijma’ was encouraged as it was safeguarded by the agreement of leading Muslims/experts who could say whether or not a principle was in harmony with the Qur’an and sunna

The Prophet practised ijma’ during his lifetime and here the candidates can give the examples of how he exercised ijma’ during the battles of Badr, Uhud and Trench.
- After the battle of Badr, the Prophet ﷺ consulted with his companions about the prisoners of war and it was decided that they will get their freedom after the payment of ransom.
- During the battle of Uhud, the Prophet ﷺ consulted his companions and followed the opinion of the majority and fought the battle out of the city though he was personally against it.
- During the battle of the Trench, he had the trench dug around the city of Madinah on the suggestion of Salman Farsi.

The compilation of the Qur’an during Abu Bakr’s caliphate, the reestablishment of tarawih prayers in the caliphate of ‘Umar and the adhan of Jumm’ah during the time of ‘Uthman can all be cited as examples of ijma’ practised by the Rightly Guided Caliphs.

It could be said that the secondary sources are useful in that they provide answers for issues arising such as smoking, drug use, medical treatments which otherwise may get left to individual interpretations, or not given answers at all.

It creates unity in the Muslim world, Muslims can be certain that what they are given permission for, or the ruling made, is in line with the Qur’an and Sunna. Examples can be given to develop the answer and make a strong evaluative response.

Or it could be said that they are not useful as there are many differences of opinions amongst scholars that there may not be agreements to what the ruling is on some issues, and this may in turn cause confusion amongst the community.