What is Ijma (Consensus of the Ummah)?

 

By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

 

Lexicographic definition and/or the literal meaning of Ijma are to be unanimous/unified. According to the literal definition, to be unanimous/unified and Ijma is the same. In the Shariah شريعه, the meaning of “Ijma is the unanimity of all Fuqaha فقه Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين of one era on a single Shariah شريعه ruling, after the period of Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم.” We find valid Shariah شريعه evidence for Ijma in the Glorious Qur’aan and Hadeeth,

 

Surah An-Nisaa 115

وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination!

 

It has been deduced from the above Ayaah آيه that the same fate, which awaits one in the Aakhirah آخره, who opposes Prophet Muhammad صلی الله عليه وسلم will befall those who tread the path other than that of the agreed upon path of the believers. From this we understand that to oppose the agreed upon decisions Ijma of the Ummah is a grave sin.

 

Surah Al-Baqarah 143

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا

Thus We have made you (true Muslims - real believers of Islâmic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Sunnah (legal ways)), a just (and the best) nation,

 

From the above Ayaah we understand that the unanimous speech and practices of Muslim Ummah are all correct in the sight of Allaah. It is stated in the Hadeeth حديث,

 

“Indeed Allah will not unite this Ummah of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) on deviation. The hand of Allaah is on the Jamaat جماعت and he who slips way from the (Jamaat جماعت) slips into Jahannum جهنم.”

 

Readers must keep one point in mind that the sources of Ijma are always Glorious Qur’aan, Sunnah (including Ahadeeth احاديث) and/or Qiyaas قياس based on the principles of Qur’aan and Sunnah.

 

Two benefits of Ijma.

 

1                    If any ruling based on Glorious Qur’aan, Sunnah or Qiyaas قياس is not absolute, and then Ijma will render such ruling absolute and binding, Thereafter no Faqeeh فقيه will have any scope to differ therewith. And if such a ruling was absolute before, then Ijma will add on to strengthen its absoluteness.

2                    The second benefit of Ijma is that whatever proof it is based on, the forthcoming Ummah will not have to delve into and/or contemplate over this proof. It will now be sufficient for them to rely on this Ijma and proffer that this ruling was reached by consensus of the Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين of a certain era.

 

Types of Ijma

 

There are three types of Ijma (1) Ijma-e-Qowli (2) Ijma-e-Amali (3) Ijma-e-Sukooti, these three types are explained as under,

 

  1. Ijma-e-Qowli is where in any era, all those who are worthy of making Ijma (Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين), agree unanimously upon a Deeni Mas’alah by way of speech. For example, al the Sahabah صحابه رضی الله عنهم agreed to the Khilafat خلافت and took the ba’it بعيت/بعيه (pledge of allegiance) at the hands of Abu Bakr رضی الله عنه.
  2. Ijma-e-Amali is where in any era, all those who are worthy of making Ijma (Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين), agree unanimously upon a Deeni Mas’alah by way of action. If all those worthy of making Ijma (Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين) regard any action as permissible by way of Ijma. That action, which is established by way, is only regarded as being permissible (Mustahab مستحب or Masnoon مسنون), it cannot be said to be Wajib واجب, unless such a reason can be found that would render it Wajib واجب. Four Sunnah (Rakaah) before the Zuhr ظهر Salaat are regarded as Sunnah Maukkadah, by virtue of the Sahabah صحابه رضی الله عنهم practicing upon it with rigidity.
  3. Ijma-e-Sukooti is where in any one era some Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين agree on certain Mas’alah by way of practice or speech, and this ruling of theirs becomes well known. But other Mujtahiddeen مجتهدين of same era, notwithstanding, having the opportunity to reflect and/or research this particular Mas’alah, opt the silence (or remained silence) and did not oppose the ruling.

 

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

 

Home Page