What Does Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus) Mean in Arabic?
إِجْمَاع
ijma'
Root: ج م ع
Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus) Ijma' is the consensus of qualified Islamic jurists of a given era on a legal question. It is the third source of Islamic law after the Quran and Sunnah. The hadith 'My community will not agree upon an error' provides its jurisprudential basis. Once established, ijma' is binding on subsequent generations. It serves as a safeguard against deviant rulings and preserves the community's legal heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus)
What does Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus) mean in Islam?
Ijma' is the consensus of qualified Islamic jurists of a given era on a legal question. It is the third source of Islamic law after the Quran and Sunnah. The hadith 'My community will not agree upon an error' provides its jurisprudential basis. Once established, ijma' is binding on subsequent generations. It serves as a safeguard against deviant rulings and preserves the community's legal heritage.
What is the Arabic root of Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus)?
The Arabic root letters of Ijma' (Scholarly Consensus) are ج م ع.
Related Words
حَلَال
Halal (Permissible)
Halal refers to anything permissible or lawful under Islamic law. It applies to food, drink, financial transactions, and behavior. The Quran repeatedly instructs believers to eat from what is halal and good (tayyib). Halal is the opposite of haram (forbidden) and forms one of the five rulings (ahkam) of Islamic jurisprudence.
حَرَام
Haram (Forbidden)
Haram refers to anything strictly forbidden by Islamic law. Committing a haram act is a sin deserving punishment in both this world and the hereafter. Major categories include pork, alcohol, usury (riba), adultery, and murder. Islamic jurisprudence identifies five rulings (ahkam); haram is the most severe prohibition.
فَرْض
Fard (Obligatory)
Fard is an obligatory religious duty in Islam whose performance is rewarded and whose neglect is sinful. The five pillars of Islam — shahada, salah, zakat, sawm, and hajj — are all fard. Fard is divided into fard ayn (individual obligation) and fard kifaya (collective obligation fulfilled when enough people perform it).
وَاجِب
Wajib (Necessary)
Wajib in Hanafi jurisprudence is an obligatory act slightly below fard in rank, established by probable (zanni) rather than definitive (qati) evidence. Neglecting it is sinful but less severe than neglecting fard. Examples include witr prayer, udhiyya (sacrifice), and sadaqat al-fitr. In Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools, wajib and fard are synonymous.