Definition

• Ijma: the unanimous agreement of qualified Mujtahids of a given era on a Shariah ruling, after the Prophet's (PBUH) death.
• Third source of Islamic law after the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Scriptural Basis

• 4:115 — warning against departing from "the way of the believers."
• Hadith: "My Ummah will never agree upon error."

Types of Ijma

• Ijma Sarih
  • Explicit, openly stated unanimous agreement.
  • Considered binding by all schools.
• Ijma Sukuti
  • Tacit consensus — scholars remain silent without objection.
  • Its binding force is debated among the schools.

Procedure of Ijma

1. A legal question arises.
2. Qualified Mujtahids of the time independently research and derive an opinion from the Qur'an and Sunnah.
3. Opinions are compared and debated.
4. Agreement (explicit or tacit) is reached.
5. The ruling becomes binding precedent.

• Classic example: the companions' Ijma on compiling the Qur'an into a single Mushaf under Abu Bakr (RA), and standardising it under Uthman (RA).

Qur'anic Evidence

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وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ

اردو: اور مومنوں کے راستے کے سوا کسی اور راستے پر چلے، ہم اسے اسی طرف پھیر دیں گے جدھر وہ پھرا ہے۔

English: "And whoever opposes the Messenger... and follows a path other than that of the believers, We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell."

— Surah An-Nisa 4:115

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Hadith Evidence

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لَا تَجْتَمِعُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ

اردو: میری امت گمراہی پر کبھی جمع نہیں ہو گی۔

English: "My Ummah will never agree upon error/misguidance."

— Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2167; Sunan Ibn Majah 3950

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