<Special Feature 1 "Islam as a Source of Contemporary Thought: New Advances and Outlooks">Ijma' in Islamic Law and Islamic Thought: Tradition, Contemporary Relevance, and Prospects

Abstract

This article investigates the theoretical importance and historical developments of consensus/ijma' (ijmā') in Islam, in Islamic jurisprudence in particular as well as in Islamic thought in general, and against this background it will present a case of consensus making in the current conditions. The religion of Islam introduced by Prophet Muhammad to the Arabian Peninsula in the seventh century declared its adherents, the Muslims, to be one single Ummah (Umma, community) and prioritized consensus and collectivism in its teachings. However, early divisions among the Muslims created disagreements and it took nearly two and a half centuries for the silent majority to formulate their stance as one which holds to the Jama'a (Jamā'a, collectivity). In the formation of Islamic Jurisprudence (Uṣūl al-Fiqh), ijma' was firmly positioned as the next source of legal interpretations after the Qur'an and Sunna. However, its strict definition made actual consensus making difficult. Subsequently, in the 20th century, alternative expressions relating to consensus, such as ittifaq (ittifāq, agreement) and jumhur (jumhūr, majority), became more widely circulated. While the traditional consensuses were all "resultant" ones, in the 21st century a new era of ijma' building through institutions has started, as demonstrated by the case of the "Ijma' of Amman Message."