Ijma' (Consensus)
Agreement among Islamic scholars on a legal question, considered the third source of Islamic law.
Ijma' (consensus) is the third source of Islamic jurisprudence after the Quran and the Sunnah. It refers to the agreement among qualified Islamic scholars (mujtahidun) on a legal question in a given period. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My community will never agree upon an error" (Sunan Ibn Majah).
Regarding prayer, there is ijma' on many fundamental aspects: that the five daily prayers are obligatory, that wudu is a prerequisite, that the prayer must be performed facing the qibla, and that the prayer has specific pillars (arkan) such as qiyam, ruku, and sujud. These matters are not subject to disagreement among the scholars.
Imam al-Shafi'i was the first to systematically define ijma' as a legal source in his "al-Risalah." There is, however, disagreement about who should participate in ijma': some require all scholars in the entire Muslim community, while others accept the scholars of a particular region or period.
Related terms
Du'a Jawshan al-Kabir (The Great Armor)
A long supplication with 1000 of Allah's names and attributes, recited during Ramadan nights.
Mutahhirat (Purifying Agents)
The agents and methods that purify impure things according to Shia fiqh.
Ihsan (Excellence)
The highest level of worship: to worship Allah as if one can see Him.
Hijri (Islamic Calendar)
The Islamic lunar calendar, which begins with the Prophet's migration to Medina.
Taslim (Concluding Greeting)
The concluding peace greeting that marks the end of the prayer.
Sunan al-Nasa'i (Nasa'i's Hadith Collection)
One of the six canonical hadith collections, known for its strict authenticity criteria.