Ijma'
إجماع
Pronunciation: ij-MAH
Scholarly consensus: a ruling on which qualified jurists of an era have all agreed, making it binding.
Definition
The unanimous agreement of qualified Muslim jurists of a given period on a point of law, recognized as the third source of Islamic law after the Qur'an and Sunnah. Where ijma' exists, the ruling is settled and later scholars may not reopen it.
Genuine ijma' is rare and is claimed carefully; many financial rulings described as consensus are actually majority positions. The prohibition of interest on loans (riba al-nasi'ah) and of gambling are examples of true consensus, while the status of conventional insurance, 0% financing, and stock screening thresholds are contested.
Related Terms
Qiyasقياس
Analogical reasoning: extending an established ruling to a new case that shares its effective cause.
Ijtihadاجتهاد
Independent legal reasoning by a qualified scholar to derive a ruling where the texts are silent or unclear.
Madhhabمذهب
A school of Islamic law; the four main Sunni schools often rule differently on financial questions.
Fatwaفتوى
A religious ruling on a specific matter issued by a qualified Islamic scholar.
AAOIFI
The primary international standard-setting body for Islamic finance.
IFSB
Global standard-setter that sets prudential and supervisory standards for Islamic finance regulators.
Further Reading
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Ijma' (إجماع) - Scholarly consensus: a ruling on which qualified jurists of an era have all agreed, making it binding. The unanimous agreement of qualified Muslim jurists of a given period on a point of law, recognized as the third source of Islamic law after the Qur'an and Sunnah. Where ijma' exists, the ruling is settled and later scholars may not reopen it.
- Scholarly consensus: a ruling on which qualified jurists of an era have all agreed, making it binding.
- Category: Governance
- Related: Qiyas, Ijtihad, Madhhab, Fatwa, AAOIFI, IFSB
Source: HalalWallet (halalwallet.ca)
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Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-10-01
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