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
Wajib (Obligatory)
Actions that are obligatory in Islamic law, including the five daily prayers.
Salat al-Eid (Festival Prayer)
The special prayer performed on the two Islamic festival days.
Tawaf (Circumambulation of the Kaaba)
The ritual of walking seven times around the Kaaba counterclockwise as part of Hajj and Umrah.
Nubuwwah (Prophethood)
Belief in prophethood — the third article of faith in Shia Islam.
Muharram (The Sacred Month)
The first and one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar.
Imamat (Divine Leadership)
The doctrine of the twelve divinely appointed Imams who lead the community after the Prophet.