Key Notes on Sunnah, Ijma, Qiyas, and Ijtehad

1. Sunnah

  • Definition: The Sunnah is the second primary source of Shariah, serving as a guide for interpreting and practicing the Quran.
  • Purpose: It explains the teachings of the Quran and is viewed as a revelation from Allah.
  • Authority in Quran:
    • “And We revealed to you the Reminder so that you may clarify to people what has been revealed to them” (Quran 16:44).
    • “He does not speak from his own desire. It is nothing but a revelation revealed” (Quran 53:3-4).
    • “Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah” (Quran 4:80).
    • “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it” (Quran 59:7).

2. Ijma (Consensus)

  • Definition: Ijma refers to the unanimous agreement of Muslim scholars on matters of Islamic law.
  • Authority in Hadith:
    • The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “My Ummah will never agree upon error.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 3950).
  • Examples: Consensus has been reached on topics like the five daily prayers and inheritance laws.

3. Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)

  • Definition: Qiyas involves making rulings on new issues by using reasoning based on existing Shariah principles.
  • Example: Just as wine is forbidden because it intoxicates, modern intoxicants (like drugs) are also prohibited.
  • Hadith Evidence:
    • The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whatever intoxicates in large quantities, a small amount of it is also forbidden.” (Sunan Abu Dawood 3681).
    • This Hadith supports Qiyas by applying the same rule to other intoxicating substances.

4. Ijtehad (Independent Juristic Reasoning)

  • Definition: Ijtehad is a scholar’s effort to find Islamic rulings on new matters.
  • Conditions: Only qualified scholars (Mujtahid) can perform Ijtehad.
  • Hadith Encouraging Ijtehad:
    • The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If a judge makes a ruling, striving to apply his reasoning and gets it right, he will have two rewards; if he gets it wrong, he will still have one reward.” (Sahih Bukhari 7352).
  • Modern Examples: Topics like digital finance and bioethics are explored through Ijtehad.