Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah, Vol. 3 – Issues of Tawheed and Sunnah, p. 76
Are the Qur’an, Sunnah, and Ijmaʿ the original sources of Islamic teachings?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd:
Yes, the three fundamental and primary sources of Islam are:
① The Book of Allah – the Qur’an
② The Sunnah – the sayings and actions of the Prophet ﷺ
③ Ijmaʿ al-Ummah – the consensus of the Muslim community
Reference: al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Vol. 1, Issue 1, p. 4
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَا يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ أَبَدًا، وَيَدُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ"
“Allah will never gather my Ummah upon misguidance, and Allah’s hand is over the Jamaʿah.”
Reference: al-Mustadrak, Vol. 1, p. 116, ḥadīth 399 — Ṣaḥīḥ chain
“The command of the Messenger of Allah to adhere to the Muslim community is used as proof that the consensus of the Muslims is, if Allah wills, binding (ḥujjah).”
Reference: Kitāb al-Risālah, p. 403, section 1105
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الضَّلَالَةِ أَبَدًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّ يَدَ اللهِ عَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ"
“My Ummah will never unite upon misguidance, so stick to the Jamaʿah, for Allah’s hand is over the Jamaʿah.”
Reference: al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī, Vol. 12, p. 447, ḥadīth 13623 — Ḥasan chain
“Ijmaʿ” means agreement or uniting upon something.
References:
Imām Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī رحمه الله (d. 277H):
“The agreement of the people of ḥadīth upon something is proof.”
Reference: Kitāb al-Marāsīl, p. 192
Imām Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām رحمه الله:
Regarding wiping over half or a quarter of the head, he said:
“It is not permissible unless its knowledge is found in the Book, Sunnah, or Ijmaʿ.”
Reference: Kitāb al-Ṭahūr, p. 124, under ḥadīth 334
This shows that he too considered Ijmaʿ as a binding proof.
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله:
“Ijmaʿ means that the scholars of the Muslims agree upon a certain ruling from among the rulings, and once the Ijmaʿ of the Ummah is established, it is not permissible for anyone to go against it, for the Ummah does not unite upon misguidance. However, in many issues, some think there is Ijmaʿ while in reality, there is not, and in fact, the opposing view is stronger in light of the Book and Sunnah.”
Reference: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, Vol. 20, p. 10
Imām ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak رحمه الله (d. 181H):
“The agreement of the people upon something is more reliable in my sight than the chain Sufyān from Manṣūr from Ibrāhīm from ʿAlqamah from ʿAbdullāh.”
Reference: al-Kifāyah of al-Khaṭīb, p. 434 — Ḥasan chain
This is strong evidence that Ibn al-Mubārak considered Ijmaʿ a decisive proof.
Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh Ghāzīpūrī رحمه الله (d. 1337H), a renowned Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar, also affirmed Ijmaʿ al-Ummah as proof.
References:
The valid understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah is that which is established without dispute from the Salaf al-Sālihīn and scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.
If all three evidences (Qur’an, Sunnah, and Ijmaʿ) are absent in a matter, then ijtihād (e.g., reasoning based on the statements of the Salaf) is permissible.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Question:
Are the Qur’an, Sunnah, and Ijmaʿ the original sources of Islamic teachings?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ʾAmma baʿd:
Yes, the three fundamental and primary sources of Islam are:
① The Book of Allah – the Qur’an
② The Sunnah – the sayings and actions of the Prophet ﷺ
③ Ijmaʿ al-Ummah – the consensus of the Muslim community
Reference: al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Vol. 1, Issue 1, p. 4
Evidence for Adhering to the Jamaʿah
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَا يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ أَبَدًا، وَيَدُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ"
“Allah will never gather my Ummah upon misguidance, and Allah’s hand is over the Jamaʿah.”
Reference: al-Mustadrak, Vol. 1, p. 116, ḥadīth 399 — Ṣaḥīḥ chain
Statement of Imām al-Shāfiʿī رحمه الله
“The command of the Messenger of Allah to adhere to the Muslim community is used as proof that the consensus of the Muslims is, if Allah wills, binding (ḥujjah).”
Reference: Kitāb al-Risālah, p. 403, section 1105
Another Ḥadīth:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"لَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ أُمَّتِي عَلَى الضَّلَالَةِ أَبَدًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ فَإِنَّ يَدَ اللهِ عَلَى الْجَمَاعَةِ"
“My Ummah will never unite upon misguidance, so stick to the Jamaʿah, for Allah’s hand is over the Jamaʿah.”
Reference: al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr of al-Ṭabarānī, Vol. 12, p. 447, ḥadīth 13623 — Ḥasan chain
Linguistic Definition of Ijmaʿ
“Ijmaʿ” means agreement or uniting upon something.
References:
- Tāj al-ʿArūs, Vol. 11, p. 75
- al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ, p. 917
- al-Muʿjam al-Wasīṭ, Vol. 1, p. 135
- al-Qāmūs al-Waḥīd, p. 280
Scholarly Views on the Shariah Status of Ijmaʿ
Imām Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī رحمه الله (d. 277H):
“The agreement of the people of ḥadīth upon something is proof.”
Reference: Kitāb al-Marāsīl, p. 192
Imām Abū ʿUbayd al-Qāsim ibn Sallām رحمه الله:
Regarding wiping over half or a quarter of the head, he said:
“It is not permissible unless its knowledge is found in the Book, Sunnah, or Ijmaʿ.”
Reference: Kitāb al-Ṭahūr, p. 124, under ḥadīth 334
This shows that he too considered Ijmaʿ as a binding proof.
Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله:
“Ijmaʿ means that the scholars of the Muslims agree upon a certain ruling from among the rulings, and once the Ijmaʿ of the Ummah is established, it is not permissible for anyone to go against it, for the Ummah does not unite upon misguidance. However, in many issues, some think there is Ijmaʿ while in reality, there is not, and in fact, the opposing view is stronger in light of the Book and Sunnah.”
Reference: Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā, Vol. 20, p. 10
Imām ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Mubārak رحمه الله (d. 181H):
“The agreement of the people upon something is more reliable in my sight than the chain Sufyān from Manṣūr from Ibrāhīm from ʿAlqamah from ʿAbdullāh.”
Reference: al-Kifāyah of al-Khaṭīb, p. 434 — Ḥasan chain
This is strong evidence that Ibn al-Mubārak considered Ijmaʿ a decisive proof.
Position of Modern Ahl al-Ḥadīth Scholars
Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh Ghāzīpūrī رحمه الله (d. 1337H), a renowned Ahl al-Ḥadīth scholar, also affirmed Ijmaʿ al-Ummah as proof.
References:
- Ibrāʾ Ahl al-Ḥadīth wa al-Qurʾān, p. 32
- al-Ḥadīth Hazro, Vol. 1, p. 4
Important Note
The valid understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah is that which is established without dispute from the Salaf al-Sālihīn and scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah.
If all three evidences (Qur’an, Sunnah, and Ijmaʿ) are absent in a matter, then ijtihād (e.g., reasoning based on the statements of the Salaf) is permissible.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
