Ijtihad vs. Ijma — What's the Difference?

Method of legal decision-making.

Mechanism for unity in Islamic law.

Individual reasoning in Islamic law.

Ensures stability and prevents error.

For addressing unclear issues.

Consensus among Islamic scholars.

Relies on personal judgment.

For confirming validity of consensus.

Demonstrates scholarly expertise.

Reflects collective wisdom.

Ijtihad (Arabic: اجتهاد‎ ijtihād, [ʔidʒ.tihaːd]; lit. physical or mental effort, expended in a particular activity) is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question.

Ijmāʿ (Arabic: إجماع‎) is an Arabic term referring to the consensus or agreement of Islamic scholars on a point of Islamic law.: 472  Various schools of thought within Islamic jurisprudence may define this consensus to be that of the first generation of Muslims only; or the consensus of the first three generations of Muslims; or the consensus of the jurists and scholars of the Muslim world, or scholarly consensus; or the consensus of all the Muslim world, both scholars and laymen. Sunni Muslims regard ijmā' as one of the secondary sources of Sharia law, after the Qur'an, and the Sunnah.

(Islam) The process of Muslim jurists or scholars making a legal or scientific judgment by independent reasoning from the Qur'an and the Sunna; discretion.

(Islam) The consensus of the Muslim community.

The endeavor of a Moslem scholar to derive a rule of divine law from the Koran and Hadith without relying on the views of other scholars; by the end of the 10th century theologians decided that debate on such matters would be closed and Muslim theology and law were frozen;

Ijtihad is primarily applied to issues not explicitly covered in the Quran and Sunnah, requiring new interpretation.

Ijma is important as it provides stability, unity, and prevents error by reflecting the collective wisdom of scholars.

Ijma works by achieving a consensus among Islamic scholars on a particular religious matter, ensuring unity and correctness.

Ijtihad is the process of making a legal decision through independent reasoning within Islamic law.

Ijma contributes to Islamic law by adding consistency, predictability, and confirming the validity of consensus interpretations.

The main limitation of ijtihad is that it requires extensive knowledge and is limited to qualified scholars.

Yes, ijtihad can result in various opinions due to the individual reasoning process by different scholars.

A scholar is qualified for ijtihad by having a deep understanding of Islamic law, texts, and principles.

If there is no ijma, scholars may rely on ijtihad to provide guidance, leading to a variety of interpretations.

While desirable, ijma may not always be achievable due to differing opinions among scholars, but it remains a goal for unity.

Yes, ijma is considered authoritative and can override individual opinions, emphasizing communal consensus.

Yes, ijtihad can evolve as new situations arise and as scholars apply their reasoning to contemporary issues.

Typically, ijtihad is reserved for scholars with extensive knowledge of Islamic law, beyond the scope of lay Muslims.

Ijtihad holds significant importance in modern Islam by allowing the religion to address and adapt to contemporary challenges and questions.

Ijtihad and ijma interact as complementary processes; ijtihad offers individual insights, while ijma seeks to harmonize these into a consensus.