Qiyas, Ijma and Ijtihad
Course Overview
This course is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the concepts and applications of ijma’ and qiyas in Islamic legal theory and, in particular, as methods utilised during the process of ijtihad. This will include an examination of the historical background of these jurisprudential tools and how understandings of these tools have evolved over time. There will be a focus on differentiating between understandings in the various Islamic sciences, including kalam, usul al-fiqh and fiqh itself.
Students will be provided with an understanding of the framework of Islamic legal theory in order to adequately determine the role of ijma’ and qiyas in relation to the sources, methods and principles of Islamic legal theory.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students should be able to understand:
- the historical development and practical implementation of ijma’ (consensus) in Islamic intellectual thought
- the historical development and practical implementation of qiyas (analogical reasoning) in Islamic intellectual thought
- the relationship between ijma’, qiyas and ijtihad (legal reasoning)
- the foundations of ijma’, qiyas and ijtihad in the Quran & Sunnah
- the roles and objectives of the mujtahid
- who is authorised as a mujtahid in our times
- how best to employ these tools effectively
Detailed study of ijma and qiya
An excellent 2 day intensive on the study of ijma and qiyas. I must admit the course was extremely deep and the sheikh went into very detailed arguments on the merits of these tools as well as its application by the classical scholars. At times it was way beyond me, but nevertheless a much needed discussion, which I hope to now incorporate in my ongoing studies on this subject.