Scholarly Consensus (Ijma): Between Use and Misuse-Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
“A masterly exposition of ijmā‘, its definitions, role in Islamic jurisprudence and perhaps most importantly its limitations. A well argued and timely reminder of the necessity for Muslim scholars today to revisit the process of ideological standardization that too often established a criterion for sound belief that, although useful within a particular socio/political context, has become antithetical to the greater good and unity of the Muslim community. An important study that calls our attention to the value of and growing need to preserve the ideological and philosophical diversity that has exemplified Islamic thought from its earliest times.”
"This study aims to examine unanimous consensus (ijma’) from the Sunni paradigm while searching for a truly objective criterion for discerning authentic and original teachings of faith in the Islamic tradition."
Throughout Islamic history, there have been many claims of consensus to coerce and force Muslims to adopt some position based on religious authority. So it comes as no surprise that in the face of COVID-19 mandates, some Muslims are making the extraordinary claim that taking the COVID-19 vaccine is ‘mandatory’ by the Islamic law of ‘consensus’ (i’jma).
In light of this claim, the Lamppost Education Initiative presents this detailed study of I’jma by Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, the Founding Director of the Lamppost Education Initiative.
New at Lamppost:
Murshid al-Qari’
A Reader’s Guide to Classical Muslim Religious Literature in English
Dr. Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
He holds a Ph.D. in Cultural and Historical Studies in Religion (2016) and an M.A. in Ethics and Social Theory (2012) from the Graduate Theological Union. He obtained his B.A. (ijaza ‘ulya) in Islamic Law 
(Shariah) from the prestigious Al-Qarawiyin University of Fes, Morocco in 2001. He served as full time Islamic chaplain at the State Correctional Institute of Chester, PA from 2002-2007, and is the founding director of the Lamppost Education Initiative. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of Islamic law and Prophetic Tradition at Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California. His research interests include the interconnection between law and identity formation, comparative Islamic law, and Islam’s role in the modern world.
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