🏫 Follow the scholars
Some Muslims say that ordinary believers should follow a school of law and its scholars, because the scholars have the training and the experience. Following them also helps to keep Muslims united.
Islam: Origins and Their Impact on the Community » The Ulema, Ijma and Qiyas
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 2 Islam (4RS1/2D), 1.3
- Who the Ulema are and what they do
- What Ijma and Qiyas mean, and how they come after the Qur'an and the Sunnah
- The four Sunni schools of law and the Shi'a approach
- Why the Ulema matter today, and differing views about their authority
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Unlock This CourseWho are the Ulema?
The Qur'an and the Sunnah are the two main sources of guidance for Muslims. But life keeps throwing up new questions. Is it allowed to take a certain medicine? How should a Muslim handle a new kind of bank account? Someone has to work out what the sources say about a new case. In Islam, this job belongs to the Ulema.
Key terms:
- Ulema: the scholars of Islam, who have spent many years studying the Qur'an, the Sunnah and Islamic law. One scholar is called an alim.
- Fatwa: a ruling or opinion on a question of Islamic belief or practice, given by a qualified scholar.
- Ijma: the agreement (consensus) of the scholars on a question.
- Qiyas: reasoning by analogy, using a ruling from the Qur'an or Sunnah to decide a new case.
The role of the Ulema
📖 Studying
The Ulema study the Qur'an and the Sunnah in depth. They learn Arabic, the Hadith and the way Islamic law has been worked out in the past.
📝 Ruling
They give fatwas on new questions. A Muslim who asks for a fatwa is looking for guidance on how to follow Allah's way.
🎓 Teaching and judging
They teach others, including children and students. Some also act as judges who apply Shari'ah in a court.
This matters because the Ulema help to decide belief and practice. Most Muslims are not trained scholars. They need people they can trust to explain what the sources mean, so that they can live as Allah wants.
Ijma: the agreement of the scholars
For Sunni Muslims, the sources of law come in an order. The Qur'an is first and the Sunnah is second. Ijma is third. When the scholars of a time all agree on a ruling, that agreement is taken as strong evidence that the ruling is right.
Ijma gives Muslims confidence. If scholars agree, a Muslim can follow that ruling without having to work everything out alone. It also helps to stop the community from splitting over every new question.
Qiyas: reasoning by analogy
Qiyas is the fourth source of Sunni law. Scholars use it when a new case is not covered directly by the Qur'an or the Sunnah. They look for an older case that is similar, and apply the same ruling.
Worked example: from wine to other drugs
The Qur'an forbids wine. Scholars ask why. The reason is that it clouds the mind and harms a person. Other drugs, which may not have existed in the Prophet's time, have the same effect. So by qiyas, those drugs are also forbidden. The ruling moves from the old case to the new one, because the reason is the same.
So the order for Sunni Muslims is: the Qur'an, the Sunnah, Ijma, then Qiyas.
Schools of law and the Shi'a approach
Over the centuries, groups of scholars built up different traditions for working out law. These are called schools of law. Sunni Islam has four: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali. They share the main beliefs of Islam, but they sometimes differ on points of law.
Shi'a Muslims do not use Qiyas. Instead, qualified Shi'a scholars use reason ('aql), and they also look to the guidance of the Imams. The Imams hold a special place for Shi'a Muslims. They are the topic of the next lesson.
The Ulema today: differing views
Muslims today still ask the Ulema for fatwas on modern questions, such as new medical treatments or online banking. Many follow the teaching of one school of law and its scholars.
🔎 Go back to the sources
Other Muslims say that every believer should look at the Qur'an and the Sunnah directly. They worry that scholars can make mistakes, or that a ruling may no longer suit modern life.
Common mistakes
- Saying a fatwa is a command that must always be obeyed. It is a scholar's ruling, and Muslims differ on how far to follow it.
- Mixing up Ijma (agreement of the scholars) and Qiyas (reasoning by analogy).
- Saying all Muslims use Qiyas. Shi'a Muslims use reason ('aql) and the guidance of the Imams.
- Saying the four schools of law are four religions. They are four traditions inside Sunni Islam.
Exam-style question
Paper 2, (a) Outline two roles of the Ulema in Islam. [4 marks, AO1]
Paper 2, (b) Explain why Ijma and Qiyas are important for Muslims. [6 marks, AO1 and AO2]
Paper 2, (c) "Muslims should always follow the rulings of the Ulema." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view, and your own opinion with reasons. [10 marks, AO1 and AO2]
Model answer
(a) One role is to give fatwas (1), which are rulings on new questions that Muslims ask about belief or practice (1). Another role is to study the Qur'an and the Sunnah (1), so that they can teach others and explain what the sources mean (1).
(b) Ijma is important because it is the third source of Sunni law after the Qur'an and the Sunnah. When the scholars agree, Muslims can trust the ruling, and it helps to keep the community united. Qiyas is important because life brings new questions that the Qur'an and the Sunnah do not mention directly. Scholars take a ruling from an old case, such as the ban on wine, and apply it to a new one, such as other drugs, because the reason is the same. Together they let Islamic law answer modern questions, so Muslims can follow Allah's guidance in every age. Shi'a Muslims do not use Qiyas, but use reason ('aql) and the guidance of the Imams.
(c) For: the Ulema have spent years studying the Qur'an and the Sunnah, so they know far more than most believers. Following them helps Muslims stay united, and when scholars agree (Ijma) the ruling is strong. Against: a fatwa is a scholar's opinion and scholars can disagree, for example the four Sunni schools of law differ on some points. Some Muslims say every believer should go back to the Qur'an and the Sunnah themselves, because scholars can make mistakes. Shi'a Muslims would add that the guidance of the Imams matters as well as the Ulema. Conclusion: most Muslims need trained scholars to explain the sources, so they should usually follow them, but they should still check that a ruling fits what the Qur'an and the Sunnah teach.
Exam tip
In (b), use the example of wine and other drugs to show Qiyas, and say what it shows about applying old rulings to new cases. In (c), name both the follow-the-scholars view and the go-back-to-the-sources view.