17. IBN HAZM'S CONCEPT OF IJMĀ‘ (1)

IBN HAZM'S

CONCEPT OF IJMĀ‘

By

Dr. Muhammad Amin A. Samad

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و به نستعين

ABSTRACT

This book is an attempt to study Ibn H.azm’s concept of ijmā‘ (consensus). Ibn H.azm was a Muslim scholar of Persian origin, who revived the Z.āhirī school in Andalusia (Muslim Spain) in the fifth/eleventh century.  The Z.āhirī school was founded by Dāwūd in Iraq in the third/ninth century. This school was known for its insistence on the literal interpretation of the nas.s. (divine text). Ijmā‘ is accepted by Muslim jurists en masse as the third source of Islamic law after the Qur’ān and the Sunnah (practice) of the Prophet. However, these jurists held different concepts on ijmā‘ according to the schools to which they belonged. As an exponent of the Z.āhirī school, Ibn H.azm’s concept of ijmā‘ is quite different from those of other jurists. In defending his concept and refuting those of his opponents, he based his argument upon the literal meaning of the nas.s..

 

 

 

فَقُْلْتُ هَلْ عَيْبُهُمْ لِيْ غَيْرَ أَننَّيِْ لاَ    *   أَقـُوْلُ بِالرَّأْيِ إِذْ فِـيْ رَأْيِهِم فَـتَنُ

وَ أَنَّنِي  مُولَعٌ بِالنَصِّ لـَسْتُ إِلىَ   *    سِوَاهُ أَنْحُـْو وَلَا فِيْ نَصْرِهِ أَهِـنُ

لَا أَنـْثَنِي نَحْوَ آرَاءٍ يُقَالُ بِهـَا   *     فِيْ الدِّيْنِ’ بَلْ حَسْبِيَ القُرْآنُ وَالسُّنَنُ

                                               

إبن حـزم*)

 So, I said: ‘Do they blame me for anything except that I do not uphold ra’y (personal opinion in religion), as there are discords in their opinion,

‘And that I am in love with nas.s. (divine text), and I do not lean upon other than it, nor shall I be weak in supporting it?

‘I will not incline towards any opinion said in religion; nay, the Qur’ān and the Sunnah (practices of the Prophet) suffice me.’

                                                         Ibn Ḥazm

*)  سعيد الأفغاني , إبن حزم الأندلسي و رسالته في المفاضلة بين الصحابة (دمشق: المطبعة الهاشمية, ١٣٩٥\١٩٤٠), ص. ١٤٢

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT   ……………………………………………                   iii

RÉSUMÉ  ………………………………………………                    iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS  ………………….……………                   vi

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS           ………………………                    viii

TRANSLITERATION SYSTEM  ………………………                   x

INTRODUCTION       …………………………………                      1

Endnotes   ………………………………………………          3

Chapter

   I.  HISTORICAL BACKGROUND     ………..………….                5

          A.   The Background of Ibn H.azm         ……………….            5

           1.  A Short Synopsis of Ibn H.azm’s Life………                       5

           2.   Ibn H.azm’s Contact with Religious Scholars    ……           7

         B.  The Problems of the Definitions and

   Occurrence of Ijmā‘ ………………………………….            17

          1.  The Definitions of Ijmā‘      …………………………              17

          2.  The Occurrence of Ijmā‘ ………………………………          25                  Endnotes to Chapter I ………………………          28

   II.  JUDICIAL BACKGROUND ……………………….                  35

          A. Ibn H.azm’s View of the Basis of Ijmā‘      ………..              35

          1. Qur’ān………………………………………………..            41

          2.  Sunnah          …………………………………..           43

3.  Qiyās……..    ……….………..……………………                 52

     

    B.  Ibn H.azm ‘s View of the Types of Ijmā‘    ……….           53

          1. Ijmā‘ on What is Known in Religion by Necessity …           54

          2. Ijmā‘ of the S.ah.ābah       ………………………….               55

          3. Ijmā‘ of the People of Madīnah   ………….… …                  63

          4. Ijmā‘ where no Challenge is Known……………….              69

          5. Ijmā‘ with One Challenge          ………………… ..                73

           Endnotes to Chapter II………………………………               82

CONCLUSION  ……………………………………………               94

GLOSSARY       ……………………………………………               98

APPENDIX        …………………………………………                   103

BIBLIOGRAPHY       …………………………………….                 104

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Charles J. Adams, the former Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, and Dr. Hermann Landolt, the former professor of this Institute for their support and encouragement  in reading the draft of this work. 

I wish to express my gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Karim Crow for editing and proof-reading  and Dr. H. Murtada Naqib for his assistance and advice, especially in writing the second chapter of this work.

My thanks also go to  Dr. Teddy Mantoro and others who have contributed, in one way or another, to the completion of this study. I sincerely express my deep thanks and appreciation for their support.

           

         

Canberra, December, 2011                                M.A.S.

TRANSLITERATION  SYSTEM

          The English transliteration for Arabic names and terms followed in this thesis is as follows:

a. Consonants:

       ا = a  or ’   ب = b    ت = t     ث = th      ج = j       ح  = ḥ       خ = kh       د = d

      ذ =dh           ر = r    ز  = z     س = s        ش = sh       ص = ṣ   ض = d.        ط  = ṭ

     ظ = z.            ع =  ‘    غ =gh    ف = f       ق = q       ك = k       ل = l            م = m  ن      = n          هـ = h     و = w     ي = y       ء =  ’ (like alif)

b. Vowels:

                            Short:                                          long:

          FatÊah:         --َ--   =   a                                  ـا     =  ā

          Kasrah:         --ِ--   =   i                                     ـي  =   ī

                                                D.ammah:    --ُ--    =   u                                     ـو   =  ū

 

c.    Tā’ Marbūt.ah: ah, e.g., sūrah (سُـوْرَة)

      Tā’ Marbūt.ah in id.āfah: at, e.g., sūrat al-Baqarah (سُـوْرَةُ اْلبَقَـرَة)

d.   Alif maqs.ūrah: á, e.g., qad.á (قَضَى) and  shūrá   (شُوْرَى)