ANSWERED: Consensus or Majority view?

[abdushakur]

as-salamu alaykum ulama-e-kiram,

please can u explain the difference in the above terms w.r.t. fatawa issued by ulama thru the centuries.

what are the original arabic terms and meanings for these words, and is there a difference when translating fatawa into english so that a translator must either use the word 'consensus' of the ulama or 'majority' of the ulama?

and what are the implications on the ordinairy muslim when confronted with 'consensus' and/or 'majority' rulings?

hope that makes sense!

[Mossy]

Majority = jamhur, consensus = ijma.

In a consensus, you gotta stick with it - of course, the question arises, what type of ijma? Ijma sahaba? Ijma of the mujtahids of your school? Vocal ijma, where everyone states that? Or silent ijma, where not everyone makes a statement, but nobody makes a contradictory statement so their acquiesence is assumed.

Still, jamhur positions are the most desireable to stick by, although *valid* minority positions can be taken as a rukhsa (dispensation). As you are Hanafi, then depending upon whether you follow the deobandis or scholars of the sham, there are different opinions on following rukhsa's from other madhabs - the general recommendation is to follow the azima (harshest) position.

Things on which there is an *ijma* have to be stuck by (as by definition no minority positions exist) and denial of them is kufr I believe? Although of course, people use that term in a funny way sometimes (look at the beard thread).