What is the meaning of Imam Ahmad's statement, "Whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar"?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. You have quoted from Imam Ahmad the phrase: "Whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar"
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Regarding the phrase from Imam Ahmad, "Whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar", what is the meaning of this phrase?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is possible that he meant that whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar if he is from the people of innovation, because the people of innovation say, for example, "Allah is free from such and such by scholarly consensus." They confuse the people: sometimes they say "by scholarly consensus," sometimes they say "according to the people of deep investigation," and sometimes they say "in the stronger opinion" or the like. This is what Imam Ahmad intended.
Some people said that Imam Ahmad meant whoever claims scholarly consensus after the passage of the three generations, because after the passage of the three generations, people became dispersed in location and dispersed in ideas and opinions. Opinions became scattered and locations became distant. So what makes this man know that one person in Andalusia agreed with one person in the far east of Asia? What informs him, especially since there were no means of communication at that time? There is no doubt that scholarly consensus is a proof and that it is possible, but in matters other than the established principles of the Shari'ah, its existence is rare and comprehending it is distant.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Regarding the phrase from Imam Ahmad, "Whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar", what is the meaning of this phrase?
The Shaykh : By Allah, it is possible that he meant that whoever claims scholarly consensus is a liar if he is from the people of innovation, because the people of innovation say, for example, "Allah is free from such and such by scholarly consensus." They confuse the people: sometimes they say "by scholarly consensus," sometimes they say "according to the people of deep investigation," and sometimes they say "in the stronger opinion" or the like. This is what Imam Ahmad intended.
Some people said that Imam Ahmad meant whoever claims scholarly consensus after the passage of the three generations, because after the passage of the three generations, people became dispersed in location and dispersed in ideas and opinions. Opinions became scattered and locations became distant. So what makes this man know that one person in Andalusia agreed with one person in the far east of Asia? What informs him, especially since there were no means of communication at that time? There is no doubt that scholarly consensus is a proof and that it is possible, but in matters other than the established principles of the Shari'ah, its existence is rare and comprehending it is distant.