اجماع کی اہمیت شریعت اسلامی کی روشنی میں

Ijmāʿ is an important mode of Ijtihād and well known principle of Islamic Sharʿiah. Historically it is evident that incidence of Ijmāʿ )Consensus( restricted only to four Caliphates of Islam only. This Collective Ijtihād and Collective Opinion was actually the decision of the Islamic State followed and obeyed by the all Muslims specially by "Ṣaḥābah" (Companions of the Holy Prophet), this is why it is called Ijmāʿ-e- Ṣaḥābah. These decisions were applicable and binding to all Muslims living elsewhere in the world, because at that time there was centralized ruling system (Khilāfat-e-Wāḥidah). Now Muslim world has split into many states, so every state has its own decision making institutions and hence such Ijtihād and Ijmāʿ, Islamic Legislation Activities should be validated within those states as Ijtihād and Ijmāʿ except issues relevant to general interest as whole human being and all Muslims. In such issues International level consensus of Islamic Jurists would be required. "Ijmāʿ", actually it is the same processes. More over any "Ijmāʿ" held in a time period can be revoked by any new situation in future as per requirement of the time. It is the inevitable demand of dynamism of Islam to correlate it to every need of the time.

Questioning As a Strategy for Developing Critical Thinking

Heavy reliance of teachers on questions that are aimed to recall the information memorized tends to suppress students' thinking and frame it within a textbook content. To break this practice there is a need to develop teachers' understanding of questions that will help students think beyond the content of textbook. This study was aimed to understand the practice of myself, as a teacher educator, in facilitating the development of teachers' knowledge, skills and dispositions to ask High Order Questions (HOQs) questions that can help students to not only comprehend information, but also to analyze, synthesize and evaluate it. It is believed that sustained practice of Higher Order Questioning (HOQ) could scaffold the development of students' critical thinking, which is necessary in preparation of informed, cognizant and critical citizens for open, free and democratic society. The findings of the study reveal that if sufficient time is invested in development of teachers' understanding of HOQ, the practice of HOQ will be more effective and sustainable. Since the approach used in conducting this study was action research and the time allocated for the study was not sufficient, it was not possible to see the practice of the developed understanding of HOQ in classes.