Ijtihad
*Ijtihad* is the disciplined effort a qualified scholar makes to work out a ruling, using recognized tools, not personal opinion alone.
What it means for me: You are not asked to perform ijtihad yourself. But knowing the word settles something in you. When two trustworthy scholars reach different answers on an ijtihad question, neither one is wrong for disagreeing. The evidence itself allowed more than one reading.
Example: A scholar tells you a question is a matter of ijtihad. That means the evidence allows real reasoning, and more than one conclusion has support. It does not mean the answer is left to personal taste.
Do not confuse with: *Taqlid*, following a qualified scholar. Ijtihad is reasoning from evidence by someone qualified to do it; taqlid is accepting a scholar's conclusion without examining that evidence yourself.
If scholars differ: Some scholars hold a person may be qualified for ijtihad in one area of law without being qualified in every area. Others hold the qualification must cover the discipline as a whole. The difference is named here as a difference and not decided; the mufti is the reference.
Often appears in
See the term in context
How do we distinguish between the opinion and non-binding ijtihad of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and what is binding, in the absence of an explicit verbal indication in the hadith?
The aforementioned principle is not entirely correct. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would exercise ijtihad (independent reasoning) in matters of worldly affairs and livelihood, but not in matters of…
Is the door of Ijtihad closed to only the understanding of the Righteous Predecessors regarding religion, making it a ceiling that must not be exceeded, and thus it is impermissible for contemporary scholars to exercise Ijtihad in understanding Islam?
The door of ijtihad (independent reasoning) remains open as long as the Ummah adheres to the Quran and Sunnah, because the perfection of the religion and its applicability to every time and place necessitate this.…
Why is there no room for ijtihad in some issues, such as the prohibition of intoxicants (khamr) and usury (riba)? What is meant by "qat'i al-thubut wa al-dalalah" (definitive in authenticity and meaning)? And what is the difference between these and matters that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded, and the Companions understood as recommended, such as dyeing one's hair (al-ikhtidhab)?
Ijtihad (independent reasoning) is to be exercised in the absence of explicit textual evidence, and it is not permissible when there is a text that contradicts it. This is because ijtihad and taqlid (adherence to a…
Questions that use it
Is the abrogation of turning towards Al-Aqsa Mosque not an abrogation, because it is an abrogation of a ruling, which is not known whether the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did it through his own ijtihad or by Allah's command, given that revelation is not confined to the Quran?
What are the conditions for independent ijtihad, and did the Four Imams reach this rank?
What is the ruling on one who strove to form an independent judgment (ijtihad) on a Sharia matter and erred therein, and how should he be dealt with? Is it permissible to pray behind him? And is he considered a hypocrite if his error is explained to him and he does not retract it?