This unhealthy and anti-knowledge attitude gave birth to...

This unhealthy and anti-knowledge attitude gave birth to some movements which considered elementary books of theology as sufficient for a Muslim, and discouraged the assimilation or dissemination of empirical knowledge as leading to the weakening of faith.

Apart from Shaykh al-Mufid and other Shi’i scholars, a number of classical Sunni fuqaha and ‘ulama,’ even those considered to be conservative, like Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al – Jawziyyah, regarded emulation or imitation ( taqlid ) as religiously unauthorized and harmful. Jalal al-Din al – Suyuti held that taqlid was forbidden by both the salaf and the khalaf (early and later generations of scholars). He cited al-Shafi’i’s opposition to taqlid . Ibn Hazm followed the same line.

These and many other fuqaha’ and theologians emphasized the exercise of ‘ aql and ijtihad as obligatory for the believers. Imam ‘Ali (PBUHH) gave a place of…