The worst kind of Taqlid is that a learned person does not...

The worst kind of Taqlid is that a learned person does not use his knowledge and follows the others blindly. **(3) An Aalim (learned) following another *Aalim *** One Aalim who is well versed in one field and has authority over it should not do the Taqlid of another who also has the same caliber, but he should act according to his knowledge, that is why the jurisprudents say that when a person reaches the stage of Ijtihad , he should then practice according to it.

That is the reason why it is generally mentioned on the certificate of Ijtihad : Taqlid is forbidden for him. And it is necessary that he should practice according to his knowledge although there is no problem if he exchanges his views on religious problems with other scholars. The aim is that an Aalim should make a rule and then protect it and should not accept the principles of others without study.

**(4) An ignorant person following a learned person ** This type of Taqlid is accepted by intellect and nature of man and this type of Taqlid is demanded by them. This is as logical to construct a building we require a mason and for stitching clothes we require a tailor and when we are ill, we go to a doctor. In short intellect and nature direct us towards the person who is expert in his field.

This is the same logic, which directs the people towards jurisprudents for religious instructions and spiritual laws, who are expert in understanding the commands of Allah. Those jurisprudents that with their special talent and knowledge have worked hard for years, and reached the high level of Ijtihad . It means they have the ability to derive the original matter of the spiritual commands and convey it to the ordinary people.

Those Mujtahids who are the religious leaders and guides of people, who got this great position from the Holy Imams (a.s.), so that they can guide people towards goodness in all religious spheres.

Here we should not ignore that there are different faculties of Human Science and it is possible that a person might have a special knowledge and expertise in one section but may be totally unaware of another and as a result it is necessary for him that in the field in which he is totally ignorant he should contact those who are experts in that field, and follow them.

For example a doctor or an engineer who are expert in their respective fields enter a town and want to go to a particular area and a particular street, about which they are unaware of, but they were only been given the address.