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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islamic Correspondence Course (book 3) Lesson 23 : Ijtihad, Taqlid & Ihtiyat 1. Introduction As mentioned in the previous lessons, a Muslim must follow the shari’a in every aspect of his or her life. If Islam is a religion which is to stay till the end of time, then there must always be some people who can guide the Muslims in the changing circumstances of time and of place.

After the Prophet of Islam, the most ideal persons to guide the Muslims were the Imams of Ahlu 1-bayt. However, the Present Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi (a.s.) has gone into the Occulation and will re-appear when Allah wishes him to appear. So what is to be done in the meantime? Are the Shi’as to suspend the shari’a? No, of course not! Islam is the religion for all times and places. 2.

Ijtihad The Imams of Ahlu 1-bayt had foreseen the time of the Occulation and had prepared their followers for the situation in which they will not be in direct contact with their Imam. This preparation was done by training the Shi’as in the science of Islamic laws, or in other words, in ijtihad. (Ijtihad means “the process of deriving the laws of the shari’a from its sources.”) Ijtihad is an essential phenomenon for the survival of the Islamic shari’a during the Occultation of the Imam (a.s.).

Without the system of ijtihad, we would not be able to apply Islamic laws in the rapidly changing circumstances of human society. Ijtihad is not only permissible, but essential from the Islamic point of view. It is an obligation in Islam to study everything that is necessary for the spiritual development and material wellbeing of the Muslim community.

However, this obligation is of the category which is known as wajib kifa’i.4 In the present instance, for example, Islamic society needs experts in the medical sciences, in 4 An obligation which is on even’ member of the community as long as it is unfulfilled; but as soon as some person or persons has fulfilled it; it is no longer an obligation on those who have not fulfilled it.

physics and chemistry, in engineering, education; and as long as there is a lack of expertise in these areas, it is an obligation on the community as a whole to acquire it. This means that a group of Muslims must devote themselves to research so as to benefit the Muslim community.