ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books To Be With the Truthful Imitation (Taqlid) The Shi’ah hold: Regarding branches of religion (furu‘ al-Din), which represent the rules of Shari‘ah (Islamic Law) related to worship acts like: salāt, sawm (fasting), zakāt and hajj, for whose rules the following conditions are obligatory: a. Man should exert himself and strive to deduce rules from its valid sources, if being competent for this. b.

Or either he can take precaution in all of his acts if it be in his capacity. c. Or otherwise he should imitate a mujtahid possessing full qualifications, on condition that he (mujtahid) be: alive, sane, just, knowledgeable, and who safeguards his soul, takes care of his Din, opposes his desires, and obeys the commands of his Lord.

Ijtihād in the sub-laws being a kifā’i obligation on all the Muslims, when any full-qualified one performs it, other Muslims will be exempted from it, and it is permissible for them to imitate him and refer to him regarding branches of religion.

Because the position of ijtihād can never be attained so easily, or be accessible for all people, but rather requires abundance of time, sciences, knowledge and capability, the characteristics that can never be possessed but only by whoever toiling and striving hard, spending his life in investigation and seeking knowledge. Ijtihād can never be acquired and attained but only by that who is lord of rare good fortune.

The Prophet (S) said: “When Allah intends good for anyone, He shall make him learned in religion.” There is no difference between this opinion of the Shi’ah and that of the Sunnah, except in respect of the condition of the mujtahid’s being alive. But the manifest disagreement between them lies in applying taqlid.

The Shi’ah believe that the qualified mujtahid being the viceroy of the (12th) Imam (‘a) during his occultation, and he shall be the ruler and absolute chief, entitled to whatever be in the capacity of the Imam, in settling the disputes regarding all issues and judging among people, and that who contradicts him is contradicting the Imam.