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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Ijtihad: Its Meaning, Sources, Beginnings and the Practice of Ra'y Second Definition of Ijtihad Another group of scholars defines ijtihad as effort on the part of a faqih for deriving the ahkam of the Shari'ah. Here we shall cite the views of some of them. (a) The great scholar Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali al-Shafi`i says: "Ijtihad is the effort (on the part of the mujtahid) and employ­ment of one's utmost powers to extract a command (hukm).

This term is not used unless when it involves hardship and strain. Hence it is said ‘He exerted himself to carry the millstone’.

But it will not be said that: ,’He exerted himself to carry a grain of mustard seed.’ But in common usage this word is specifically used for the effort made by the mujtahid in the way of acquiring the knowledge of the ahkam of the Shari’ah." [^33] Al-Ghazali further remarks: “Ijtihad in its complete sense is to make utmost effort in achieving a goal so that it is not possible for one to do anything more." [^34] (b) Muhammad Khidri Bek writes: Ijtihad is the effort made by a faqih for acquiring the knowledge of the ahkam of the Shari’ah.

[^35] He adds: Ijtihad in its complete sense is the utmost effort that a faqih undertakes for extracting a hukm (of the Shari'ah) in such a manner that he feels that he has exhausted his capacity. [^36] Critique of the Second Type of Definitions The above-mentioned definitions also are incomplete and defective in spite of their being closer to a technical definition and freedom from the defects of the former ones. They are still imperfect because the word `waza'if' (lit.

duties) needs to be added; because, besides having to deduce the ahkam of the Shari`ah, a mujtahid is supposed to procure the Practical (al usul al-'amaliyyah) and the Rational Rules (al-'ahkam al-`aqliyyah) - such as Bara'ah, takhyir and Ihtiyat. Thus the field of operation of the mujtahid includes the ahkam of the Shari’ah as well as the Practical and the Rational Rules, whereas the above-mentioned definitions focus merely on the former alone.

In this sense, it is not a comprehensive definition. Third Definition of Ijtihad A third group of scholars of usul defines ijtihad as: Deduction of the ahkam of the Shari'ah from the usul, the adillah, and their sources in the sacred Shari’ah. It would be appropriate to quote some of these related views.