Ijtihaad
Ijtihad (Arabic: اجتهاد ijtihād, lit. 'physical effort' or 'mental effort')is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question.
Ijtihaad in Islam means striving to understand the shar’i ruling on the basis of shar’i evidence. It is obligatory for the one who is able to do it, because Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you know not”
[al-Nahl 16:43, al-Anbiya’ 21:7].
The one who is able to engage in ijtihaad can find out the truth for himself, but he must have vast knowledge and study the shar’i texts, and understand the guidelines on deriving rulings and be aware of the views of the scholars, lest he fall into that which is contrary to Islam.
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