الاجتهاد لغة: بذل الجهد لإدراك أمر شاق
linguistically diligence means: to expend efforts in order to reach some difficult matter
واصطلاحاً: بذل الجهد لإدراك حكم شرعي.
. Technically it means: expending efforts to arrive at a Sharee’ah ruling
والمجتهد: من بذل جهده لذلك.
And the diligent is the one who expends efforts for this purpose
شروط الاجتهاد Conditions for diligence:1
للاجتهاد شروط منها:Being a mujtahid has conditions, from them
1- أن يعلم من الأدلة الشرعية ما يحتاج إليه في اجتهاده كآيات الأحكام وأحاديثها.
That he knows the Sharee’ah proofs which he needs in his diligence- such as the verses and ahaadeeth pertaining to rulings
2- أن يعرف ما يتعلق بصحة الحديث وضعفه كمعرفة الإسناد ورجاله وغير ذلك.
That he knows what relates to the authenticty or weakness of a hadeeth, such as having knowledge of the isnaad and it’s narrators and other than this
3- أن يعرف الناسخ والمنسوخ
That he knows the abrogated and the abrogating
ومواقع الإجماع حتى لا يحكم بمنسوخ أو مخالف للإجماع.
and the places where there is consensus- such that he does not give a ruling according to something that has been abrogated, nor give a ruling that opposes the (authentically related) consensus.
4- أن يعرف من الأدلة ما يختلف به الحكم
That he knows from the proofs that which causes the rulings to vary
من تخصيص أو تقييد أو نحوه
such as takhsees (particularisation), or taqyeed (restriction)1
or it’s like
حتى لا يحكم بما يخالف ذلك.
So he does not give a judgement which is contrary to this
5- أن يعرف من اللغة وأصول الفقه ما يتعلق بدلالات الألفاظ
That he knows the Arabic language and usul al-fiqh, and what relates to the meanings and indications of particular wordings
كالعام والخاص والمطلق والمقيد
such as the general, the particular, the absolute and unrestricted, the restricted
والمجمل والمبين ونحو ذلك
the unclarified, and the clarified
and it’s like
ليحكم بما تقتضيه تلك الدلالات.
- in order that he gives rulings in accordance with what this demands
6- أن يكون عنده قدرة يتمكن بها من استنباط الأحكام من أدلتها.
That he has the ability to extract rulings from the evidences
والاجتهاد قد يتجزأ
And diligence may be split up
فيكون في باب واحد من أبواب العلم أو في مسألة من مسائله
such that it may be undertaken in one particular branch of knowledge, or in one particular issue
ما يلزم المجتهد
What is essential for the diligent:1
يلزم المجتهد أن يبذل جهده في معرفة الحق
It is essential that the diligent strives in expending his efforts to arrive at knowledge of the truth
ثم يحكم بما ظهر له
and to give rulings in accordance to what is apparent to him
فإن أصاب فله أجران:
If he is correct, then he has two rewards
أجر على اجتهاده وأجر على إصابة الحق
one for his diligence, and the other for arriving at the truth
لأن في إصابة الحق إظهاراً له وعملاً به
since arriving at the truth means that it is manifested and acted upon
وإن أخطأ فله أجر واحد
If, however, he is mistaken, then he has a single reward
والخطأ مغفور له
and his error is forgiven
" إذا حكم الحاكم فاجتهد ثم أصاب فله أجران وإذا حكم فاجتهد ثم أخطأ فله أجر"
"when a judge judges and strives and is correct, then he has two rewards. If he judges and strives and errs, then he has a single reward."1
وإن لم يظهر له الحكم وجب عليه التوقف
If the ruling is not clear to him, then he must withold
وجاز التقليد حينئذ لضرورة.
- and in such a case, imitation is permissible for him, due to necessity
التقليد لغة: وضع الشيء في العنق محيطاً به كالقلادة.
Linguistically, taqleed means: Placing something around the neck, which encircles the neck
Technically it means: Following he whose sayings is not a proof (hujjah).1
واصطلاحاً: اتباع من ليس قوله حجة.
فخرج بقولنا: " من ليس قوله حجة " اتباع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
Exlcuded from our saying, "following he whose saying is not a proof" is: following the Prophet
لكن قد يسمى تقليداً على وجه المجاز والتوسع
However this type of following is sometimes referred to as taqleed in a very metaphorical and loose sense
يكون التقليد في موضعين:
Taqleed is done in two cases:1
أن يكون المقلد عاميّاً
1) when the imitator is a common person
لا يستطيع معرفة الحكم بنفسه
who does not have the ability to aquire knowledge of the sharee’ah ruling by himself
ففرضه التقليد
So imitation is obligatory upon him
due to the saying of Allaah
لقوله تعالى:
The Most High,1
(فَاسْأَلوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُون)
"ask the people of knowledge if you do not know." 1
ويقلد أفضل من يجده علماً وورعاً
So he does imitation of one whom he considers to be a person of knowledge and piety
فإن تساوى عنده اثنان خير بينهما
If there are two such people who are equal in his view, then he chooses any one of them
أن يقع للمجتهد حادثة تقتضي الفورية
2) The imitation when he encounters a new situation, for which an immediate solution is required
ولا يتمكن من النظر فيها فيجوز له التقليد حينئذ
but it is not possible for him to research into this matter. So in this case he is permitted to perform imitation
واشترط بعضهم لجواز التقليد
Some stipulate as a condition for the permissibility of imitation
ألا تكون المسألة من أصول الدين
that the matter is not from the fundamentals of the religion
التي يجب اعتقادها
those matters which must be held as creed
لأن العقائد يجب الجزم فيها
since matters of creed require certainty
،والتقليد إنما يفيد الظن فقط.
whereas imitation only amounts to dhann (knowledge which is not certain).1
ولأن العامي لا يتمكن من معرفة الحق بأدلته
And also because the common person cannot aquire knowledge of the sharee’ah rulings with it’s proofs by himself
فإذا تعذر عليه معرفة الحق بنفسه لم يبق إلا التقليد
So if he is unable to arrive at the truth by himself, then nothing remains for him except imitation
تعليق