Campusalam

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Ijtihad means interpretation, a method of reasoning in legal, philosophical or theological scholarship. The word comes from the root of the verb to struggle or exert effort, and implies a struggle within oneself. The term can be applied to understanding the Qur'an or to jurisprudence, or to Islamic theology in discussing doctrines about God. In particular, ijtihad was in use by the early jurists in developing the body of Islamic law.

Widespread in early Islam, its use became controversial around the tenth century CE amongst Sunni scholars. Here scholars differ on what happened in the Sunni world; it is a commonplace that the ‘gates’ of ijtihad were ‘closed’ once the four major schools of law in the Sunni tradition were defined. Other contemporary scholars such as Wael Hallaq argue the gates were never closed and that some scholars continued to argue for the use of ijtihad by qualified individuals. The use of reason and ijtihad continued to be a matter of debate between theologians and philosophers, not least in the discussions between Ash'arites and Mu'tazilites.

In Shi’a jurisprudence, ijtihad is said to have occurred among the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh); but after the occultation of the twelfth Imam (in the Twelver or Ithna Ashari tradition) ijtihad became a necessity in the absence of the Imams' direct guidance. It has formed a recognised part of Shi’a Islam up to this day, particularly in the Usuli tradition. Ayatollah Murtada Mutahhari indeed maintains that 'fiqh' and 'ijtihad' are virtually synonymous. (Understanding Islamic Sciences, ICAS Press, 2002, p. 182. ISBN 1904063039.)