Ijtihad (Independent Legal Reasoning)
The independent interpretive effort to derive legal rules from the Islamic sources.
Ijtihad literally means "effort" and refers to the qualified scholar's independent interpretive effort to derive legal rules from the Quran and Sunnah in matters where there is no clear and unambiguous text. It is one of the most important mechanisms for the development and adaptation of Islamic law.
The founders of the four Sunni schools of law were all mujtahid mutlaq (absolutely independent legal interpreters). The Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized ijtihad when he sent Mu'adh ibn Jabal to Yemen and asked him how he would judge. Mu'adh answered: "With the Book of Allah, then with the Sunnah of the Prophet, and then with my own ijtihad." The Prophet approved of this.
In prayer matters, ijtihad is relevant for topics such as calculating prayer times at high latitudes, using technology to determine the qibla direction, and new situations such as prayer in space or on an airplane. Imam al-Ghazali set strict conditions for the one who exercises ijtihad in his work "al-Mustasfa."
Related terms
Du'a al-Qunut (The Qunut Supplication in Witr)
The special supplication recited during the last rak'ah of the Witr prayer.
Salah (Prayer)
The Islamic ritual prayer, performed five times daily.
Qiyas (Analogical Reasoning)
Legal analogy used to derive Islamic rules for new situations based on established rules.
Shahadah (Declaration of Faith)
The first pillar of Islam: the testimony that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Tilawah (Quran Recitation)
Recitation of the Quran, which is a central part of prayer and daily worship.
Isnad (Chain of Narration)
The chain of narrators connecting a hadith back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).