(Part 34)
The Seventh Topic:
The Ruling on Imitation (Taqleed)
The Continuation
The prohibition of taqlid in this view primarily concerns overly zealous scholars who cling to their imams’ opinions to such an extent that even when the truth contradicts their school, they refuse to abandon their own doctrine. This fanatical practice, which leads to abandoning the truth, has been used as a basis for condemning taqlid. Another argument presented by advocates of this view is that adherence to a single school of thought was neither common nor known in the early generations of Islam; and what was not known in the early generations is considered prohibited. As previously mentioned, taqlid has been forbidden because it involves accepting someone’s statement without evidence.
If this theory is accepted—that taqlid is prohibited—then laypeople would be tasked with something beyond their capacity. They neither have the ability nor the time to fully comprehend the vast and intricate issues of religious jurisprudence to the level of ijtihad. A closer look reveals that the intent behind prohibiting taqlid in this opinion is similar to the prohibition of taqlid in the fundamentals of religion. This view emphasizes following scholars and jurists, which requires at least a moderate level of knowledge so that the questioner can understand the reasoning behind the mufti’s verdict and act upon it. However, most people only have limited religious knowledge sufficient to meet their basic needs—or have none at all.
In the past, this might have been somewhat feasible because the pursuit of knowledge primarily passed through religious studies. Most scholars in fields such as medicine, mathematics, and astronomy were also religious scholars. All disciplines were under the shadow of religious sciences. Today, with the emergence of specialized disciplines, the diversification of knowledge, and the continuous creation of new academic fields based on social needs, there is practically no time left for the average person to study religion even at a moderate level. If an Islamic government were to obligate all Muslims, regardless of their abilities, to study religion to a certain degree, this requirement would lead to societal regression and a perpetual dependence on enemies of Islam in various domains. In both Islamic and non-Islamic societies, deriving rulings and conducting ijtihad should remain the responsibility of religious scholars and experts. Moreover, the rejection of taqlid, due to the resulting diversity of opinions, would become a source of division among the Muslim population across all Islamic countries—while religious teachings emphasize unity and warn against division.
Imitation in The Present Age
