Al-Hajj Al-Mabroor

Chapter Five
The Ijtihâd Of The Religious Scholars
Many people talk to me about the difference of Imams in their
Ijtihâdât [Plural of the Arabic word Ijtihâd, which is an attempt to give
a reasoned or deduced solution for unprecedented legal problems
based on the four principles of Islam: the Noble Qur’an, the Prophetic
Sunnah, the consensus of the scholars and analogy] concerning some
of the Hajj rituals in which no textual Qur’anic rules were stated.
Faith dictates complete concurrence on explicit textual rules (in the
Noble Qur’an), but as for the inexplicitly stated rules that Allah
has left open before Ijtihâd, we have to respect the opinion of the
Mujtahid [A jurist qualified to exercise Ijtihâd] regarding it. No Imam
should consider what he arrived at through Ijtihâd as the right
opinion and that of others as wrong. But we should say as the
Mujtahidun from amongst the Imams, who said, “What I arrived at
is a right opinion possible to be wrong, and what others have
arrived at is a wrong possible to be right.”
That was proved at the hands of the Messenger of Allah (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace), the legislator whom Allah
had authorized to legislate what clarifies to people all the religious
laws. In laws, the Noble Qur’an – the Inimitable Book – brought
the basics and Almighty Allah entrusted His Messenger (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) to bring the details.
Therefore, The Truth, praise be to Him, says (what means):
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) gives you,
take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it).” (Al-
Hashr, 59: 7)
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) taught us to respect in Ijtihâd the different opinions, not to
find fault with them, but to accept them.
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