Description
Ijtihad, according to the lexicographers, is derived from ‘juhd’, which means employment of effort or endeavour in performing a certain activity. Juhd means exerting one’s strength and power to explore something to resolve the problems in the Muslim society.
The sources of ijtihad according to the Islamic Shariah are: the Book, the Sunnah, ijma’ (consensus), and qiyas (analogy) including its various forms such as istihsan, istislah, masalih mursalah and Urf etc.
In linguistic terms, ijma` means scholarly consensus. In Shar‘i terms, ijma` means the agreement of scholars of Muslim ummah on a shar‘i ruling after the death of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Understanding the significance of Ijma’ can help us gain insight into the Islamic ways of resolving problems in the changing times.
