Scholarship

Ijtihad

اِجْتِهَاد‎ · /ɪdʒ.tɪˈhɑːd/

Ijtihad is the independent scholarly reasoning used to derive a ruling on a matter not explicitly settled in the Quran or Sunnah.

What does Ijtihad mean?

A qualified scholar exercises ijtihad by applying established principles of fiqh to new or unclear situations, producing rulings that guide Muslims through questions the primary sources don't address directly.

Alternative Spellings

Ijtihaad