- Sanin inda ayoyin hukunce-hukunce (Ahkaam) suke (Mawaadi') don ya sami sauƙin komawa zuwa gare su.

- Knowledge of the locations (Mawaadi’) of the Aayaat of the Ahkaam (rulings) so that he can easily refer to them.

Ilimin hukunce-hukuncen da ake amfana da su kuma ake fitarwa daga ayoyi, da kuma Asbaabun-Nuzul (dalilai ko yanayin saukar su).

- Knowledge of the Ahkaam that are benefited and extracted from the Aayaat and their Asbaab An-Nuzool (circumstances or causes of their revelation).

Ilimin Naasikh da Mansookh a cikin Ayoyin Alkur'ani Mai Girma.

- Knowledge of the Naasikh (abrogating) and the Mansookh (abrogated) in respect to the Noble Aayaat.

Al-Ijtihaad a harshen larabci yana nufin bayar da iyakacin ƙoƙari da kuma gajiyar da ƙarfi wajen wani aiki ko wani al'amari. Ba a amfani da shi sai dai ga abin da ke ƙunshe da ƙoƙari. Ana cewa, misali: Mutum ya yi Ijtihaad lokacin da yake ɗauke da dutse mai nauyi na injin niƙa da hannu, amma bai yi Ijtihaad ba lokacin da yake ɗauke da gashin tsuntsu.

Al-Ijtihaad linguistically means the exertion of effort and exhaustion of capability in respect to an action or undertaking. It is not used except for that which includes within it effort. It is said for instance: That the man made Ijtihaad when carrying a heavy stone hand milling grinder but he did not do Ijtihaad when carrying a feather.

Al-Ijtihaad a Al-Istilaah (ma'anar ta'arifi):

Al-Ijtihaad in Al-Istilaah (terminological definition):

Shi ne bayar da cikakken ƙoƙari da iyawa (da kuma himma) wajen neman Zhann (abin da aka fi tsammanin shi ne daidai) na wani al'amari daga cikin Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyyah, a lokacin da Mujtahid ya ji cewa ba shi da ikon ƙara yin ƙoƙari (ko bayar da ƙarin himma) a kai.

It is the exertion of the capability (and effort) to seek the Zhann (what is thought most probable) of a matter from the Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah in the case where the Mujtahid feels that he is incapable of doing any more (or exerting any more effort).

Ma'anar wannan ita ce Mujtahid yana amfani da iyawarsa ta tunani wajen tsinkayo Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah na aiki daga hujjojinsu na tsaka-tsaki, a lokacin da ya ji cewa ba zai iya kawo ko samar da wani abu mafi daidai ko mafi inganci fiye da abin da ya kai ga (watau abin da ya cimma da kuma abin da ya tsinka) ba.

The meaning of this is that the Mujtahid exerts his mental efforts to deduce the practical Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah from its detailed evidences, in the case where he feels the inability to come up with and produce anything more accurate or correct than what he has arrived at (i.e. concluded and deduced).

Ijtihadi yana faruwa game da Nusoosi (nassoshi), waɗanda hujjojinsu Zhanniyyah ne (ba tabbatacce ba). Watau nassoshin da suke da yiwuwar ɗaukar fiye da ma'ana ɗaya. Misali kamar wannan Aya:

Ijtihaad occurs in respect to the Nusoos (texts), the evidences of which are Zhanniyah (indefinite). Meaning those texts which have the potential to hold more than one meaning. This is like the Aayah:

Ko Maganarsa (SWT):

Or His Qawl (swt):

Ma'anar kalmar 'Lams' (taɓawa) tana iya zama ma'ana biyu: taɓa da hannu da kuma jima'i. Haka kuma, kalmar 'Al-Quroo' tana iya zama ma'ana biyu: ɗaya tsarki ɗayan kuwa haila. Ɗaukar ma'ana ɗaya bisa ɗayar ita ce ijtihadi, kuma ra'ayin da ya fi karfi (Raajih) ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin zhanniy (wanda ba tabbatacce ba ne). Mujtahidi kuwa yana ɗaukar ra'ayinsa a matsayin daidai, duk da cewa akwai yiwuwar kuskure a cikinsa. Shi kuma yana ganin ra'ayin wasu a matsayin kuskure, duk da cewa akwai yiwuwar su ma su kasance daidai.

The meaning of ‘Lams’ (touching) is open to two meanings: The touch of the hand and sexual intercourse. Likewise, ‘Al-Quroo’ is open to two meanings: One is purity and the other is menstruation. Outweighing one meaning over the other is Ijtihaad whilst the outweighing or stronger (Raajih) opinion is Zhanniy (indefinite). The Mujtahid then considers his opinion to be correct albeit open to the possibility of error. He considers the opinion of others to be wrong with the possibility of being correct.

Game da nassoshin da suke da Qat'iyyar Dalaala (ma'ana ta bayyana da tabbaci), wato waɗanda ma'anarsu ba ta buɗe wa wata fassara sai ma'ana ɗaya da kalmomin nassin suka nuna, to dangane da nassoshin da suke cikin wannan rukuni, babu wurin Ijtihadi da za a yi a kansu. An ce a kan haka: 'Laa Ijtihaad Fee Mawrid An-Nass' (Babu Ijtihadi a inda akwai nassi, watau abin da aka faɗa a kan hanyar da ba ta buɗe wa fassara ba).

As for the texts which have a Qat’iyah Dalaalah (definite indicated meaning) where they are not open to except one meaning that the Alfaazh (wordings) of the text have guided to, then in respect to the texts that fall within this category, there is no room for Ijtihaad to be undertaken in relation to them. It has been said in this regard: ‘Laa Ijtihaad Fee Mawrid An-Nass’ (There is no Ijtihaad in respect to the origin of the text i.e. what has been expressed in a definite manner not open to interpretation).

Musulunci ya ƙarfafa yin Ijtihadi, kuma ya tanadi lada biyu (Ajr) ga wanda ya yi Ijtihadi kuma ya yi daidai, yayin da ya tanadi lada ɗaya ga wanda ya yi Ijtihadi kuma ya yi kuskure (a ra'ayinsa). Sahabbai (rah) a lokacin Manzon Allah ﷺ suna yin Ijtihadi, kuma Manzon Allah ﷺ yana amincewa da hakan. Musulmai waɗanda suka zo bayansu sun bi irin wannan hanya da tsari, kuma malamai da fakihai na Musulmai sun bar mana wata babbar taska ta Ijtihadansu, suna cika ɗakunan karatu da rubuce-rubucensu.

Islaam has encouraged the undertaking of Ijtihaad and has provided two rewards (Ajr) to the one who performs Ijtihaad and is correct whilst it has provided the one who performs Ijtihaad and is incorrect (in his opinion) with a single reward. The Sahaabah (rah) at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to perform Ijtihaad whilst the Messenger of Allah (saw) approved of that. The Muslims who came after them proceeded upon the same path and methodology and the ‘Ulamaa and Fuqahaa of the Muslims have left for us an enormous treasure of their Ijtihaadaat filling the libraries with their written works.

Domin mujtahid ya cancanta kuma ya iya yin Ijtihad, wajibi ne sharuddan Ijtihad su cika kuma su tabbata a cikinsa kamar haka:

For the Mujtahid to be qualified and capable of Ijtihaad it is necessary for the following conditions of Ijtihaad to be met and fulfilled within him:

Wannan yana nufin cewa Mujtahid yana da ƙwarewa da isasshen ilimin harshen Larabci, kamar ilimin Nahw, Balaaghah da Fiqh na harshen. Wannan don ya iya bambance tsakanin Dalaalaat (alamomi da abubuwan da ake fahimta daga kalmomi) na Alfaazh, kamar Dalaalat ul-‘Ibaarah da Dalaalat ul-Ishaarah, Al-Haqeeqah da Al-Majaaz, Al-‘Aamm da Al-Khaass, Al-Muqayyad da Al-Mutlaq, Al-Mushtarak, Al-Mantooq da Al-Mafhoom… Wannan ba yana nufin dole ne ya zama malami kuma Mujtahid a harshen ba, sai dai kawai cewa dole ne ya kasance yana da duk abin da yake buƙata don fahimtar nassosin Shari'a yadda suka zo cikin harshen Larabci, ta salonsu (Usloob) da kalmomin da aka yi amfani da su (Alfaazh).

This means that the Mujtahid has a suitable level and sufficiency of the knowledge of Arabic like the ‘Ilm of Nahw, Balaaghah and Fiqh of the language. That is so that he is able to distinguish between the Dalaalaat (indications and implications) of the Alfaazh like the Dalaalat ul-‘Ibaarah and Dalaalat ul-Ishaarah, Al-Haqeeqah and Al-Majaaz, Al-‘Aamm and Al-Khaass, Al-Muqayyad and Al-Mutlaq, Al-Mushtarak, Al-Mantooq and Al-Mafhoom… This does not mean that he needs to be a scholar and Mujtahid in the language but only that he has to be endowed with all that he requires to understand the Shar’iyah texts as they came in the Arabic language in style (Usloob) and worded expressions (Alfaazh).

Waɗannan su ne: Al-Kitaab, As-Sunnah, Al-Ijmaa’ da Al-Qiyaas, da sauran su. Abin da ake nufi da samun ilimin waɗannan Adillah (hujjoji) ba yana nufin a riƙe kowane bayani da ma'ana da suke ɗauke da su ko a haddace su duka ba. Maimakon haka, abin da ake nufi da wannan ilimin shi ne kamar haka:

These are: Al-Kitaab, As-Sunnah, Al-Ijmaa’ and Al-Qiyaas amongst others. What is intended by having a knowledge of these Adillah (evidences) does not mean encompassing every detail and meaning that they contain or memorising them all. Rather what is intended by this knowledge is the following:

- Don sanin Sahih (ingantacce) daga Da'if (raunana) a cikinsa.

- To know its Saheeh (sound) from its Da’eef (weak).

Don sanin matakan ƙarfinsa: Al-Mutawaatir, Al-Mash'hoor da Al-Aahaad.

- To know its levels of strength: Al-Mutawaatir, Al-Mash’hoor and Al-Aahaad.

- Sanin ma'anonin Hadith da yanayin da aka ambace shi.

- Knowledge of the meanings of the Hadeeth and the circumstances for its mention.

Sanin Naasikh da Mansookh dangane da su.

- Knowledge of the Naasikh and Mansookh in respect to them.

- Sanin bayanin Hadisi ga Ayoyi, watau alakar Hadisi da Alkur'ani ta fuskar nuna hukunci

- Knowledge of the Hadeeth’s explanation of the Aayaat i.e. the relationship of the Hadeeth with the Qur’aan from the angle of its indication of a Hukm

Bayan mujtahid ya riga ya bayyana irin Ijma'i da zai dogara da shi a cikin ijtihadinsa, ko Ijma'in Sahabbai ne, ko Ijma'in al'umma, ko Ijma'in mujtahidai, ko wani abu daga cikin waɗannan, to dole ne ya san wuraren da Ijma'i ya shafa (Mawaadi') domin ya san su sosai, sa'an nan kada ya saɓa musu a cikin masa'alolin da yake yin ijtihadi a kansu.

After the Mujtahid has specified the (type of) Ijmaa’ that he will be depending upon in his Ijtihaad, in respect to whether it is Ijmaa’ As-Sahaabah, Ijmaa’ Al-Ummah, Ijmaa’ Al-Mujtahideen or other than these, he then must have knowledge of the locations or contexts (Mawaadi’) of the Ijmaa’ so that he can be fully aware of them and then not contravene them within the Masaa’il (issues) that he is undertaking Ijtihaad in.

Sanin ‘Illah, nau'ukanta, sharuddanta, da yadda ake haɗa Far'i (reshe) da Hukuncin Asl (asali) saboda kasancewar ‘Illah ɗaya a tsakaninsu

Knowledge of the ‘Illah, its types, its conditions and the manner of how to attach the Far’u (branch) to the Hukm of the Asl (origin) due to the commonality of the ‘Illah existing between them

Mujtahid yana buƙatar sanin ƙa'idodin (Qawaa'id) na Usool ul-Fiqh domin ya iya cire hukunce-hukuncen aiki na Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah daga dalilansu na tafsili ta hanyarsu. Misali shi ne ƙa'idar: (Muhimmanci (la'akari) yana cikin ma'anar gama-gari na furuci da aka faɗa, ba cikin keɓancewar dalili ba). Ko kuma ƙa'idar: (Abin da Waajib ba ya cika sai da shi, shi ma Waajib ne) da kuma ƙa'idar: (Amfani da dalilai biyu tare ya fi ko ya dace fiye da watsi da ɗayansu), tare da ƙa'idodin musamman da suka shafi lokacin da ake ganin rikici tsakanin dalilai da kuma fifita ɗaya a kansu (At-Tarjeeh).

The Mujtahid requires knowledge of the principles (Qawaa’id) of Usool ul-Fiqh so that he can arrive at the deduction of the practical Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah from its detailed evidences through them. This is like Qaa'idah:(The significance (consideration) is in the generality of the worded expression and not in the specificity of the cause). Or like the Qaa'idah:( That which the Waajib is not completed except with it, is Waajib) and the Qaa’idah: (Making both evidences work (together) is better or more appropriate than disregarding one of them) in addition to the specific principles related to when there appears to be a conflict between the evidences and outweighing them (At-Tarjeeh)