A-Taqlid a harshen larabci yana nufin sanya abu a wuya tare da kewaye shi. Daga nan sai aka yi amfani da kalmar wajen damka ko danƙa al'amari ga wani mutum, kamar dai an ɗaura al'amarin a wuyansa.

At-Taqleed linguistically is the placing of the matter in the neck with an encompassment of it. Then it is used to entrust or delegate the matter to the person, as if it has tied the matter to his neck.

Kamar yadda mawaƙi ya ce:

It is like the poet said:

An aka amince musu da al'amarinka; nasararka tana ga Allah, mai karimci, mai hannu da shuni wajen yaki.

They were entrusted to your affair _ your accomplishment is due to Allah _ generous The arm, with the matter of war

Kuma ma'anar At-Taqleed a fagen Istilaah (ma'anar ilimi ta musamman):

And the meaning of At-Taqleed in accordance to the Istilaah (terminological convention):

A-Taqleed, a ma'anarsa ta Shari'a, shi ne aiki bisa ra'ayin wani ba tare da wata hujja mai ɗaurewa ba (hujja mai ɗaurewa). Misali, shi ne talakawan malami (al-'Aamiy) ya ɗauki ra'ayin mujtahidi, ko kuma mujtahidi ya ɗauki ra'ayin wani mujtahidi.

At-Taqleed, according to its Shar’a meaning, is to act in accordance to the opinion of another without a Hujjah Mulzimah (A binding proof). That is like the ‘Aamiy taking the opinion of the Mujtahid or the Mujtahid taking the opinion of another Mujtahid