Al-Ijtihaad ni Fard ‘Ala-l-Kifaayah (wajibu wa kifaya), na kwa hiyo haijuzu kwa kipindi au zama yoyote kuwa bila Mujtahid mwenye uwezo wa kuchambua Ahkaam Shar’iyah kwa masuala (Masaa’il) na hali halisi zinazojitokeza. Pale kunapokuwepo Mujtahid mmoja au zaidi katika kipindi au zama yoyote, dhambi huwaondokea Waislamu wa wakati huo. Hii ni kwa sababu hali mpya za maisha zinajitokeza kila wakati, na zinahitaji Ahkaam Shar’iyah zinazofafanua msimamo wa Waislamu kuhusiana nazo. Haiwezekani kutekeleza Hukm ya Allah juu yake isipokuwa Hukm ya Allah kuhusiana nayo ikijulikana, jambo linalowalazimu Waislamu kupata elimu ya Hukm hii kutoka kwenye nusu za Shar’iyah. Baadhi ya nusu hizi zimekuja kwa namna iliyo wazi na dhahiri ambazo hazihitaji Ijtihaad kufanywa, lakini nyingine zinahitaji uchunguzi na Ijtihaad ili kuchambua Hukm kutoka kwake. Kwa mfano, Aayaat za Mawaareeth (mirathi) zimekuja zikitoa maelezo ya Ahkaam, hata hivyo baadhi ya Ahkaam Al-Juz’iyah (hukumu za sehemu au matawi) ndani ya eneo hili zinahitaji ufahamu na juhudi ili kuchambua au kutoa hukumu ya suala hilo, kama vile Mas’alah (suala) la Al-Kalaalah. Hii ni kwa sababu Abu Bakr (ra) aliulizwa kuhusu Al-Kalaalah kama ilivyotajwa katika Qawl ya Allah (swt):

Al-Ijtihaad is Fard ‘Ala-l-Kifaayah (An obligation of sufficiency) and consequently it is not permissible for a time period or era to be free of a Mujtahid who is capable of deducing Ahkaam Shar’iyah for the issues (Masaa’il) and realities that newly arise. With the existence of a Mujtahid or more than one, in any given time period or era, the sin falls from the Muslims in that time. That is because new realities of life continuously arise and they require Ahkaam Shar’iyah that make clear what the position of the Muslims towards them should be. It is not possible to apply the Hukm of Allah upon them unless the Hukm of Allah in relation to them is known which makes it necessary for the Muslims to acquire knowledge of this Hukm from the Shar’iyah texts. Some of these texts have come in a clear and manifest manner which do not require Ijtihaad to be undertaken however others require examination and Ijtihaad in order to deduce the Hukm from them. For example, the Aayaat of the Mawaareeth (the inheritances) came providing detail for the Ahkaam however some of the Ahkaam Al-Juz’iyah (partial or branch rulings) within this area require understanding and effort to deduce or extract the ruling for the issue, like the Mas’alah (issue) of Al-Kalaalah for instance. That is because Abu Bakr (ra) was asked about Al-Kalaalah as mentioned in the Qawl of Allah (swt):

Na yeye (ra) alisema: “Nitasema kuhusu Al-Kalaalah kile ambacho ni maoni yangu. Ikiwa ni sahihi, basi ni kutoka kwa Allah, na ikiwa si sahihi, basi ni kutoka kwangu mimi na kutoka kwa Shaytaan. Al-Kalaalah: Ni yule asiye na baba (wa aina yoyote) wala mwana (wa aina yoyote)” (yaani, asiye na mababu wala wazao).

And he (ra) said: “I will say in respect to Al-Kalaalah that which is my opinion. If it is correct, it is from Allah and if it is wrong, then it is from me and from the Shaytaan. Al-Kalaalah: The one who has no father(s) or son(s)” (i.e. no ascendants nor descendants).

Wajibu wa kuhukumu na kutawala kwa yale aliyoteremsha Allah (swt) unawawajibisha Waislamu kuchukua Ahkaam kutoka kwenye Nusoos (matini) hizi, na hivyo Al-Ijtihaad ni Fard kwa wale wenye uwezo katika kila zama na wakati, yaani ni Fard Kifaayah (wajibu wa kutosheleza). Iwapo baadhi watajitolea kuitekeleza na kuitimiza, wajibu huo utawaondokea wengine. Hili ni kwa mujibu wa kanuni hii:

The obligation to judge and rule by what Allah (swt) has revealed upon the Muslims demands from them that they derive the Ahkaam from these Nusoos (texts) and as such Al-Ijtihaad is Fard upon those capable in every era and time i.e. it is a Fard Kifaayah (obligation of sufficiency). If some were to undertake and fulfil it then the obligation would fall from the rest. This is from the angle of the principle:

Hiyo ni kwa sababu kurejea kwa yale ambayo Allah (SWT) ameteremsha kwa ajili ya hukumu haiwezi kutimizwa katika kila suala isipokuwa kwa Ijtihaad. Hakika, Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliwahimiza kufanya Al-Ijtihaad alipossema:

That is because referring to what Allah (swt) has revealed for judgment cannot be accomplished in every issue except by Ijtihaad. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (saw) encouraged the undertaking of Al-Ijtihaad when he said:

Na hili linaangaziwa katika kile alichosema Mtume wa Allah ﷺ kwa Mu’aadh Bin Jabal (ra) alipomtuma kuwa qadhi huko Yemen:

And this is highlighted in what the Messenger of Allah (saw) said to Mu’aadh Bin Jabal (ra) when he sent him to be a judge in Yemen:

Maswahaba (ra) walikuwa wakifanya Ijtihaad wakati wa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ, naye alikubali kazi yao ya Ijtihaad, akiwaarifu kwamba yule anayefanya Ijtihaad sahihi atapata thawabu mbili, huku yule anayekosea atapata thawabu moja.

The Sahaabah (rah) were therefore performing Ijtihaad at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) and he approved of their performance of Ijtihaad, informing them that the one who makes the correct Ijtihaad will attain two rewards whilst the one who makes an error will attain one reward.

Ikiwa Mujtahid anafikia Hukmu ya Shari'a kupitia Ijtihaad yake, basi hiyo ni Hukmu ya Allah kwa upande wake (Fee Haqqihi), na haijuzu kwake kuacha Ijtihaad yake na kutenda kinyume na Ijtihaad hii isipokuwa katika mojawapo ya hali zifuatazo:

If the Mujtahid arrives through his Ijtihaad to a Hukm Shar’iy, then it is the Hukm of Allah in respect to him (Fee Haqqihi) and it is not permissible for him to abandon his Ijtihaad and act contrary to this Ijtihaad except in one of the following circumstances:

A – Ikiwa Imamu wa Waislamu (Al-Khalifah) atapitisha Hukmu ya Shar'i katika suala ambalo ni tofauti na hukumu yake mwenyewe, basi ni lazima afuate maoni ya Imamu. Wakati wa Ukhalifa wa Abu Bakr, yeye (ra) aligawanya matumizi kwa Waislamu sawasawa bila tofauti wala upendeleo, ilhali 'Umar (ra) aliona kwamba utangulizi katika Uislamu unapaswa kuzingatiwa. Hata hivyo, 'Umar (ra) aliacha Ijtihaad yake katika zama za Abu Bakr (ra) na kupitisha msimamo wa Khalifah. Kisha katika wakati wa Ukhalifa wake, aliitumia Ijtihaad yake mwenyewe.

A – If the Imaam of the Muslims (Al-Khalifah) adopts a Hukm Shar’iy in an issue that is different to his Hukm, then he must follow the opinion of the Imaam. In the time of Abu Bakr’s Khilafah, he (ra) would divide the expenditures upon the Muslims equally without differentiation or preference whilst ‘Umar (ra) viewed that precedence in Islaam should be taken into consideration. However, ‘Umar (ra) abandoned his Ijtihaad in the era of Abu Bakr (ra) and adopted the adoption of the Khalifah. Then in the time of his Khilafah he applied his own Ijtihaad.

Kanuni ya Kisharia inasema: (Amri ya Imamu huondoa mzozo au tofauti), na nyingine inasema: (Amri ya Imamu hutekelezwa hadharani na kwa siri). Hii ina maana kwamba ni wajibu kufuata uteuzi wa Khalifah hadharani na kwa siri.

The Qaa’idah Ash-Shar’iyah states: ( Thecommand of the Imaam removes the dispute or difference) and ِِanother states: (The command of the Imaam is implemented openly and inwardly). This means that it is an obligation to follow the adoption of the Khalifah openly and secretly.

B – Ikiwa kuacha Ijtihaad yake kulisababisha kuhifadhiwa kwa umoja wa Waislamu, kama alivyofanya ‘Uthmaan (ra) alipopewa Bai’ah ya Khilafah katika hali ambayo alikubali kutenda kwa mujibu wa Kitabu cha Allah, Sunnah ya Mtume Wake, na kufuata Ijtihaadaat za Makhalifa wawili waliomtangulia; Abu Bakr na ‘Umar (rah). Hiyo ilitokana na Waislamu kuweka sharti na kufanya kuwa masharti kwa yule waliyetaka kumpa kiapo cha utii kwamba atafuata mwenendo wa Makhalifa hao wawili waliotangulia kuhusiana na 569

B – If by abandoning his Ijtihaad it led to the preservation of the unity of the Muslims like what ‘Uthmaan (ra) did when he was given the Bai’ah for the Khilafah in the case where he agreed to act in accordance to the Kitaab of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger and to follow the Ijtihaadaat of the two former Khalifahs; Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (rah). That was because the Muslims stipulated and made conditional upon the one they wanted to pledge allegiance to that he would follow the path of the two former Khaleefahs in respect to the 569

Wengi wa wanazuoni wameona kuwa haijuzu kugawanya ijtihadi, hivyo si halali kwa mujtahid kufanya ijtihadi katika Al-Mu'aamalaat (miamala ya kijamii) kisha kufanya taqlidi (kuiga na kufuata) katika Al-'Ibaadaat (ibada). Hiyo ni kwa sababu ijtihadi na taqlidi ni maana mbili zinazopingana ambazo hazikutani wala hazikusanyiki ndani ya mtu mmoja.

The majority of the ‘Ulamaa have viewed that it is impermissible to partition Ijtihaad and so it is not permissible for the Mujtahid to make Ijtihaad in Al-Mu’aamalaat (societal transactions) and make Taqleed (imitation and following) in Al-‘Ibaadaat (acts of worship). That is because Ijtihaad and Taqleed are two opposing meanings that do not meet or come together within a single person.

Baadhi ya Malikiyyah na baadhi ya Hanabilah, pamoja na Dhahiriyyah, walisema kwamba Ijtihadi inaweza kugawanywa. Kwa hiyo, yule ambaye ana elimu ya fani za lugha au taaluma za elimu, na elimu ya maeneo ya Shari'ah inayotosha kumwezesha kutoa hukumu ya suala fulani (Mas'alah), basi afanye Ijtihadi katika suala hilo, na amfuate mwingine (Taqlid) katika mengine yasiyo hayo.

Some of the Maalikiyah and some of the Hanaabalah in addition to the Zhaahiriyah said that Ijtihaad can be partitioned. Consequently, the one who has knowledge of the linguistic areas or disciplines of knowledge and Shar’iyah areas sufficient for him to derive the Hukm of a particular Mas’alah (issue), then he should make Ijtihaad in that and make Taqleed to others in other than that.

Maimamu (Maimam) wengi walikuwa wakijibu maswali kwa kusema: 'Sijui' (Laa Adriy) pale walipokuwa hawajui jibu, kama ilivyopokewa kutoka kwa Al-Imaam Maalik na Al-Imaam Ash-Shaafi'iy, miongoni mwa wengineo.

Many of the A’immah (Imaams) used to respond to questions by saying: ‘I don’t know’ (Laa Adriy) if they did not know the answer as has been reported from Al-Imaam Maalik and Al-Imaam Ash-Shaafi’iy amongst others.

Kwa hiyo, kugawanya ijtihadi ni jambo linaloruhusiwa kwa mujibu wa Shariah.

Therefore, partitioning the Ijtihaad is permissible in accordance to the Shar’a.

Ijtihaad hufanyika kuhusiana na Nusoos zilizo na Dalaalah ya Zhanniy (ya kudhania au ya kukisia). Kwa upande wa maandiko yaliyo na Dalaalah ya Qat'iy (ya hakika isiyo na shaka), basi hairuhusiwi kufanya Ijtihaad kuhusiana nayo.

Ijtihaad takes place in respect to the Nusoos that contain a Zhanniy (speculative) Dalaalah (indication or implication). As for the texts which contain a Qat’iy (definite) Dalaalah (implied meaning), then it is not permitted to undertake Ijtihaad in respect to them.

Pia Ijtihaad inahusiana na kupata Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah za kivitendo, na haifanyiki kuhusu Aqaa'id (imani). Hii ni kwa sababu ni wajibu kwa Aqeedah kuwa Yaqeeniy (ya uhakika na dhahiri), yaani Qat'iy Ath-Thuboot na Qat'iy Ad-Dalaalah (dhahiri katika upokezi na maana). Kwa hiyo hakuna nafasi ya kufanya Ijtihaad kuhusu hilo, kwa kuwa ni haramu kuchukua Aqeedah kwa njia ya Zhann (dhana au kitu kisicho na uhakika). Allah (SWT) anasema:

Also, Ijtihaad relates to deriving the practical Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah and does not take place in respect to the Aqaa’id (beliefs). That is because it is obligatory for the Aqeedah to be Yaqeeniy (certain and definite) i.e. Qat’iy Ath-Thuboot and Qat’iy Ad-Dalaalah (Definite in transmission and meaning). There is therefore no place for Ijtihaad to be undertaken in respect to it as it is prohibited for the Aqeedah to be taken by way of Zhann (speculation or that which is indefinite). Allah (swt) says: