- Kujua maeneo (Mawaadi') ya Aayaat za Ahkaam (hukumu) ili aweze kurejea kwayo kwa urahisi.

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

Maarifa ya Ahkaam zinazopatikana na kutolewa kutoka kwenye Aayaat na Asbaab An-Nuzool (mazingira au sababu za kushuka kwake).

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

Elimu ya Naasikh (kufuta hukumu) na Mansookh (hukumu iliyofutwa) kuhusiana na Aya Tukufu.

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

Al-Ijtihaad kilugha maana yake ni kutumia juhudi na kuchoka kwa uwezo kuhusu jambo au kazi fulani. Haitumiki isipokuwa kwa jambo lenye ndani yake juhudi. Inasemwa kwa mfano: Mtu alifanya Ijtihaad alipobeba jiwe zito la kusagia kwa mkono, lakini hakufanya Ijtihaad alipobeba manyoya.

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 katika Al-Istilaah (ufafanuzi wa kitaaluma):

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

Ni ubidii ya kutumia uwezo na juhudi zote za kutafuta Dhann (yaani jambo linalodhaniwa kuwa lenye uwezekano mkubwa zaidi) kuhusu suala katika Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah, pale ambapo Mujtahid anahisi kwamba hawezi tena kufanya juhudi zaidi (au kutumia nguvu zaidi).

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).

Maana yake ni kwamba Mujtahid hutumia juhudi zake za kiakili kuchambua hukumu za kivitendo za Shariah (Ahkaam Ash-Shar'iyah) kutoka kwenye dalili zake za kina, pale anapohisi kwamba hana uwezo wa kupata na kuleta chochote kilicho sahihi zaidi au kilicho bora zaidi kuliko kile alichofikia (yaani alichohitimisha na kukitoa kwa dalili).

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).

Ijtihad hutokea kuhusiana na Nusus (matini), ambazo dalili zake ni Zhanniyah (zisizo na uhakika). Yaani zile matini zenye uwezekano wa kubeba zaidi ya maana moja. Mfano wa hilo ni Aya hii:

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:

Au Qawl Yake (SWT):

Or His Qawl (swt):

Neno "Lams" (kugusa) lina maana mbili zinazowezekana: kugusa kwa mkono na kujamiiana. Vivyo hivyo, neno "Al-Quroo" lina maana mbili zinazowezekana: moja ni usafi (twahara) na nyingine ni hedhi. Kuchagua maana moja juu ya nyingine ni Ijtihaad, na maoni yaliyo na nguvu zaidi (Raajih) ni yenye dhana (Zhanniy), yaani yasiyo na uhakika kamili. Mujtahid basi huona kwamba maoni yake ni sahihi, ingawa yapo uwezekano wa kukosea. Yeye huona maoni ya wengine kuwa si sahihi, lakini kwa uwezekano wa kuwa sahihi.

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.

Kuhusu matini zenye Qat'iyah Dalaalah (maana iliyo wazi na yenye uhakika), yaani zile ambazo hazina nafasi ya kueleweka kwa maana nyingine isipokuwa ile ambayo maneno ya matini yameiongoza, basi kwa matini zinazoangukia katika kundi hili hakuna nafasi ya kufanya Ijtihaad juu yake. Kuhusu jambo hili imesemwa: 'Laa Ijtihaad Fee Mawrid An-Nass' (Hakuna Ijtihaad mahali pa matini, yaani kwa kile kilichotajwa kwa namna ya wazi isiyo na nafasi ya tafsiri).

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).

Uislamu umehimiza kufanya Ijtihaad, na umetoa thawabu mbili (Ajr) kwa yule anayefanya Ijtihaad na akawa sahihi, huku umemtolea yule anayefanya Ijtihaad na akawa amekosea (kwa maoni yake) thawabu moja. Maswahaba (rah) wakati wa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ walikuwa wakifanya Ijtihaad, na Mtume wa Allah ﷺ aliikubali hiyo. Waislamu waliokuja baada yao waliendelea katika njia na mbinu hiyo hiyo, na Maulamaa na Mafakihi wa Waislamu wametuachia hazina kubwa ya Ijtihaad zao, wakijaza maktaba kwa kazi zao zilizoandikwa.

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.

Ili mujtahid awe na sifa na uwezo wa kufanya Ijtihaad, ni lazima masharti ya Ijtihaad yafuatayo yatimizwe na kukamilika ndani yake:

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:

Hii inamaanisha kwamba Mujtahid ana kiwango kinachofaa na cha kutosha cha elimu ya lugha ya Kiarabu, kama vile elimu ya Nahw, elimu ya Balaaghah, na Fiqh ya lugha. Hii ni ili aweze kutofautisha kati ya Dalaalaat (dalili na maana zinazofuatana) za Alfaazh, kama vile Dalaalat ul-‘Ibaarah na Dalaalat ul-Ishaarah, Al-Haqeeqah na Al-Majaaz, Al-‘Aamm na Al-Khaass, Al-Muqayyad na Al-Mutlaq, Al-Mushtarak, Al-Mantooq na Al-Mafhoom… Hii haimaanishi kwamba yeye anapaswa kuwa msomi na Mujtahid wa lugha, bali tu kwamba amepewa kila kitu anachohitaji ili kuelewa maandiko ya Kishari'ah kama yalivyokuja kwa lugha ya Kiarabu katika mtindo (Usloob) wake na misemo yenye maneno (Alfaazh) yake.

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).

Hizi ni: Al-Kitaab, As-Sunnah, Al-Ijmaa’ na Al-Qiyaas miongoni mwa nyingine. Lengo la kuwa na ujuzi wa Adillah (dalili) hizi halimaanishi kuzijua kila maelezo na maana zilizomo, au kuzikariri zote. Badala yake, lengo la ujuzi huu ni lifuatalo:

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:

- Kujua Sahihi (sahihi) yake na Dhaifu (dhaifu) yake.

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

Ili kujua viwango vyake vya nguvu: Al-Mutawaatir, Al-Mash'hoor na Al-Aahaad.

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

- Maarifa ya maana za Hadith na sababu za kuzitaja.

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

Elimu ya Naasikh na Mansookh kuhusiana nao.

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

- Ujuzi wa ufafanuzi wa Hadithi kuhusu Aya, yaani uhusiano wa Hadithi na Qur'ani kutokana na mtazamo wa kuonyesha Hukmu

- 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

Baada ya Mujtahid kubainisha aina ya Ijmaa' (makubaliano ya wanazuoni) ambayo atayategemea katika Ijtihaad yake, yaani kama ni Ijmaa' ya Maswahaba, Ijmaa' ya Ummah, Ijmaa' ya Mujtahidina au nyinginezo, basi ni lazima ajue sehemu au mazingira (Mawaadi') ya Ijmaa' hiyo, ili aweze kuyafahamu kikamilifu na kisha asiipinge katika Masuala (mambo) ambayo anafanya Ijtihaad ndani yake.

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.

Elimu ya ‘Illah, aina zake, masharti yake, na namna ya kuunganisha Far‘u (tawi) na Hukmu ya Asl (asili) kwa sababu ya kuwepo kwa ‘Illah ya pamoja kati yao

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

Mujtahidi anahitaji kujua kanuni (Qawaa’id) za Usool ul-Fiqh ili aweze kupata hukumu za kiutendaji za Sharia (Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah) kutoka kwenye dalili zake za kina kupitia kanuni hizo. Kwa mfano, kanuni: (Uzito au kuzingatiwa kwa jambo kuko katika ujumla wa maneno na si katika ukomo wa sababu), au kanuni: (Kile ambacho Waajib haikamiliki bila hicho, nacho ni Waajib), na kanuni: (Kutumia dalili mbili pamoja ni bora au kunafaa zaidi kuliko kuacha moja kati yake), pamoja na kanuni mahususi zinazohusu wakati dalili zinaonekana kugongana na kuna haja ya kuzipima na kurejesha moja juu ya nyingine (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)