Kwa lugha, at-Taqleed ni kuweka jambo shingoni kwa kulizunguka kabisa. Kisha hutumiwa kwa maana ya kukabidhi au kumkabidhi mtu jambo, kana kwamba amelifunga jambo hilo shingoni mwake.

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.

Ni kama alivyosema mshairi:

It is like the poet said:

Walikabidhiwa jambo lako; mafanikio yako yanatokana na Allah, Mwingi wa ukarimu. Mkono, pamoja na jambo la vita.

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

Na maana ya At-Taqleed kwa mujibu wa Istilaah (istilahi ya kitaalamu):

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

Kwa mujibu wa maana yake ya kisheria (Shar'a), at-Taqleed ni kufanya kazi kulingana na maoni ya mtu mwingine bila ushahidi wa lazima (Hujjah Mulzimah). Mfano wake ni mtu wa kawaida ('Aamiy) kuchukua maoni ya Mujtahid, au Mujtahid kuchukua maoni ya Mujtahid mwingine.

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