Baada ya kundi kuweka wazi vyanzo ambavyo kutokana navyo itapatikana Shari'a, ni lazima sasa lihamie katika kuelewa jinsi ya kuvitumia vyanzo hivyo na kuchukua hukumu kutoka kwao. Kwa maneno mengine, ni lazima lielekee katika kuelewa kanuni (qawaa'id) ambazo kwa kuzisoma mtu anaweza kutoa hukumu za sharia kutoka kwenye vyanzo vyake. Hakuna shaka kwamba mwanazuoni anapojishughulisha kuchukua hukumu ya Kishari'a, atakuwa na kanuni za Usul akilini mwake, ambazo juu yake anaijenga hukumu anayoichukua. Hakuna elimu isiyo na Usul, iwe imeandikwa au haijaandikwa.

After the group has established the sources from which it will obtain the Shar’a, it must move onto understanding how it should use and adopt from them. In other words, it must move towards understanding the principles (qawaa’id) by whose study one can make deduction of ahkaam from their sources. There is no doubt that when the scholar puts his mind to adopting a Shar’ee rule, he would have in his mind the principles of Usul on which he bases the hukm he adopts. There is no knowledge that does not have an Usul, whether that has been written or not.

Maandishi ya Shar'i yana 'aamm (ya jumla) na khaas (ya kipekee); mujmal (ya kijumla isiyofafanuliwa) na mufassal (ya kufafanuliwa); mutlaq (ya kujitegemea).

The Shar’ee texts contain the ‘aamm (general) and the khaas (specific); the mujmal (unelaborated) and the mufassal (elaborated); mutlaq (absolute)

na mutlaq (ya jumla) na muqayyad (yenye masharti); amri (maagizo) na nahi (makatazo); naasikh (kifutio) na mansukh (kilichofutwa); mafhumu l-muwaafaqah (maana inayokubaliana) na mafhumu l-mukhaalafah (maana inayopingana); mantuq (maana ya wazi ya matamshi), mafhum (maana iliyojificha) na ma'qul (sababu ya kiakili)

and the muqayyad (restricted); awamir (orders) and nawahi (prohibitions); the naasikh (abrogator) and the mansukh (abrogated); mafhum al-muwaafaqah (conformable meaning) and mafhum al-mukhaalafah (opposite meaning); the mantuq (wording), mafhum (implicit meaning) and ma’qul (rationale)

...wa kipengele cha khabar al-wahid (habari ya mtu mmoja), na wakati inapoweza kutumika kama dalili na wakati isipoweza kutumika kama dalili, pamoja na mambo mengine mengi zaidi ya haya. Kundi lazima lieleze kanuni yake ya kisheria, ziikubali, na kuziwasilisha kwa wengine.

of the text; the khabar al-wahid (solitary report) and when it can be used as proof and when it cannot be used as proof and many things besides these. The group must set out its juristic principle, adopt them, and present them to others.

Kanuni nyingi za Usul zilizotajwa zina mjadala, na inajulikana sana kwamba kila kanuni ina matawi mengi yanayotokana nayo. Kwa kuwa zina mjadala, ni lazima ziondolewe katika hali ya kuwa na mjadala. Hili hufanyika kwa kundi kuchukua kile linachokiona kuwa sahihi. Baada ya kupitishwa kwa kanuni za Usul, matawi huelewekwa kulingana na kanuni hizi.

Most of these principles of Usul that have been mentioned are disputed over. It is well known that each principle has many branches emanating from it. Since they are disputed, they must be taken away from being of disputed status. This is done by the group adopting what it views as correct. After the adoption of the principles of Usul, the branches are understood according to these principles.

Baada ya kupata elimu ya Usul na kanuni zake, kundi litakuwa limepata uwezo wa kuelewa Shari'a kutoka vyanzo vyake. Baada ya hapo halina chaguo jingine isipokuwa kufuata mbinu iliyowekwa na inayojulikana ya Ijtihaad. Hili ndilo litakalolitofautisha kundi na wengine. Hili ndilo kundi linapaswa kulipeleka kwa watu kwa kuwalea vijana wake (shabab) juu yake.

After gaining knowledge of the Usul and its principles, the group will have acquired the ability to understand the Shar’a from its sources. After that it has no option but to follow the fixed and known method of Ijtihaad. This is what must distinguish the group from others. This is what the group must take to the people by culturing its shabab with it.

Hili ndilo jambo la kwanza ambalo kundi lazima lijengwe juu yake.

This is the first thing that the group must be established upon.

Hakika, kazi ya Mujtahid ni kama kazi ya daktari. Jambo la kwanza analofanya ni kumsikiliza mgonjwa na kueleza hali yake.

Indeed, the work of the Mujtahid is like the work of the doctor. The first thing he does is to listen to the patient and describe his condition.

Kisha yeye hufanya utambuzi wa ugonjwa wa msingi, ambao mgonjwa analalamika juu yake, baada ya kujitenga na kuvurugwa na dalili za ugonjwa huo. Kisha hurejea kwenye elimu aliyoipata katika siku zake za masomo. Baadaye anaweza kupitia vitabu vinavyomsaidia kupanga matibabu. Baada ya hapo hutoa suluhisho, katika kesi hii dawa. Kwa maneno mengine, hurejea kwenye maandiko anapoeleza suluhisho.

Then he diagnoses the fundamental illness, which the patient complains of, after distancing himself from being distracted by the symptoms of the illness. Then he refers to the knowledge that he gained in his days of study. He may then review the books that help him to prescribe the treatment. After that he gives the solution, in this case the medicine. In other words, he goes to the texts in describing the solution.

Ikiwa kundi linalotaka mabadiliko na kuchukua jukumu la kuleta mabadiliko hayo ni kundi la Kiislamu, basi kazi yake ya kuleta mabadiliko lazima iwe ya Kiislamu. Mabadiliko hayo yanapaswa kujengwa juu ya ushahidi wa Shar'ee, si juu ya maoni binafsi, matamanio, maslahi yanayodhaniwa kwa mantiki, hali halisi au mazingira. Badala yake, ni Shari'a inayopaswa kuamua hukmu ya Shar'ee kwa kundi hilo. Upendo wa Uislamu au kujali hali ya Waislamu, peke yake, hakuwekei kundi kanuni yoyote. Maslahi ya Waislamu yanafafanuliwa na Shari'a, kwa sababu Shari'a ndiyo iliyofafanua maslahi ya Waislamu. Hapa inakuwa lazima kueleza kwa undani baadhi ya mambo yanayofafanua mtazamo wa Uislamu kuhusu maslahah (manufaa) na wakati manufaa yanapotambuliwa na Shari'a.

If the group that wants change and undertakes the responsibility of change is an Islamic group, its work for change must be Islamic. The change should be based on the Shar’ee evidence, and not on personal opinion, whims, rationally perceived interest, the reality or the circumstances. Rather, it must be the Shar’a that dictates the hukm Shar’ee to the group. The love of Islam or the concern for the circumstances of the Muslims, do not in themselves dictate any rules to the group. The interests of the Muslims are defined by the Shar’a, because the Shar’a defined the interests of the Muslims. Here, it becomes necessary to go into some details that clarify Islam’s viewpoint towards maslahah (the benefit) and when benefit is recognised by the Shar’a.