Ijtihad (ئؾطٙحد) so'zi jahada ildizidan olingan. Lug'aviy ma'noda u har qanday ishda tirishqoqlik yoki o'z kuchini sarflashni anglatadi, bu esa ma'lum darajada mashaqqatni o'z ichiga oladi. Usul ulamolari, jumladan Abu al-Husayn Ali, boshqacha nomi bilan Al-Amidiy (vafoti 631 hijriy), va Muhammad ibn Ali Ash-Shavkoniy (vafoti 1255 hijriy) uni quyidagicha ta'rif berganlar: „faqihning shariat hukmlarini ularning manbalardagi batafsil dalillaridan taxminiy ehtimol bilan chiqarish uchun sarflagan barcha kuch-g'ayratidir.‟27

Ijtihad (ئؾطٙحد ) is derived from the root word Jahada. Linguistically, it means striving or self-exertion in any activity, which entails a measure of hardship. The great scholars of Usul such as Abu al-Husayn Ali otherwise known as Al-Amidi (d. 631 AH) and Mohammad bin Ali Al-Shawkani (d. 1255 AH) defined it as, „the total expenditure of effort made by a jurist in order to infer, with a degree of probability, the rules of Shariah from their detailed evidence in the sources.‟27

Boshqalar bu ta'rifga yana bir qismni qo'shadilar: „mujtahid bundan ortiq harakat qila olmaydigan darajada‟. Mohiyatan, fiqhiy atama sifatida ijtihod — biror masalani chuqur o'rganish va uning yechimini Shariat manbalaridan izlashda barcha kuch-g'ayratni sarflashni anglatadi.

Others add, „in a manner the Mujtahid feels unable to exert any more effort‟ to this definition. Essentially as a juristic term, Ijtihad means exhausting all of one‟s efforts in studying a problem thoroughly and seeking a solution for it from the sources of Shari‟ah.

Ushbu usuliy ijtihod ta'rifi ijtihodning vujubini isbotlovchi va uni ta'kidlovchi dalillardan, jumladan yuqorida zikr qilingan hadislardan kelib chiqqan. Afsuski, bugungi kunda ba'zilar ijtihodni shaxsning oddiy shaxsiy fikrlashi deb hisoblaydilar va usul olimlarining asrlar davomida qaror topgan bu ta'rifini tark etdilar. Buning natijasida odamlar Islomda zamonaviy muammolar uchun hukm chiqarish jarayoni mavjud emas, deb noto'g'ri o'ylaydilar. Shuning uchun ijtihod haqida gapirganda, bugun bu atama noto'g'ri ishlatilayotgan ma'noga emas, balki usul olimlarining belgilangan ta'rifiga murojaat qilish juda muhimdir.

This Usuli definition of Ijtihad was derived from the evidences which discuss Ijtihad and establish its obligation such as the Ahadith mentioned earlier. Unfortunately some today believe that Ijtihad is a mere personal reasoning of an individual and have abandoned this definition of the Usuli scholars which had been established for centuries. The consequence of this is that people mistakenly think that Islam doesn‟t contain a process to derive rules for modern problems. Therefore, when talking about Ijtihad it is paramount that we refer to the established Usuli definition rather than how the term is misused today.

Ijtihad qiluvchi shaxs mujtahid deyiladi; shariat hukmlarini batafsil biladigan, lekin ularni to‘g‘ridan-to‘g‘ri manbalaridan chiqara olmaydigan shaxs esa mujtahid emas, balki faqih (huquqshunos), mufti yoki qozi (sudya) hisoblanadi.

A person who performs Ijtihad is a Mujtahid; whereas, a person who knows the rules of Shari‟ah in detail, but is unable to extract the rules directly from their sources, is not a Mujtahid but rather a Faqih (jurist), Mufti or a Qadi (judge).

Qur'on va Sunnatning qat'iy (aniq) ma'noli matnlari faqat bitta tushunchani beradi. Bunday matnlarga qilingan har qanday ijtihod faqat bitta ma'noni beradi. Ribo yoki qotillik kabi masalalarga oid matnlar bu narsalarning harom ekanini aniq bayon qiladi. Hech bir mujtahid ribo yoki qotillikning halol ekanligini da'vo qila olmaydi, chunki matn faqat bitta ma'noni beradi. Qat'iy subut va qat'iy dalolat bilan sobit bo'lgan bu hukmlarni yoki boshqa hukmlarni inkor etish kufr hisoblanadi, chunki bu Alloh (SWT) tomonidan nozil qilingan aniq hukmni rad etishdir. Shuning uchun besh vaqt namozning farz ekanini yoki Alloh nozil qilgan narsa bilan hukm qilish vojib ekanini inkor etgan kishilar, garchi Qur'onning hammasini va barcha hadislarni yod olgan bilimli ulamo bo'lsalar ham, shubhasiz kofirga aylanadilar.

The text of the Qur‟an and Sunnah which are Qata‟i (conclusive) in meaning provide only one understanding. Any Ijtihad on these types of text will render only one meaning. The texts related to issues such as Riba or murder, are clear in their prohibition of these things. No Mujtahid can claim that Riba or murder is allowed, because the text only offers one meaning. To reject these Ahkam or any others established through Qata‟i Thuboot and Qata‟i Dalalah is Kufr (disbelief) as it would be a rejection of the definitive revealed rule from Allah (swt). Thus those who reject that the five times daily prayer (Salah) are Fara‟id (obligations) or that ruling by whatever Allah is revealed is obligatory undoubtedly become Kuffar (disbelievers) even if they were knowledgeable scholars (Ulema) who had committed the entire Qur‟an and all the Ahadith (narrations) to memory.

Ijtihad faqat dalili zanniy (gumonli) bo'lgan shar'iy hukmlarda bo'ladi, dalili qat'iy (aniq) bo'lgan hukmlarda esa bo'lmaydi.28

Ijtihad does not occur except in the Ahkam Shar‟iah whose daleel is speculative (Dhanni) and not when the rule is decisive (Qata‟i).28

Ijtihad ruxsat etilgan sohaga kelsak, shuni anglash muhimki, ijtihad Shar'iy matnlarga bir qarashdan keyin yuz bermaydi; aksincha, mujtahid shunday tirishqoqlik bilan harakat qiladiki, faqih Allohning hukmini chiqarish uchun o'zini undan ortiq zo'riqtira olmasligini his qiladi. Agar faqih topishga qodir bo'lgan dalilni topa olmagan bo'lsa, uning fikri haqiqiy emas.29

When it comes to the area in which Ijtihad is permitted it is important to realise that it does not occur after a brief look at the Shar‟iah texts, rather it means that the Mujtahid struggles to his utmost in such a manner that the jurist feels an inability to exert himself further in order to derive the Hukm of Allah. If the jurist has failed to discover the evidence which he was capable of discovering, his opinion is void.29

Shunga ko'ra, agar kimdir biror masala bo'yicha faqat unga oid bitta matnni o'rganib, mavjud bo'lsa-da, boshqa tegishli barcha matnlarni e'tiborsiz qoldirgan holda ijtihod qilganini da'vo qilsa, bu to'g'ri ijtihod hisoblanmaydi.

Therefore if one claimed to have made Ijtihad upon an issue after only studying one text related to it and ignored all other relevant texts even though they were readily available, this would not be considered legitimate Ijtihad.

ʻAqidaga oid masalalar qat'iy dalillarga (Adilla Qat'iyya) asoslangan bo'lib, ularni tushunishning yagona to'g'ri shakli bor, bir necha xil emas. Shu sababli hech bir mujtahid Islomning boshqa ʻaqidasini chiqarib keltira olmaydi. Bu masalalarda yagona to'g'ri qarash mavjud va undan farq qilgan har kim kofirdir. Shavkoniy bayon qilganidek, ulamolar ittifoq qilganki, ʻaqidaning asosiy masalalarida, masalan, Allohning yagonaligi (tavhid), Uning sifatlari, Muhammad ﷺ ning payg'ambarligining haqiqati, oxirat va boshqalarda faqat bitta haqiqat bor, va bu masalalarda boshqacha qarash bildirgan kishi, mujtahid bo'lsin yoki bo'lmasin, avtomatik ravishda Islomdan chiqadi.30

The issues related to the „Aqeedah are based on Adilla Qata‟iya (decisive evidences) and there is only one correct understanding for it, not several. Thus, no Mujtahid can deduce another „Aqeedah of Islam. There is only one correct view with regards to these matters and anyone who differs from it is a Kafir. As Shawkani explained, the Ulema are in agreement that in regard to the essentials of Aqeeda, such as the oneness of Allah (tawhid), His attributes, the truth of the Prophethood of Muhammad, the hereafter, and so on, there is only one truth and anyone, whether a mujtahid or otherwise, who takes a different view automatically renounces Islam.30

Shu sababli, Mirza G'ulom Ahmad Qodiyoniy izdoshlari, ya'ni u payg'ambar bo'lgan deb e'tiqod qiladiganlar, hamda Muhammad ﷺ ga tuhmat qilgan Salmon Rushdi kabi kishilar, albatta, kofirlardir va ularni umuman mujtahid deb atab bo'lmaydi.

Therefore people such as the followers of Mirza Gulam Ahmad Qadian who believe he was a prophet and Salman Rushdie who defamed Muhammad (saw) are definitely Kuffar (disbelievers) and cannot be called Mujtahids at all.

Qur'on oyatlarining ko'pidan shu narsa ma'lum bo'ladiki, Alloh (swt) insoniyatga bevosita murojaat qilgan. Shuning uchun Shar'ni Qonun chiqaruvchining (Alloh) xitobini eshitgan kishi unga iymon keltirishi va uni tushunishi vojib bo'ladi. Shuningdek, bu Shar'iy hukm bo'lgani uchun unga amal qilish ham vojib bo'ladi. Demak, asosan, musulmon Alloh (swt)ning hukmini Qonun chiqaruvchining xitobidan bevosita tushunishi kerak. Chunki bu xitob Qonun chiqaruvchi tomonidan barcha odamlarga, faqat mujtahidlarga yoki ulamolargagina emas, balki barcha mukallaf kishilarga qaratilgan. Shunday ekan, mukallaf kishilarga bu xitobni tushunish farz bo'ldi, chunki xitobni tushunmasdan turib unga amal qilish mumkin emas. Shuning uchun Allohning hukmini istinbot qilish barcha mukallaf kishilarga farz bo'ldi, ya'ni ijtihod barcha mukallaflarga farz bo'ldi. Natijada, mukallafning asosi shu bo'lishi kerakki, u xitob qilinganligi sababli Qonun chiqaruvchining xitobidan Allohning hukmini o'zi qabul qilsin.

From multiple verses of the Qur‟an we understand that Allah (swt) has addressed humanity directly. Therefore for the one who has heard the address of the Legislator, Allah (swt) - it becomes incumbent on him to believe in it and understand it. It also becomes incumbent on him to act upon it, because it is a Shar‟iah rule. So in principle a Muslim should understand the Hukm (rule) of Allah from the speech of the Legislator directly. This is because the speech has been directed at all people by the Legislator and not only at the Mujtahidin or the Ulema but all the Mukallafin (those who are legally responsible). Thus it became an obligation on the Mukallafin to understand this speech so as to be able to act upon it, since it is impossible to act upon the speech without comprehending it. Therefore, the inference (Istinbat) of Allah's Hukm became Fard on all the Mukallifin i.e. Ijtihad became Fard on all the Mukallafin (legally responsible). Consequently, the basis of a Mukallaf (legally responsible) should be that he adopts the Hukm of Allah himself from the speech of the Legislator because he has been addressed by this speech.

Biroq, mukallaflarning (shar'iy javobgar shaxslarning) haqiqati shundaki, ularning tushunish va idrok qilish qobiliyatida, o'qish layoqatida tafovut bor. Ular bilim va bilimsizlik jihatidan ham farqlanadi. Shuning uchun ularning hammasi dalillardan shar'iy hukmlarni chiqarishi mumkin emas, ya'ni barcha mukallaflarning mujtahid bo'lishi imkonsiz. Bu jihatdan boshqa fanlarga o'xshashlik bor: odamlarning o'qish layoqatidagi tafovut tufayli hamma ham shifokor, fizik yoki kimyogar bo'la olmaydi. Shu sababli ijtihod qilish majburiyati kifoya qilish (fard al-kifoya) tarzidagi majburiyatga aylanadi. Agar bir guruh uni bajarsa, qolganlar gunohdan xalos bo'ladi. Shunday ekan, ummat ichida barcha holatlar uchun shariat hukmlarini chiqara oladigan mujtahidlar mavjud bo'lishi vojib bo'ldi. Bundan tashqari, taqlid (mujtahidning fikrlariga ergashish) ning joiz ekanligini isbotlovchi turli dalillar bor, ular „Taqlid" nomli bobda batafsil bayon etilgan.

However, the reality of the Mukallifin (legally responsible) is that there is a disparity in their understanding and comprehension and in their aptitude for learning. They also differ in terms of knowledge and ignorance. Therefore, it is impossible for all of them to deduce Shar‟ai rules from the evidences i.e. it is impossible for all Mukallafin to be Mujtahidin. There is a similarity in this respect to other sciences, not everyone can become a doctor, physicist or chemist due to the disparity of people‟s aptitude for learning. Hence the obligation of Ijtihad becomes one of sufficiency ('ala al-Kifaya). If some undertake it the rest are absolved of the sin. Therefore, it became obligatory for Mujtahidin to exist in the Ummah who can derive the Shar‟iah rules for all situations. Futhermore there are various evidences that prove the permissibility of Taqleed (following the opinions of a Mujtahid), these are elaborated in the chapter entitled „Taqleed‟.

Ijtihadning eshiklari yopilgan, deyish mutlaqo noto'g'ri bo'lib, bu tarixda ba'zi ulamolar xato tarzda da'vat qilgan jiddiy xatodir va Shariat bilan aniq ziddiyatga boradi. Shariat matnlari bugun ham o'tmishdagidek mavjud, shuning uchun ijtihad nafaqat mumkin, balki zarurdir va fard al-kifoya (kifoya farzi) hisoblanadi, buni biz oldin isbotlab o'tdik.

To say that the doors of Ijtihad are closed is completely incorrect, this was a serious error that some Ulema mistakenly called for in history and clearly contradicts the Shar‟iah. The Shar‟iah texts exist today as they existed in the past, therefore Ijtihad is not only possible, it is necessary and a Fard ul Kifaya (duty of sufficiency), as was proven earlier.

Shavkoniy buni ajoyib tarzda ifodalagan: «Olloh taolo ilm va ijtihod qobiliyatini o‘tgan avlod ulamolariga ato etgan, ammo keyingi avlodlarga bermagan, deyish mutlaqo bema’nilikdir.» «Taqlid tarafdorlari bizga shuni aytmoqdalarki, biz qo‘limizda hidoyat turganda ham Qur’on va Sunnatni boshqa odamlarning so‘zlari orqali bilishimiz kerak. Hamdu sano Allohga, bu eng katta buhton (buhtanun 'azim) bo‘lib, uni oqlaydigan hech qanday asos dunyoda yo‘q.»31

Shawkani articulated this brilliantly when he said: “It is utter nonsense to say that Allah Almighty bestowed the capacity for knowledge and Ijtihad on the bygone generations of Ulema but denied it to the later generations.” “What the proponents of Taqlid are saying to us is that we must know the Qur‟an and the Sunnah through the words of other men while we still have the guidance in our hands. Praise be to Allah, this is the greatest lie (Buhtanun 'azim) and there is no reason in the world to vindicate it.”31

Ijtihad eshiklari ochiq, lekin johillar uchun emas. Ular qiyomatgacha ijtihod qila oladigan qobiliyatga ega bo‘lgan ilm ahllari uchun ochiqdir, chunki ilm ijtihod eshigining kalitidir.

The doors of Ijtihad are open but not for the ignorant, they are open until the day of judgement for the people of knowledge who have the capability to perform it as knowledge is the key to the door of Ijtihad.