{"id":132620,"date":"2024-12-23T22:37:16","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T03:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imam-us.org\/?page_id=132620"},"modified":"2024-12-23T22:43:47","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T03:43:47","slug":"what-is-taqlid","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/imam-us.org\/islamic-awareness\/islam-101\/what-is-taqlid","title":{"rendered":"What is Taqlid?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What is Taqlid?<\/h1>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n

What is Taqlid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As servants of God, we have particular duties that He expects of us. But how do we know what to do when we aren\u2019t in the presence of the prophets and the Imams (pbut)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have two essential options: 1. Researching to the point where we become experts capable of deriving scholarly opinions on religious matters; 2. Referring to those who have done such research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the maraji, any person who is not a mujtahid<\/em> (jurist of Islamic law) must either practice precaution (ihtiyat<\/em>) or follow a marja<\/em> (taqlid<\/em>) to ensure he\/she has correctly performed his deeds, whether worship, business transactions, or anything else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happens if one does not act in accordance with taqlid <\/em>or ijtihad<\/em>? In such cases, one\u2019s deeds cannot be considered sufficient so long as it is not known that they are in accordance with what is truly required by God or if they align with the edicts of the most knowledgeable jurist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Precaution, meanwhile, is both time-consuming and nearly impossible for non-jurists, as it requires knowing the potential Islamic rulings in every situation and observing the strictest interpretation. And even then, there are some issues where observing precaution is impossible to observe, so in those cases, one must perform taqlid<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It then follows that taqlid<\/em> is the most logical option for the vast majority of people. It should be noted that the minimum requirement for <\/strong>taqlid<\/em><\/strong> is simply having the resolve to act on a marja\u2019s edicts<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minimal requirement for taqlid<\/em> becomes relevant in cases of continuing to perform taqlid to a marja after his death; if one decided to follow a marja\u2019s<\/em> edicts but did not act upon them or even learn them before the marja\u2019<\/em>s death, one can still continue to perform taqlid to the marja<\/em> after his death, so long as that marja<\/em> is still considered to be the most knowledgeable (a\u2018lam<\/em>) jurist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we decide who to perform taqlid<\/em> to? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When there are differences of opinion among Islamic jurists, then one must identify the most knowledgeable from among them (a\u2018lam<\/em>) and perform taqlid<\/em> <\/em>to him specifically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sayyid Sistani explains<\/a> that the \u201cmost knowledgeable\u201d jurist is the one most capable of deriving Islamic legal rulings from their appropriate sources. That means he has the most comprehensive knowledge of the relevant texts and knows how to apply them the best, such that there is a greater chance that his edicts will be in accordance with sharia than will the edicts of other jurists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how do we find the a\u2018lam<\/em>?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the rulings of His Eminence, Sayyid al-Sistani, one can identify the most knowledgeable mujtahid<\/em> (Islamic jurist) to whom one must perform taqlid<\/em> by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Gaining certainty that someone is the most knowledgeable, though this only applies when the person himself is a mujtahid from among the teachers of advanced studies in the Islamic seminary and is thus able to distinguish between the levels of knowledge of mujtahid<\/em>s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The confirmation of two of the Ahl al-Khibra, or experts on this matter, who determine that a particular mujtahid<\/em> is the most learned. Even the testimony of one such expert (from Ahl al-Khibra) who is reliable (thiqa<\/em>) is sufficient for determining the most knowledgeable, so long as similarly knowledgeable and trustworthy experts do not contradict his statement. If such a contradiction occurs, one should accept the testimony of the one who is more of an expert such that there is a greater chance that he has truly identified the most knowledgeable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are the Ahl al-Khibra? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They are just (adil<\/em>) scholars who are mujtahid<\/em>s themselves or close to the level of ijtihad such that they can distinguish between the levels of expertise of mujtahid<\/em>s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can we identify the Ahl al-Khibra here in North America?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0You can come to know of the Ahl al-Khibra who are willing to identify the a\u2018lam<\/em> (most knowledgeable jurist) through reliable people of religion<\/a> who are connected to the hawza, and these reliable people of religion can be found in other countries (like in North America) as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what if one cannot ask those Ahl al-Khibra him\/herself? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If one does not have access to the Ahl al-Khibra in order to ask them who is the most knowledgeable, then one can rely upon the findings of another person who has asked Ahl al-Khibra<\/a> so long as one has confidence in his\/her ability to determine who are Ahl al-Khibra.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What goes into the Ahl al-Khibra\u2019s evaluation of the most knowledgeable jurist who is deserving of taqlid? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The factors that the Ahl al-Khibra consider<\/a> are:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n