The Condition of the Questioner and the Condition of the Muftī
Yesterday I wrote an article entitled Taqlīd (Following a Madhhab), which Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent as well as in Europe and America found very beneficial. Some friends even expressed their intention to publish it separately. Al-ḥamdu lillāh for that.
In this connection, the insightful scholar Mawlānā Muḥyī al-Dīn Ghāzī raised a very important question. His words are as follows:
> “The merit of taqlīd lies alongside ijtihād. When on one hand the common people practise taqlīd, and on the other hand the scholars engage in ijtihād, then there remains no ground for objection to taqlīd. The real issue today is that not only the masses, but even scholars — including the senior scholars — have been bound by taqlīd, and the door of ijtihād has thereby been closed. It is precisely from this point that taqlīd has come to be seen as the opposite of ijtihād and has been deemed blameworthy. In reality, however, taqlīd is not opposed to ijtihād, nor does it contradict ittibāʿ (following with understanding). If taqlīd were likened to medicine, one could say that an ordinary doctor administers medicine according to a prescription, while, at the same time, research institutions continue to study and test that very medicine. The problem in our present situation is that taqlīd has eliminated the very institution of research. My question to the esteemed Dr Akram is in relation to this point.”
Answer:
In explaining religion, examples are often drawn from food and medicine, and these analogies are, to a certain extent, appropriate. Yet it must also be remembered that no analogy is perfect in every respect; it only mirrors certain aspects while differing in others.
Food and medicine exert their effects without requiring any conscious will or intention. A person may be unconscious or insane, yet food and medicine will still have their natural effect. Worship of God, however, is of an entirely different nature. The reality of servitude (ʿubūdiyyah) depends on intellect and intention. Any act of worship devoid of consciousness and volition cannot truly be called worship.
The seeker of knowledge is called a ṭālib—a “seeker”—and this title is better than shāgird or tilmīdh (“student”), for it embodies the sense of active seeking and willing pursuit. For the same reason, the ṣūfiyyah coined the term murīd (“one who wills”) for the traveller of the spiritual path, because it clearly denotes intention. Yet, with the passage of time, this word too has lost its vitality and has become merely a lifeless label.
Even more comprehensive than irādah (will) and ṭalab (seeking) is the word niyyah (intention). Ṭalab and irādah express mental inclination, whereas niyyah involves both intellect and heart. Within niyyah lies sincerity (ikhlāṣ) for the sake of Allah; it becomes the driving force of action through the union of intellect and heart. In this sense, niyyah is the very soul of worship.
The greatest defect in taqlīd is precisely that it tends to lack awareness and will. When a person accepts another’s opinion without understanding its reasoning, his concern is not to grasp the meaning or wisdom of the ruling, but merely to conform out of formality and habit.
The Qurʾān and the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم address human reason, because intention cannot take shape without comprehension, and comprehension arises from the union of knowledge and intellect.
Therefore, when a person encounters a question concerning religion, it is obligatory upon him to seek its answer according to his capacity, and for that he should consult a qualified and trustworthy scholar. This is the essential condition required of the mustaftī (the one asking a fatwā).
Likewise, it is incumbent upon the muftī that when he responds, he should communicate at the level of the questioner and strive to make him understand. He should explain what the Qurʾān says regarding that issue, how the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم elucidated it, and how its wisdom may be appreciated through reason. Thus, the responsibility of the muftī is not merely to issue a verdict, but also to explain and educate.
If both the mustaftī and the muftī fulfil their respective responsibilities, both will increase in knowledge; their intentions and will in obedience and worship will grow stronger and purer. Through this process, the ordinary believer will gain understanding, his faith will be renewed, and his spiritual state will advance.
It is for this very reason that we prefer the term ittibāʿ (“following with understanding”)—for the word taqlīd carries the connotation of unthinking imitation and lack of comprehension.
May Allah grant us the desire to increase in knowledge, faith, and righteous action, and bring life and spirit into our worship and obedience. Āmīn.
Disclaimer: This article was translated by AI. Original post: https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/7080
