Advanced Usul Study – Ijtihād and Taqlīd

Description

Advanced Usul Study – Ijtihād & Taqlīd

A study on Ijtihad, Taqlid and associated topics that are discussed  in the books of Islamic legal jurisprudence

This course is an opportunity to be part of a deep and comprehensive study of a key yet often neglected topic area in Usul ‘l-Fiqh.

Usul comprises of four main subject areas:
1. The sources of Islamic law (Adillah)
2. The meanings derived from words within the sources (Dalalat ‘l-Alfaz)
3. Dialectics, i.e. reasoned argumentation to prove or disprove a legal position (Jadal)
4. The independent and non-independent mechanisms for arriving at, issuing edicts in, and practising upon, legal opinions (Ijtihad, Taqlid, Talfiq, Ifta, Istifta, etc.)

This course focuses on the lattermost aspect of Usul.

Requisites:
– Fluency in reading Arabic – mandatory
– Basic comprehension of Fiqh from any Muslim school of law – mandatory
– Fluency in Urdu – desirable

Who Is this For?

Students with full reading comprehension in the Arabic language and who have studied the basics in the sciences of Shari’ah, especially Fiqh and Usul. For those who do not have a background in the study of Fiqh or Usul, the Introductory Course on the same topic will be more suited for them.

Lectures are delivered in English, but there are Arabic readings within the sessions.

Your Instructor

Course Objectives

In this course, participating students will acquire the following:

Session 1 – Introduction, Definitions and Nomenclature
Session 2 – Overview of the Prophet ﷺ and Companions’ era
Session 3 – Formats, Arenas & Fragmentation of Ijtihad
Session 4 – Madhhab-based Jurisdiction in an Islamic state
Session 5 – Manat, Legal Precedence and Jurist Rankings
Session 6 – Ijtihad Requisites and Shapers, Fiqh v. Hadith
Session 7 – “My Position is Authentic Hadith”: An Analysis
Session 8 – Further Readings From the Texts on Ijtihad
Session 9 – Further Readings From the Texts on Ijtihad
Session 10 – Further Readings From the Texts on Ijtihad
Session 11 – Taqlid: Sources, Drivers, Madhhab Selection
Session 12 – Adherence to a School in All its Rulings, 1/2
Session 13 – Non-Adherence to a School: Prerequisites
Session 14 – Adherence to a School in All its Rulings, 2/2
Session 15 – Investigating: Adhering to Muʿtamad Necessary?
Session 16 – A Problem: Ifta and Later Jurists’ Authority
Session 17 – Post-Action Taqlid and Retreating From Taqlid
Session 18 – Tatabbu’ ‘l-Rukhas: Yea or Nay?
Session 19 – Referring Laymen to Muftis Outside the School
Session 20a – Valid Versus Invalid Opinions
Session 20b – Talfiq: Levels, Status, Evidences, Examples

Content Breakdown:

• Definitions and nomenclature: Ijtihad, Taqlid, Ittiba, Mujtahid, Muqallid, Faqih, Rukhsa, Khilaf, Tarjih, Talfiq, Tamadhhub, Iltizam
• Historical overview of Ijtihad and Taqlid:
  • he Prophet’s era
  • The Companions’ era (10-50 AH)
  • The era of the Madhhab Imams (50-400 AH)
  • From 400 AH to 1200 AH
  • Present day
• Form factors of Ijtihad
  • Istinbat
  • Tarjih
  • Tafri`
  • Intisar
• Fragmentation of Ijtihad
• The role of Maqasid in Ijtihad
• The rankings of Mujtahid scholars: Analysis, criticisms and impact
• Arenas of Ijtihad and Taqlid
  • Jurisconsult level (ifta)
  • State (siyasa) and judiciary (qada) levels
  • Individual level
• Prerequisites of Ijtihad – who is able to exercise it?
  • Fiqh v Hadith and the interplay between the two
  • Is there a level between scholar and layman?
  • Analysis of the work written by Muhammad Awwamah on the topic
• Scholarly works written on Ijtihad
  • Readings from texts on Ijtihad, such as those by Abu Shamah, Ibn ‘l-Qayyim, al-Dihlawi et al
• Talfiq in Ijtihad
• Ijtihad that leads to an opinion outside the mainstream of the Four Schools, or a view of a Sahabi or scholar outside the Four Schools
• Taqlid discussions:
  • 400 AH to present day: Overview
  • Is Taqlid banned, allowed or mandatory? Comparing scholarly statements and deciphering their intentions
  • Taqlid/Tarjih of a qawl of the Sahaba/Tabi`un outside of the 4 madhab
  • The issue of adherence to a school
    • For, and the arguments behind it
    • Against, and the arguments behind it
    • Does the layman have a madhhab of his own?
    • Following Rukhsa v Following desire
    • Checks and balances against following desire
    • Analysis of positions in Taqlid by Madhhab
    • Analysis of positions in Taqlid by geography
    • Reading books on the genre of *the best madhhab* – do they have a role? Should they have ever been written? Analysis the books of Sibt Ibn ‘l-Jawzi, al-Babarti, Qadi `Iyad, al-Juwayni, Ibn Rajab in this topic
  • Readings from texts earlier texts of Taqlid:
    • Ahmad bin Hanbal
    • Al-Jassas
    • Ibn Hazm (and al-Albani)
    • Al-Ghazzali
    • Al-Sha’rani
    • Al-Qarafi
    • Ibn ‘l-Qayyim
    • Ibn Rajab
    • Al-Shatibi
    • Ibn ‘l-Humam
    • Ibn Hajar al-Haytami
    • Al-Samhudi
    • Al-Dihlawi
    • Al-Bani
    • Al-Buti
    • Supporters of adherence to a school for a muqallid: Al-Maziri, Hanafi Transoxiana, Laknawi, Gangohi etc.
  • Impact of polemics on discourses in Ijtihad and Taqlid
  • Talfiq in Taqlid
  • Taqlid of an opinion outside the mainstream of the Four Schools, or a view of a Sahabi or scholar outside the Four Schools
  • Ifta and Istifta
    • Historical overview
    • Difference between Ijtihad and Ifta, and between Istifta and Taqlid
    • Ifta for the non-Mujtahid: Employing Maqasid, Urf, preventative measures, Malsaha
    • The issue of valid v. invalid opinions and differences: parameters and contributing factors to validity and invalidity

References:

Abbasah, Mura’at ‘l-Khilaf
Abu Ghuddah, Tarajim Sittah
Abu Shamah, Mukhtasar ‘l-Mu’ammal
Abu Ya’la, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah
Al-Ala’i, al-Fatawa
Al-Awni, Ikhtilaf ‘l-Muftin
Al-Babarti, al-Nukat al-Zarifah
Al-Bani, Umdat ‘l-Tahqiq
Al-Fullani, Iqaz Himam Uli ‘l-Absar
Al-Haytami, al-Fatawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra
Al-Juwayni, Mughith ‘l-Khalq
Al-Kalwadhani, al-Tamhid
Al-Kawthari, Ihqaq ‘l-Haqq, Husn ‘l-Taqadi
Al-Mawardi, al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah
Al-Nabulsi, al-Jawab al-Sharif
Al-Naqib, al-Madhhab al-Hanafi
Al-Naza’ir, Bakr Abu Zayd
Al-Samhudi, al-Iqd al-Farid
Al-Shatibi, al-Muwafaqat
Al-Suyuti, Jazil ‘l-Mawahib, Irshad ‘l-Muhtadin, al-Radd Ala Man Akhlad Ila al-Ard, Taqrir ‘l-Istinad
Al-Tufi, Sharh Mukhtsar ‘l-Rawdah
Al-Wansharisi, al-Mi’yar al-Mu’rib
Al-Zarkashi, al-Bahr al-Muhit
Al-Zuhayli, Usul ‘l-Fiqh al-Islami
Awwamah, Athar ‘l-Hadith al-Sharif
Ba-Husayn, Kitab ‘l-Takhrij
Faridah Zuru, Min al-Ijtihad al-Tatbiqi Ila al-Ijtihad al-Maqasidi
Ghulam Mustafa al-Sindi, Sharh Mukhtasar ‘l-Quduri
Ibn Abi ‘l-Dam, Adab ‘l-Qada
Ibn Abi ‘l-Izz, al-Ittiba
Ibn Badran, al-Uqud al-Yaqutiyyah
Ibn Qayyim ‘l-Jawziyyah, I’lam ‘l-Muwaqqi’in
Ibn Rajab, al-Radd Ala Man Ittaba’ Ghayr ‘l-Madhahib al-Arba’ah, al-Istikhraj
Muhammad al-Farfur, al-Wajiz
Muhammad Hayat al-Sindi, Ghayat ‘l-Tahqiq
Mustafa al-Zarqa, al-Ijtihad Wa-Dawr ‘l-Fiqh Fi Hall ‘l-Mushkilat
Qadi Iyad, Tartib ‘l-Madarik
Shah Waliyyullah, Hujjat ‘llah al-Balighah
Sibt Ibn ‘l-Jawzi, al-Intisar
Taqi Usmani, Usul ‘l-Ifta

This is an On-Demand course where you can download video of the sessions at your convenience. It is not a live course. There is a group to ask questions and interact with the instructor.

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Questions or Inquiries, please email: admin@legacy.institute

*This course is not refundable.