IJTIHAD AND SHURA

IJTIHAD
The decline of the Muslim ummah, according to
Iqbal, was primarily due the stagnation of religious
thought.
Therefore, he proposed the need for the
reconstruction of religious thought.
Iqbal emphasized that the only way to rescue
Muslims from the stagnation is through the
application of the principle of ijtihad.

 Reasons for the decay of ijtihad:

1) The adherence of the Muslim community to
extreme position.
-conservative opposed to rationalist movement
2) The rise and growth of ascetic sufism which
gradually developed under the influence of a nonIslamic character turned the great Muslim
intellectual into sufis who confined themselves to
the preservation of faith and beliefs.
-Extreme sufism
3) The destruction of Baghdad which was the
centre of Muslim intellectual life

 Iqbal is strongly opposed to the criticism that

Islamic law/shariah is stationary and incapable of
evolution.
Ijtihad is the means whereby changes can be
affected in the laws of Islam.
Iqbal defined ijtihad as to exert with a view to
form an independent judgment, but not to be
independent of the Quran and Sunnah.

 Qualifications of mujtahid:
* Knowledge of Islam, deep understanding of the
ultimate aims of its ideology, institutions and
politics.
* Understanding of the modern problems that
beset the Muslim world.
* Closeness to the Prophets way and
understanding of his methods and approach
* Reliable and good moral character behavior.

 Iqbal proposed the idea of transforming

the right of ijtihad from individuals to a
legislative assembly.
Four sources of ijtihad:
1) Quran
2) Hadith
3) Ijma
4) Qiyas

SHURA
Iqbal highlighted another reason behind the
backwardness of the Muslims was due to despotic
political system (the system which was based on
ones individual will and denying the rights of the
ummah)
The possible cure for this problem, for Iqbal, was
to return to the institution of shura.

 Iqbal highlighted that the authority to legislate

during khulafa al rashidun lay with the ummah.
During the ummayad and Abbasid periods, this
right was taken away from the ummah and given
to various sects and schools of fiqh.
So, Iqbal wanted to bring back the concept of
shura as practiced in the early period of Islam.

 He emphasized that the authority to legislate is

the right of the entire ummah.
The ummah should elect their representatives by
means of fair election, and these representatives
should carry out the duty of the legislation.
Therefore, Iqbal allocated the authority for
legislation to elected representatives in
parliament/ majlis al shura.

 Two reasons why the authority for legislation

should only be made by elected representatives in
parliament.
1) Cannot be given to specific followers of
different schools of fiqh because they represent
different point of views, and they may legislate
according to their own school of thought.
Meanwhile shariah is for the entire Muslim
community.
2) God has not delegated the right for legislation
to any person or any sect but He has bestowed it
to the entire ummah.

 Characteristics of legislative assembly or members

of majlis al-shura:
* He should possess a firm and profound belief in
the tenets of Islam.
* He should possess integrity of character
* He should have reasonable knowledge and
necessary understanding of the job and
responsibility which is being entrusted to him
* He should have a good intellectual personality
(high intellectual capability)
Iqbal emphasized the right of entire nation to take
part in the process of legislation.