(B) Support from the Qur’ān & Sunnah
Thissensiblepracticeoffollowingthemujtahidinsharī‘alawshasbeen
endorsed by Islam.
Asmentionedinaversequotedearlier,theQur’ānstronglyexhortsat
leastagroupofMuslimstodevotetheirtimeandenergyinstudyingre-
ligion. This obligation is of such importance that Allah has exempted
suchpersonsfromthedutyofjihād. Moreinterestingisthereasonand
purpose of their knowledge:“... to warn their people... ”(9:124)This
versedividesthepeopleintotwogroups:thosewhoarelearnedinreli-
gious sciences and those who are not. It is the duty of the learned
to“warn”(a broad term which impliesadvice and guidance)the com-
monpeople,anditisexpectedofthe commonpeopleto“beware”(take
heedofthelearnedpersons’adviceandfollow).Insharī‘amatters,this
processofguidingthecommonpeopleistechnicallyknownas“ijtihād,”
andtheprocessoffollowingtheguidancebythecommonpeopleistech-
nically known as “taqlīd”.
TheImamsofAhlu'l-bayt(a.s.)haveendorsedthissystemintheoryas
well as in practice:
In Theory:In a famous hadīth quoted earlier, ‘Umar ibn Hanzalah
askedImamJa‘faras-Sādiq(a.s.)aboutthelegalityoftwoShi‘asseeking
a judgment from an illegitimate ruler or a judge appointedby sucha
rulerinadisputeoveradebtorinheritance.TheImam'sanswerwasthat
it was absolutely forbidden to do so; and then he read the following
verse:“...(Yetin adispute)they desiretosummon oneanotherto the
judgmentofthetāghūtthoughtheywerecommandedtorejectanddis-
believe in him.”(4:60)
Then‘Umar ibn Hanzalah asked, “Whatshould the two(Shi‘as) do
then?”The Imam replied,“They must seek outone of your own who
narratesourtraditions,whoisversedinwhatispermissibleandwhatis
forbidden,whoiswell-acquaintedwithourlawsandordinances,andac-
cepthimasjudgeandarbiter,forIappointhimasjudgeoveryou.Ifthe
rulingwhichhebasedonourlawsisrejected,thenthisrejectionwillbe
tantamounttoignoringtheorderofAllāhandrejectingus,andrejecting
us is the same as rejecting Allāh, and this is the same as polytheism.”