Ijtihad (lit. Effort, endeavourer, diligence) Independent reasoning to arrive at a legal principle. Ijtihad is an essential process of legal reasoning, responsible for the growth of Islamic law. After the establishment of the various schools of law, the Sunnis understand ijtihad as an opposite of taqlid. Since no new schools appeared after the third century, it was wrongly assumed that the door of ijtihad was closed. The necessary qualifications for the exercise of ijtihad are: knowledge of the sources, legal methods, and scholarly integrity. Traditionally, it is further added that the subjects of ijtihad must be a matter on which the jurists are not agreed and that it must not go against the consensus. The person who is qualified to exercise ijtihad is called mujtahid. The Sunnis regard the rank of ijtihad restricted within the schools. The Shi’a, on the other hand do not regard the door of ijtihad closed, but they also require the lay person to follow a mujtahid
Ijtihad Effort, use of individual reasoning in matters of fiqh
Ijtihad Independent judicial reasoning; striving in the realm of law to solve new legal problems
Ijtihad The use of independent reasoning to advance a legal opinion in cases where the Qur`an and Sunna are not definitive; its opposite is taqlid
Ijtihad To exercise personal judgement based on the Qur`an and the Sunnah