The Islamic jurisprudential term Ijtihad refers to?
A
Following established rulings
B
Independent scholarly reasoning to derive new rulings
C
Consensus of scholars
D
Analogical deduction
Correct Answer: Option B — Independent scholarly reasoning to derive new rulings
Explanation:
Ijtihad refers to the independent exercise of scholarly reasoning to derive new religious rulings on matters not explicitly addressed in the...
Ijtihad refers to the independent exercise of scholarly reasoning to derive new religious rulings on matters not explicitly addressed in the Quran and Sunnah. A scholar qualified to perform Ijtihad is called a Mujtahid. Many classical scholars debated whether the gate of Ijtihad is still open with most contemporary scholars affirming that qualified scholars can and should continue practicing it.