TAQLID AND IJTIHAD

The human mind can be categorized into two types: an imitative (taqlidi) mind and an independent reasoning (ijtihadi) mind. The distinction between these two can be described as follows: an imitative mind is a closed mind, while an independent reasoning mind is an open mind. The mental journey of an imitative person comes to a halt at a certain point, whereas the mental journey of an independent reasoning person continues to progress, ceasing only with death. This distinction can be better understood through an example.

Shakespeare was a great writer of the English language, who passed away in 1616. On the other hand, George Bernard Shaw, an English writer of a later period, was born in 1856—there was a gap of about three hundred years between their periods of activity. In the history of English literature, Bernard Shaw holds a lesser position as compared to Shakespeare. Referring to this, Bernard Shaw famously remarked:

“I am smaller in stature than Shakespeare, but I stand upon his shoulders.”

This statement reflects an independent reasoning approach. Such a way of thinking fosters broad-mindedness and courage. In a society where this attitude prevails, the journey of intellectual evolution continues unhindered. Each generation adds to the intellectual heritage of its predecessors and further develops it to pass on to future generations.