Ijtihad

Salam,

Do Zaydis generally view that the door to ijtihad has closed? If so, why?

wa alaikum as-salam,

no, i would say from my experience that the zaydis are the most ijtihad orientated among all the sects. the doors of ijtihad are wide open.

But that does not mean that laypeople can do ijtihad, only a mujtahid who fullfills the conditions.

So while we have our "main school" of hadawiyya, many scholars have done ijtihad when they were capable of it. thats why we have so many subschools like, qasimiyya, hadawiyya, muayyadiyya and so forth.

Important:
Many try to use the "door to ijtihad" to change rulings they dont like. That is not Ijtihad, and such people are not mujtahids.

And:
Within the zaydi school there is the concept of Ijmaa of Ahl al Bayt alayhim as-salam, nobody can do ijtihad in a matter where the Ahl al Bayt have established an Ijmaaa. That matter is finished.

wa salam

If a person, let’s say she or he finds Quranic or scientific evidence against a jurisprudential opinion/fatwa of a scholar, what is incumbent upon this Muslim to do? Especially, if it is a widely spread opinion?

as-salamu alaikum,

As long as a person is not a mujtahid, he is obligated to follow one. This is compulsory for him. The principle is no different from the sciences: someone who lacks the necessary qualifications cannot speak authoritatively on technical matters, and if they attempt to do so, they will almost certainly fall into error. Imagine an ordinary individual claiming to understand the intricacies of physics or advanced mathematics better than a university professor. Just as we would consider such a claim unreasonable, it is equally unreasonable for someone untrained in fiqh to assume he can formulate independent legal rulings.

Unfortunately, there are two fields in which everyone, scholars and laymen, the qualified and the unqualified alike, feels entitled to speak: religion and politics. And in both domains, the uninformed often cause significant harm, aside from simply being mistaken.It is one of the ailments of our age, encouraged by the juhhāl of the talafiyya and al-hashawiyya, that people without the requisite training feel free to create their own religious opinions. Such individuals would never perform surgery on their own bodies for fear of damaging something essential, yet they readily attempt “surgery” on their dīn, despite it being the very thing that determines one’s salvation or damnation.

In short, the answer to your question is:

• If a person knows nothing of fiqh, he must follow a mujtahid.
• If a person knows something but is not himself a mujtahid, he must still follow a mujtahid.
• Only one who has reached the level of ijtihād may formulate his own rulings, provided that his opinions do not contradict the Qur’an, the established Sunnah, or the ijmāʿ of the Ahl al-Bayt ʿalayhim as-salām.

wa salam

Wa alaykum as-salaam,

Personally, I don’t view fiqh as the determinant of salvation, especially at the local level.

What do Zaydis do when there is no mujtahid?

That may be your personal belief but it is contrary to the Quran and the Sunnah itself. So it is by that a batil belief and will not absolve you in the Akhirah.

“O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…”
Sūrat an-Nisā’ 4:59

“…For each of you We have made a law (sharī‘ah) and a clear way…”
Sūrat al-Mā’idah 5:48

“They will not truly believe until they make you (O Prophet) judge in their disputes…”
Sūrat an-Nisā’ 4:65

“It is not for the believers to go forth all together…
Rather, there should go forth a group from every community to gain deep understanding of the religion (liyatafaqqahū fī ad-dīn) and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may be cautious.”
Sūrat at-Tawbah 9:122

“…Allah will raise those who believe among you and those who have been given knowledge by many degrees…”
Sūrat al-Mujādilah 58:11

“When Allah intends good for someone, He grants him understanding (fiqh) of the religion.”
[Bukhari]

“The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets… the Prophets do not leave behind wealth, they leave behind knowledge.”
[Sunan Abu Dawud]

“This knowledge will be carried by the trustworthy and upright of every generation, who will remove from it the distortions of the extremists, the false claims of the liars, and the misinterpretations of the ignorant.”
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal

Regarding the matter of following Mujtahids:You may follow any Mujtahid from among the Ahl al-Bayt (ʿalayhim as-salām), whether living or deceased, though it is generally preferable to follow one who is living. If you are unaware of a living Mujtahid or have no means of connecting with one, then it is best to follow the standard Zaydī school, the Hādawiyya. This school represents a synthesis of the various Mujtahids and their views.

wa salam