Legal Status of Collective Ijtihād (Ijtihād al-Jamā‘ī) in Contemporary Era

Abstract

This paper attempts to determine the legal status of a most practical method of ijtihād of present era. Ijtihād is a tool to keep Islamic sharī’ah practicable in each era in the light of teachings of Qur’ān and Sunnah. The goal of this paper is to explore the legalized capacity of collective exertion of jurists of current period. This research is very important as it will provide a clear guideline about the worth of method of derivation about newly faced issues of human life in the light of sharī’ah in present era. This study focuses on the concept of ijtihād, its types, historical background, its most appropriate method as per the need of the day and its lawful aspect. It is a narrative and descriptive research highlighting the connection and linkage of flexibility of different methods of ijtihād till present era. This research concludes with the most suitable method of ijtihād and its legal competency in the structure of Islamic sharī’ah.