Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
8. The Concept of Ijtihaad in Islam
~ 110 ~
“Ijtihaad of this kind has continued to be exercised in
Islamic history. This process of Ijtihaad is essential to
lend an eternal character to the teachings of Islam. If
this process of Ijtihaad comes to a standstill, Islam’s
eternal journey will also be affected.” (
Al-Islam
,
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan)
Here we provide some instances from the early history of Islam.
The written or recorded pieces of the Quran were collected
during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, and under the
guidance of Zayd ibn Thabit Ansari one copy of the complete
Quran was compiled in book form.
After the preparation of this volume the question arose as to
what should be done with the remaining recorded parts of the
Quran, which had been collected from the possessions of different
companions. These were written on such diverse materials as
bones, leaves of the date, white stones, thin skin, depending upon
what was available in those days.
A study of Islamic history shows that, after long deliberations, a
consensus emerged among the concerned companions that those
fragmentary parts should be burnt. This was a clear case of
Ijtihaad. (See details in
Tadween-e-Quran
, by M.A. Gilaani).
Similarly, during the caliphate of Umar Farooq, the second caliph
of Islam, when Iraq’s fertile land was conquered, the question
arose as to how this land was to be administered.
