Question:

In the book Return to Islam has been written that Ijtihad is obligatory to any Muslim. The question is since every human owns a special talent, for example some have talent in medical and some in engineering and other scientific fields, and therefore it is not possible for all people to gain success in one field, what should those who have not the ability to become Mujtahid do? Should they not refer to an expert in religion?

Answer:

Dear Brother!

Ijtihad in the meaning of obtaining knowledge of the laws of the religion, is not a job or a scientific field like engineering or medical, so that anyone who likes it, obtains it and anyone who does not like it, leaves it, rather is a religious duty like prayer and fast which is obligatory to any Muslim; because human being has not been created for eating and sleeping, rather he has been created to serve God; as it has been said in the book of God: «وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ» (Dhariyat/ 56 ); “I have not created mankind and jinn except to worship Me” and serving God means to obey him, although it entails hardship, and one of his commands is to obtain knowledge and to not confine to conjecture; as He has said: «وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ» (Asra/ 36); “Do not follow what you do not know” and has said: «وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا» (Najm/ 28 ); “Yet of this they have no knowledge, they follow mere conjecture, and conjecture does not help against truth”! Therefore, it is obligatory to any Muslim to obtain knowledge of the laws of the religion and does not be confined to conjecture about them and this is possible by him referring directly to the book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet; because his indirect referring in the meaning of his imitation from Mujtahids, does not cause him to obtain knowledge of the laws of the religion and only causes him to obtain conjecture; Given that the conformity of Fatwa of Mujtahids with the laws of the religion is not certain and therefore, there is no choice for him but his direct referring to the book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet, even though he dislikes it; because how many things that someone dislikes, but they are necessary for him; like a medicine that a patient does not like it, but there is no way but to take it; as God has said: «وَعَسَى أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ» (Baqarah/ 216 ); “But you may hate a thing although it is good for you” and has said: «فَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا» (Nisa/ 19); “perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good”! Of course it should be noted that on the contrary to the common illusion, direct referring to the book of God and His Prophet’s Sunnah, although in the meaning of Wahid narrations, is not a very hard work, but is a possible and feasible work;...