''Taqlid'' (, "

imitation Imitation (from Latin ''imitatio'', "a copying, imitation") is a behavior whereby an individual observes and replicates another's behavior. Imitation is also a form of learning that leads to the "development of traditions, and ultimately our cu ...

") is an

Islamic term The following list consists of notable concepts that are derived from Islamic and associated cultural (Arab, Persian, Turkish) traditions, which are expressed as words in Arabic or Persian language. The main purpose of this list is to disambig ...

denoting the conformity of one person to the teaching of another. The person who performs ''taqlid'' is termed ''muqallid''. The definite meaning of the term varies depending on context and age. Classical usage of the term differs between

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam is the largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any Succession to Muhammad, successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr ...

and

Shia Islam Shia Islam is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political Succession to Muhammad, successor (caliph) and as the spiritual le ...

. Sunni Islamic usage designates the unjustified conformity of one person to the teaching of another, rather than the justified conformity of a layperson to the teaching of a ''

mujtahid ''Ijtihad'' ( ; ' , ) is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question. It is contrasted with '' taqlid'' (i ...

'' (a person who is qualified for independent reasoning). Shia Islamic usage designates general conformity to the teaching of a ''mujtahid'', and there is no negative connotation. The discrepancy corresponds to differing views on the Shia Imamate and

Sunni imams Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, and provide relig ...

. In contemporary usage, especially in the context of

Salafism The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a Islamic fundamentalism, fundamentalist Islamic revival, revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" ...

, ''taqlid'' is often portrayed in a negative light and translated as "blind imitation". This refers to the perceived stagnation of independent intellectual effort (''

ijtihad ''Ijtihad'' ( ; ' , ) is an Islamic legal term referring to independent reasoning by an expert in Islamic law, or the thorough exertion of a jurist's mental faculty in finding a solution to a legal question. It is contrasted with '' taqlid'' ( ...

'') and uncritical imitation of traditional religious interpretation by the religious establishment in general.Weiss, Bernard G. (1995). "Taqlīd". In John L. Esposito. ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World''. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Overview

The Arabic word ''taqlīd'' is derived from the three-letter Arabic verbal root of '' Q- L- D '', which means to imitate. The term is believed to have originated from the idea of allowing oneself to be led "by the collar". One who performs ''taqlid'' is called a ''muqallid'',Surkheel (Abu Aaliyah) Sharif, ''The Truth About Taqlid (Part I)'', the Jawziyyah Institute, 2007, p. 2
whereas one who rejects ''taqlid'' is called a ''ghair-muqallid''. Sheikh Shaamee Hanafi said it is "to take the statement of someone without knowing the evidence."

Sunni Islam

Traditionally, ''taqlid'' is lawful and obligatory when one is not qualified as a ''

''. According to

Rudolph Peters Sir Rudolph Albert Peters MC MID FRS HFRSE FRCP LLD (13 April 1889 – 29 January 1982) was a British biochemist. He led the research team at Oxford who developed British Anti-Lewisite (BAL), an antidote for the chemical warfare agent lewisite. ...

, this is by the consensus of all Sunni Muslims. Traditional Sunni scholars rely on two verses of the Qur'an that order one to ask the people of knowledge or remembrance if they do not know and to obey Allah, the messenger and those in authority among them. They also rely on several ''

hadiths Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

'', including one where Muhammad tells his companions, "If one does not know what to do, the only remedy is to inquire." Muhammad did this after a companion who had fractured his skull asked other companions with him whether he could perform dry purification. They said no. So this injured companion washed his head with water and died. Muhammad admonished his companions by saying, "They killed him. May Allah kill them. If one does not know what to do, the only remedy is to inquire."

Salafi The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retu ...

and

Wahhabi Wahhabism is an exonym for a Salafi revivalist movement within Sunni Islam named after the 18th-century Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. It was initially established in the central Arabian region of Najd and later spread to other ...

s reject ''taqlid'' and instead encourage ''

''.

Shia Islam

In Shia Islam, ''taqlid'' "denotes the following or "imitating" of the dictates of a ''

''". Following the greater occultation (''al-ghaybatu 'l-kubra'') in 941 CE (329 AH), the

Twelver Shia Twelver Shi'ism (), also known as Imamism () or Ithna Ashari, is the largest branch of Shi'a Islam, comprising about 90% of all Shi'a Muslims. The term ''Twelver'' refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as th ...

are obliged to observe ''taqlid'' in their religious jurisprudential affairs by following the teachings of a thinker (''

'') or jurist ('' faqih'').al-islam.org 1. What is taqlid?
/ref> As of the 19th century the Shia ''

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

'' taught believers to turn to "a source of ''taqlid''" (''

marja' Marja (; plural ''marājiʿ''; ) is a title given to the highest level of Twelver Shia religious cleric, with the authority given by a hawzah (a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated) to make legal decisions within the confines of Sh ...

at-taqlid'') "for advice and guidance and as a model to be imitated." Thus Shia who are not experts in Islamic jurisprudence (''

fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ) is the term for Islamic jurisprudence.Fiqh
Encyclopædia Britannica ''Fiqh'' is of ...

'') are "legally required to follow the instructions of the expert, i.e., the ''mujtahid''" in matters of ''

sharia Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on Islamic holy books, scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran, Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' ...

'', but are forbidden to do so in "matters of belief" (

usul al-din ''Aqidah'' (, , pl. , ) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that means "creed". It is also called Islamic creed or Islamic theology. ''Aqidah'' goes beyond concise statements of faith and may not be part of an ordinary Muslim's religious ins ...

References

{{reflist Arabic words and phrases in Sharia Shia theology Islamic jurisprudence

Overview

Sunni Islam

Shia Islam

See also

References