The Need for an Additional Qualification

over futile political struggles and guiding his followers toward this path, the history of Muslim nations could have taken a very different path. These examples illustrate that the aforementioned five qualifications are indeed sufficient for restricted ijtihad. However, for unrestricted ijtihad, an additional qualification is indispensable: a profound understanding of contemporary circumstances and emerging realities. Without this additional insight, any attempt at ijtihad will ultimately prove fruitless and fail to provide meaningful guidance to the community.