Issues of Ijtihad

DIVINE REASONING is like that of rain—you cannot tell whether its beginning is better or its end.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 12461) Rain initially brings many blessings. But later, as the earth is nourished, it begins to grow grass, trees, and crops. At that point, the blessings multiply. Now there are harvests, flowers, and fruits that become great benefits for people. The same is true for Prophet Muhammad’s religion. When it first emerged, the world was still in its traditional era. Even then, followers of this faith gained many benefits. Later, as the world entered the scientific age, believers would once again receive significant advantages—this time through new opportunities. In this stage, the intellectual and spiritual greatness of Islam will re-establish itself in people’s minds in a renewed and powerful way. The Hadith’s prediction about a great blessing in the later part of the Muslim community likely refers to these scientific truths. These discoveries have opened the door to much broader opportunities—allowing people to attain higher levels of certainty and to demonstrate the truth of Islam to others with fresh and compelling evidence. A Simple Example The takeaway from the hadith above can be rephrased as follows: human history is split into two main periods—one is the pre-scientific era, and the other is the post-scientific era. According to this division, people in the earlier period relied on traditional knowledge, while in the later period,