Reviving Ijtihad

The root cause of this intellectual stagnation lies in Muslims’ rejection of direct guidance from the Quran and Hadith, a consequence of their imitative approach to ijtihad. Had this intellectual error not occurred, and had they approached the Quran with an open mind, they would have discovered clear guidance on such matters. This guidance is evident in Chapter 12 of the Quran, which recounts the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph). During his time, Egypt was ruled by a polytheistic king who, recognizing Joseph’s exceptional capabilities, invited him to join his administration as a powerful partner. Joseph accepted this offer and assumed a governmental position, which, in theory, was that of the minister of food and agriculture but, in practice, amounted to being the kingdom’s vice-regent. In the agrarian society of that time, all economic and administrative activities revolved around agriculture, making Joseph’s position the most pivotal in the nation. If modern Muslims had gone beyond the taqlid (imitation) of the traditional fiqh and engaged with the Quran in an ijtihadi manner, they would have recognized this incident as a profound prophetic example. It demonstrates how the principle of power-sharing can be effectively utilized, even within non-Islamic systems, and assures Muslims that such participation aligns fully with the prophetic tradition. Utilization of Modern Opportunities Muslims in the present age suffer from a unique deprivation, one that perhaps no other nation or group shares to the same extent. This deprivation lies in their failure to capitalize on the vast opportunities afforded by the modern era.