Two Types of Ijtihad: General and Special

as a temporary concern. Instead, he could have focused his efforts on advancing Muslim intellectual development to match that of the West. By prioritizing intellectual jihad 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.