Studying Islam

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[quote]Question: What is Ijtihad? Is it a Qur’anic term? 
    Answer: The term Ijtihad means to derive and deduce religious opinion about some matter that is not mentioned in the sources of Islam, keeping in view the spirit and overall framework of Islam. In other words, the area of Ijtihad is the area in which Islam is silent and one must use one’s common sense, intellect and experience to arrive at an opinion that should be in conformity with the spirit of Islam. For example, matters like test-tube babies, organ donation and cloning are some of the recent developments in science and one needs to know whether they are permitted by religion or not. It is in such matters that need for Ijtihad arises. 
    The term Ijtihad is not a Qur’anic term. As a matter of fact, it has originated from a conversation that is reported in Hadith books to have taken place between the Prophet (sws) and one of his companions Mu‘adh Ibn Jabal (rta) at the time when the latter was being sent by him to govern the territory of Yemen:

[The Prophet asked:] ‘How will you judge the cases [that come to you]?’ He replied: ‘I will judge according to the Book of Allah’. ‘But if you do not get anything there, what will you do?’, the Prophet (sws) asked. He said: ‘I will refer to the Sunnah of the Prophet (sws)’. ‘But if you do not get it even there, what will you do?’, the Prophet (sws) asked again. He replied: ‘I will exercise my judgement.’ Hearing this the Prophet (sws) patted Mu‘adh (rta) on the shoulder and said: ‘Praise be to Allah who has guided the Messenger of His Messenger to what pleases His Messenger’. (Nisa’i: No. 1327)

The Arabic for the words : ‘I will exercise my judgement’ are ajtahidu rai from which the term Ijtihad is derived.
source: The renaissance

If you read this definition of Ijtehad  then  you will understand that Ijtehad is done when Islam is silent about something, like drinking coffee weather Halal or not or big recent issues like Organ transplant, stem cell research etc.
              The question  why Ijetihad was stopped by muslims is because investigation stopped, research stopped so thinking stopped , blind following was encouraged due to Politics and power as mentioned by Safimera. So people decided all questions that needed answering have been answered and so Ijtihad stopped or was not practiced. This is where in my personal opinion rigidity set in Islam which further lead to intolerance and to some extent isolation. 
            
              Can Ijtehad be used  to give new ruling because overtime things have changed and the circumstances are different ? My personal opinion it should be so otherwise we will go nowhere and be afraid of change and freedom of thought or look at modern education as a source of evil.[/quote]

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