The Decline of Ijtihad and the Rise of Taqlid

The Idea

The text holds that ijtihad did not decline suddenly, but rather gradually as taqlid took root since the fourth century AH. The idea here is not merely a chronological description, but a signal of a shift in the way religion was understood, as inherited frameworks came to replace the living question and renewed inquiry. In this way, taqlid becomes a framework that limits the possibilities of new reading.

Concise Formulation

The decline of ijtihad: accompanied by the rise of taqlid since the fourth century AH

Its Place in the Book’s Argument

This idea lies at the heart of the book’s argument because it explains how Islamic culture moved from an open field of reflection and ijtihad to a field in which transmission and stability became stronger. It does not function as a detached historical observation, but rather as an entry point for understanding what later happened in terms of the narrowing of critical thinking. It therefore establishes the general diagnosis on which the book builds its critique.

Why It Matters

The idea gains its importance because it places the reader before a central question: how does taqlid become stronger than ijtihad in the history of thought? Without this question, it is difficult to understand Arkoun’s critical project, since its essence lies in recovering the possibility of free thinking within the tradition, not merely describing it as a closed past.

Brief Evidence

It links the decline of ijtihad and the rise of taqlid to social, ideological, and cultural changes. The decline did not happen abruptly; rather, it unfolded gradually from the fourth century AH onward as taqlid became entrenched. In this way, inherited frameworks took the place of the living question and renewed inquiry.

Reading Questions

• What does it mean for ijtihad to decline in a long historical context rather than in a single moment?
• How does the rise of taqlid change the way one deals with text, knowledge, and authority?

Degree of Documentation

High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.