{"_id":"681a65ce4df5104f0b4def77","title":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"Did the Prophets do Ijtihaad and if so what are some examples?\\n\"}]}","question":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"I was curious how Ijtihad of the prophets,  if they do Ijtihad, is done? Is everything they do direct revelation from Allah? Do they have an intention and wait for approval before acting? Or do they have an intention, act, and then get ‘feedback’? I feel like I’ve seen examples of all three. \\n\"}]}","answer":"{\"ops\":[{\"insert\":\"The following is paraphrased from al-Zuhayli's book on usul:\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Ijtihad of the Prophet ﷺ\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nScholars have agreed that the Prophet ﷺ was permitted to perform ijtihad in matters related to worldly affairs, such as war strategies, judgments, and administration. Examples of this include his decision to reconcile with the tribe of Ghatafan using a portion of the fruits of Madinah and his statement regarding pollination of palm trees, where he initially advised against it but later acknowledged the people’s expertise in their worldly matters. Other examples include his ijtihad regarding where to camp during the Battle of Badr and his decision to ransom prisoners from that battle.  \\n\\nAs for ijtihad in religious rulings and legal matters where there is no direct revelation, scholars have differed into two main views:\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"First Opinion:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nThe Prophet ﷺ was allowed to perform ijtihad and it actually occurred. This is the view of most usooliyyun (legal theorists), particularly from the Hanafi school, though they condition it by stating that his ijtihad required awaiting revelation for confirmation, unless there was a risk of missing a ruling. According to this opinion, his ijtihad was based on analogy (qiyas) but not on speculation because he had access to divine guidance whenever needed.\\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Second Opinion:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nThe Prophet ﷺ was not permitted to perform ijtihad in religious rulings. This is the view of the Ash'aris, the Mu‘tazilah, and was also favored by Ibn Hazm. Their argument is based on the Qur'anic verse: “\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Nor does he speak from his own desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed\"},{\"insert\":\".” (\"},{\"attributes\":{\"link\":\"https://quran.com/en/an-najm/3-4\"},\"insert\":\"Surah An-Najm 53:3-4\"},{\"insert\":\")  \\n\\nAccording to them, ijtihad is an exercise in judgment, but divine revelation is absolute and comprehensive, so there is no need for ijtihad.  \\n\\nHowever, those who permit the Prophet’s ﷺ ijtihad argue that revelation itself supports ijtihad because Allah commanded the Prophet ﷺ to reflect, to consider, and to use reasoning. They cite examples of the Prophet’s ijtihad in battles, his consultations with companions, and his exceptions to general rulings—like permitting killing certain enemies in the Haram, and his statement: “\"},{\"attributes\":{\"italic\":true},\"insert\":\"If I were not given the Qur'an, I would have judged based on my own reasoning\"},{\"insert\":\".”\\n\\nThey also argue that ijtihad does not contradict revelation because, if an error occurred, Allah would correct it. This happened, for instance, when the Prophet ﷺ gave permission for something and later revelation corrected it.  \\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Did the Prophet ﷺ Ever Err in Ijtihad?\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nThis leads to another question: Did the Prophet ﷺ ever make a mistake in his ijtihad?\\n\\n- Some scholars say he never erred because of his high status as a Prophet.  \\n- Others say he could err in matters that were not part of revelation, but he would always be corrected by divine revelation before the error was finalized.  \\n\\nFor example, in the issue of the captives of Badr, Allah revealed verses correcting the Prophet’s initial decision. However, since the final outcome was always in accordance with divine will, his ijtihad was ultimately binding on the ummah.  \\n\\n\"},{\"attributes\":{\"bold\":true},\"insert\":\"Conclusion:\"},{\"insert\":\"\\nThe strongest opinion among scholars is that the Prophet ﷺ was permitted to perform ijtihad but only in matters where no revelation had been given. If his ijtihad was incorrect, divine correction would immediately follow. His ijtihad is therefore considered binding because it was either correct from the start or corrected by Allah.\\n\"}]}","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fed0b76658b4c232951","tag":"Knowledge: Other","count":48},{"_id":"668d9fea0b76658b4c232905","tag":"Aqeedah: Muhammad ﷺ","count":20},{"_id":"668da0400b76658b4c233240","tag":"Seerah: Other","count":18}],"createdOn":"2025-05-06T19:41:02.408Z"}