ijtihad
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of ijtihad
From Arabic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He possessed the foundational knowledge of Islam without the advanced and independent reasoning – ijtihad – required for an ayatollah.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026
Historically, rather than keeping power and knowledge to themselves, Islamic scholars shared both with the masses — facilitating education and the promotion of independent thinking, known in Islam as ijtihad.
From Washington Post • Oct. 30, 2017
But their efforts were increasingly disapproved of, and now it is widely held among orthodox Sunnis that interpretation is no longer permitted - or, as the saying goes, "the gate of ijtihad is closed".
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2015
They even depend on traditional Islamic principles such as ijtihad to, some may say, do away with other traditional Islamic principles.
From Time • Apr. 16, 2014
The commission appealed to the right of ijtihad, or exercise of individual judgment within the broad framework of the revealed word.
From Time Magazine Archive
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
