Taqlid in Narrative Books

In previous sections, we examined the hadiths related to taqlid. In this section, we present quotations that are not from the Infallibles (p) but show that taqlid had no place in the early sources of Islam.

In Usul al-Kafi by Shaykh Kulayni

As previously explained in several sections, Usul al-Kafi is one of the four main books of Shi'ism. In its introduction, there are statements against taqlid, and it could be said that opposing taqlid was one of the main motivations (if not the main motivation) for writing the book. Part of it reads:

"Therefore, among the people of our time, false creeds and ugly religions that possess all the conditions of disbelief and polytheism have penetrated. This depends on the success and abandonment of God Almighty. Whoever God wills to succeed and have his faith remain firm, He provides means for him to take his religion from the Book of God and the tradition of the Prophet (p) with knowledge, certainty, and insight. Such a person is more steadfast in his religion than firm mountains. And whomever God wills to abandon — and his faith becomes borrowed and unstable — God provides him with pleasing means of taqlid and interpretation without knowledge and insight. Such a person is not safe from being a believer in the morning and an unbeliever in the evening, because whenever he sees one of the great figures, he inclines toward him and accepts whatever appears good. Meanwhile, Imam (p) said: God created prophets for prophethood and they are nothing else; He created successors for succession and they are nothing else; and He made people's faith borrowed — if He wills, He makes it firm, and if He wills, He takes it away from them. And regarding them, the saying (Qur'an 6:98) is true: 'Some faith is firm and some is unstable.'"

Interestingly, Shaykh Kulayni sought refuge in God from taqlid.

In Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih

This book is also one of the four main Shi'a sources. Searching for the word "taqlid" in this book yielded almost no results. Only in the footnotes — which were clearly added in later periods — are there discussions about whether a person is a muqallid or a scholar. Beyond that, the words related to taqlid used in the main text have no positive aspect recommending taqlid or explaining its details. One example is given below, where a person is quoted saying that today he imitates Amir al-Mu'minin (p) regarding the place of his prayer:

Juwayriyah said: "By God, I will follow Amir al-Mu'minin and I will imitate him in my prayer today..."

It is clear that if taqlid were a common practice, this statement would have no necessity or meaning.

Also, the book Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni'mah by Shaykh Saduq, in two volumes, uses words from the root of taqlid only seven times, none of which explain the issue of ijtihad and taqlid! Interestingly, the title of the book, inspired by the verse "Today I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you," suggests that Islam had reached its perfection and the blessing of guidance was complete at that time. Yet our scholars, several centuries later, found the chapter on ijtihad and taqlid missing from the perfect religion, apparently finding the blessing incomplete, so they opened this chapter and added it to the sources!

In Tahdhib al-Ahkam and al-Istibsar by Shaykh Tusi

The other two main Shi'a sources — Tahdhib al-Ahkam and al-Istibsar by Shaykh Tusi — also contain the slightest trace of the mechanism of taqlid and the division of people into mujtahid, muhtat, and muqallid. There is nothing about choosing the most learned, nothing about permissibility of taqlid, and none of what is seen today at the beginning of treatises under the title of ijtihad and taqlid. All search results are either in introductions written by later scholars, or about a ruling similar to taqlid related to Hajj rituals, or about rare individuals who said they imitated someone in a particular case.

In al-Munqidh min al-Taqlid

In this book, whose author died in the early seventh century AH, a long debate is recorded containing instructive and enlightening points about the importance of acquiring knowledge and acting according to knowledge. A section concerning taqlid states:

"If it is said: Why is knowledge of God Almighty not permissible through taqlid, as a group of Hashwiyyah and al-Hayrah have supposed?
We say: Taqlid is not a way to acquire knowledge, because it is accepting the words of others and believing their statements without evidence and proof, and in such a state, truth cannot be distinguished from falsehood.
If taqlid were to be resorted to, imitating one who affirms the Creator would not be more deserving than imitating one who denies and rejects Him. And Jews, Christians, and all types of unbelievers would have to be excused for imitating their ancestors, and their beliefs would be considered knowledge. But the opposite is clear."

Interestingly, today's defenders of taqlid say "blind taqlid is bad — that is, taqlid of bad people — but taqlid of good people is permissible, and the taqlid we practice is not an example of the taqlid condemned in the Qur'an" (see There Is No Non-Blind Taqlid). The opposing party in this debate made a similar statement:

"It may be said: Taqlid of the truth is a way to knowledge, not taqlid of falsehood; in that case, what you said does not apply.
We say: And how do we distinguish taqlid of one who speaks truth from taqlid of one who speaks falsehood? If it is said: by imitating another, there is infinite regress; and if it is said: by reflection on evidence, we say: it has been established that knowledge is only attained through reflection on evidence, and the seeker of knowledge cannot act without thought and reasoning.
If it is said: Why is it not permissible that God Almighty be known through the teaching of a truthful teacher, as the Batinites believe?
We say: The answer was given earlier — that is, how do we know the truthfulness of the teacher? If they say: through another teacher, there is infinite regress; and if they say: through observation and reasoning, we say: it has been established that without observation and reasoning, knowledge is not attained.
Then they are asked: If you do not accept that a teacher's truthfulness is known only through thought and reasoning, then what proves his truthfulness? They must inevitably say: the miracle that appears through him. Then you say: A miracle only indicates this after it is known to be an act of the wise God, who does not confirm a liar. Therefore, without prior knowledge of God and His wisdom, the truthfulness of the one through whom the miracle appears cannot be known. So how can God be known through his truthfulness? Is this not making each of these two kinds of knowledge dependent on the other? Consequently, neither is attained, nor even one of them."

Note that if the entire debate text is read, it is clear that it is not only about the faith fundamentals but about performing and refraining from actions with and without knowledge. Evidence for this claim is that throughout the text, the discussion is about the responsible person (mukallaf) and performing religious duties according to thought and reasoning.

Other Early Islamic Books

In Shaykh Mufid's Amali, various narrations on different topics are cited, including the virtue of seeking knowledge and the condemnation of acting without insight, but there is no mention of taqlid. Searching for "taqlid" in this book yields only two results, one of which is a section titled "al-Risalah ila Ahl al-Taqlid," the full text of which was not found. In any case, the title itself indicates that "ahl al-taqlid" (people of taqlid) were distinct from the general Muslim public and were addressed as a specific group.

A similar situation exists for Shaykh Tusi's 890-page Amali.

When Taqlid Is Not in the Main Books, If It Is Not an Innovation, What Is It?!

Again, it must be emphasized: if the issue of taqlid were a modern issue like cryptocurrencies or praying in space and on the moon, we could say that at the time of the Infallibles (p) and the compilation of these four books, the issue had not yet been raised, and therefore no one wrote about it. But ijtihad and taqlid have been discussed since those times, and we have hadiths against it. It is impossible that God and the Infallibles (p) claimed to have perfected and completed religion and made it suitable for all future ages, yet left such an important and foundational issue without explanation. It would be an insult to their responsibility, foresight, and planning if we say that our marja's have realized this is the foremost issue and have addressed it in their treatises before anything else, but God Almighty and those great figures were not aware of it or were negligent and remiss in conveying it.

Parent page: Taqlid in the Qur'an and Narrations

Back to: Table of Contents