The Verse "Follow Those Who Are Guided"
Another verse cited in support of taqlid is verse 21 of Surah Ya Sin:
Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided. (36:21)
The Verse Does Not Indicate Imitation
- Similar to the previous verses, this verse is about following (ittibā'), not imitation (taqlid), and following is different from imitation. Just as when a Muslim researches the faith fundamentals and beliefs and attains conviction in God's oneness, justice, the truth of the Qur'an, the finality of prophethood with Muhammad (p), the Imamate of the Imams (a), etc., he is still following them — similarly, if someone researches rulings too and follows with open eyes and ears, he is still following them and has acted upon the command of this verse.
- Even if we accept that the verse commands imitation, it only states two conditions that might be met by two or more people simultaneously. That is, several people may at the same time not ask for payment and all be perceived as guided. In that case, the verse would permit imitation of all of them — whereas in the current system, one must imitate only one person.
The Stated Conditions Cannot Be Evaluated Through Imitation
- One of the conditions mentioned in the verse is that the person being referred to is among the guided. The problem is: if we do not ask them for the proofs of their rulings, how do we know they are guided? When one marja' says interest-based loans or praying behind an imam who receives a salary is halal, and another says it is haram, if people do not ask and evaluate their reasoning, there is no other way to distinguish guidance from misguidance. The very fact that in taqlid it is said "the responsibility of discernment lies with the marja'" is conclusive proof that there is no guarantee regarding their being guided. If the condition of being guided were verified, it would be meaningless for someone to say "if you go astray, the responsibility is mine"!
- If this verse is about taqlid, the condition of not asking for payment does not apply to current maraji' either. For two reasons. First, we know that the educational expenses of seminary students and the administration of schools and seminaries are paid from the people's religious dues (wujūhāt), and from among these students, some reach the level of ijtihad. Second, they may not ask for payment directly, but they receive it indirectly. Regarding past maraji', there is no evidence to judge, and no accusation should be made. However, the very mention of such a condition for taqlid is sufficient that, after centuries, some impure individuals might learn not to ask people for payment directly to meet this condition of marja'iyya, while still obtaining material and spiritual reward by gathering many followers and directing them — through fame, acquiring political position and status, and in a word, benefiting from directing followers.
- Most of us are probably familiar with various instances of this approach — for example, famous social media personalities who do not take money from their followers but receive their compensation through direct and indirect promotion of specific content. There are certainly many differences between marja'iyya and such personalities, but this example merely illustrates that receiving reward is not only direct, and such conditions cannot be verified for maraji' taqlid — there is simply no way to do so.
Disproportion Between the Wording and the Inferred Meaning
Beyond the above, the wording of this verse is not appropriate for expressing a foundational ruling that determines the cornerstone of people's religion and worldly life across all times and places. The context is a story about three prophets inviting people, when a man came from afar and this verse quotes him telling his people to follow those who do not ask for payment and are guided — it is not stating a universal ruling for all of humanity. There are examples of God giving incidental peripheral lessons within stories (e.g., in the story of Moses and the daughters of Shu'ayb, the manner of walking with modesty is noted as an ethical point). But to infer from such a story — in the middle of a narrative about previous prophets, quoting one man addressing his people — that God intended to establish the entire mechanism of taqlid for Muslims and have them build Islam on this foundation is not plausible. The general lesson this verse imparts is that in matters of following, one should reflect on what compensation the individuals might receive and whether they are guided or not — both of which require that we do not imitate them and instead ask for their proofs.
Parent page: The Qur'an Has Not Recommended Taqlid
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