Permissible and Impermissible Taqlīd
Issue No.1- It is not permissible for a Muslim to follow a Mujtahid in the fundamentals of religion; he must believe in them with his own insight and understanding. However, he should follow a Mujtahid in the branches of religion, i.e., practical laws or codes of practice. If he himself is a Mujtahid (a jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious jurist who is capable of inferring and deducing divine laws from religious sources), he can act upon his own views but if he is not a Mujtahid, he should follow an expert in this field in the same way as people, who do not have the expertise and information in some matters, refer to experts and seek their advice. He who is not a Mujtahid can also act on such precaution that should assure him that he has fulfilled his religious obligations. For example, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be haram while others say that it is mubāḥ (permissible), he should not perform that act. Similarly, if some Mujtahids consider an act to be obligatory (wājib) while others consider it to be mustaḥab (recommended), he should perform it. However, since it is difficult to act on precaution (iḥtīyāṭ) as, relatively speaking, it demands a considerable amount of knowledge on Islamic jurisprudential issues, the best way for the general public is to refer to a Mujtahid and follow him.
