Muslim Society and the Concept of Ijtihad

A  Comparative Study of the Scholarly Insights of Allama Iqbal and Syed Maududi

Abstract

This research article, entitled “Muslim Society and the Concept of Ijtihad: A Comparative Study of the Intellectual Insights of Allama Iqbal and Syed Maududi”, undertakes an exploration of the role of ijtihad in shaping the contours of modern Muslim thoughts and practices. It focuses particularly on the comparative perspectives of two influential twentieth-century Muslim thinkers: Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Syed Abul A‘la Maududi. The central aim of this study is to analyse how both scholars conceptualised ijtihad as a dynamic and vital principle of Islamic law and society, and to evaluate their respective contributions to the revival of Muslim intellectual life in the modern era.

            Methodologically, the research adopts a qualitative, analytical, and comparative approach. It draws upon primary sources such as Iqbal’s The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam and Maududi’s Khilafat o Malookiat, Tarjumaan-ul Quran and Tafheem-ul Quran, supplemented by secondary resources like scholarly works and journal articles. Employing a comparative framework, the study analyses their approaches with reference to three dimensions: philosophical orientation, institutional models, and the practical applicability of ijtihad within contemporary Muslim societies.

            The key findings reveal that for Allama Iqbal, ijtihad is envisioned as a creative and philosophical enterprise, indispensable for the intellectual rejuvenation of Muslim society, and he advocated its institutionalisation through democratic mechanisms such as the parliament. Syed Maududi, by contrast, understood ijtihad as a systematic, jurisprudential, and institutional process to be carried out by a council of qualified scholars under the supremacy of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Both thinkers rejected the notion of blind imitation (taqlid) and consistently highlighted ijtihad as the lifeblood of Islamic vitality.

            The study concludes that Iqbal embodies the spirit of ijtihad, whereas Maududi provides its structural framework. Taken together, their intellectual legacy offers a balanced and comprehensive model for addressing the complex challenges facing Muslim societies in the contemporary era.