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• n  the endeavor of a Moslem scholar to derive a rule of divine law from the Koran and Hadith without relying on the views of other scholars; by the end of the 10th century theologians decided that debate on such matters would be closed and Muslim theology and law were frozen
  some reform-minded Islamic scholars believe that reopening ijtihad is a prerequisite for the survival of Islam

• Her call for a resurrection of ijtihad the early tradition of challenge and inquiry that demanded a re-interpretation of the Koran relevant to the current era is bold.
• Indonesia boasts thriving centers of Islamic scholarship, which have revived a historic task now abandoned by much of the Muslim world, especially the Middle East: ijtihad the .
• While Sunni Islam effectively abandoned ijtihad in the 10th century, the practice remains an essential core of Shi'ism.

Quotes

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• Allama Iqbal in The News - International
  Explaining the causes of the intellectual attitude "which reduced the law of Islam practically to a state of immobility", Iqbal argued: "The closing of the door of ijtihad is pure fiction suggested partly by the crystallisation of legal...
• Hassan al-Turabi in Christian Science Monitor
  The gates of ijtihad [interpretation] in Islam are always open,says Turabi, in the parlor of his large home in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
• Irshad Manji in OCRegister
  On her Web site, Manji writes: "There's no doubt that some young Muslims detest me and my message of ijtihad. They tend to be the vocal and vitriolic ones. But everywhere I go, I'm quietly approached by Muslims, especially young women, who are...