Critique and taqlid (blind imitation) are opposites. Where taqlid prevails, critique cannot thrive, and where genuine critique flourishes, taqlid disappears. In contrast, ijtihad (independent reasoning) inherently requires critique. Without an environment of critique, the process of ijtihad cannot continue.
However, critique must be genuine and constructive, not mere fault-finding. True critique involves scientific and logical analysis, whereas fault-finding is driven by the desire to highlight flaws and level accusations. When critique devolves into fault-finding, it ceases to be meaningful and becomes mere slander, devoid of intellectual value.
After the Crusades, certain Christian clergymen authored books criticizing Islam and Muslims, depicting Arabs as a barbaric nation. One of their claims was that Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Islam, ordered the burning of the great library of Alexandria after the conquest of Egypt, leading to the destruction of its priceless collection of books.
A common response to this accusation has been to dismiss these individuals as enemies of Islam seeking revenge for their defeat in the Crusades. Such responses often allege that the story of the library’s burning was fabricated as part of a conspiracy. However, this approach does not constitute constructive criticism. By its nature, it amounts to slander rather than a scholarly rebuttal of the clergymen’s claims.
Later, some scholars approached the issue differently. Through rigorous historical investigation, they demonstrated that the claim was entirely baseless. They established that the library of Alexandria was not burned on the orders of Umar ibn al-Khattab. In fact, at the time of the Islamic conquest in 642 CE, the library no longer existed. Historical records show that the Roman ruler Julius Caesar had destroyed the library in 48 BCE, centuries before the Arab conquest. (For details, see Philip K. Hitti’s History of the Arab’s, page 166.)
This second method represents an example of scientific criticism. Criticism is not a vice; it is a vital tool for intellectual progress. Without a critical environment, the process of intellectual growth halts. The real choice before us is not between criticism and non-criticism but between criticism and intellectual stagnation. Without critique, intellectual development ceases altogether.
The process of ijtihad occurs through open discussion. Ijtihad is essentially the pursuit of the unknown through the known. It begins with existing knowledge and seeks answers to emerging questions. In an open environment where ideas are freely expressed, a clash of perspectives occurs, revealing new dimensions of the matter. This free exchange of ideas leads to scrutiny and, ultimately, to the research-based conclusions that are the true goal of intellectual inquiry. This intellectual journey is what defines ijtihad.
Both in theory and practice, ijtihad is an essential aspect of life and guarantees the development of any social group. When the process of ijtihad ceases, progress within that group comes to a halt. However, for ijtihad to proceed effectively, criticism is indispensable. Only those who are willing to tolerate and embrace critique can fully benefit from ijtihad. Those who lack the temperament to listen to and accept criticism with an open heart will never achieve the intellectual success that comes with forming an ijtihadi opinion.
To further illustrate this, two contrasting examples are presented below.
