An Examination of the Moderate Ijtihad Method from the Perspective of Abdullah bin Bayyah and Its Application in the Formulation of Islamic Law

Abstract

Fiqh is a product of ijtihad developed through a dialectical process between textual sources and real-world contexts. Fiqh has various characteristics, some rigid and complex, while others are more flexible and adaptable. Rigid fiqh is produced by an ijtihad that is fixated on textual understanding without exploring its maqashid (objectives), while excessively flexible fiqh is formulated from an ijtihad that emphasizes maqashid while discarding the texts (nas).