Ijtihad in Modern times

Ijtihad is making the effort to interpret teachings in the Quran and Hadith such that their positive purpose is preserved in the current circumstances.

We will discuss two examples of ijtihad:

(1) Polygamy is permitted in the Quran, but through the ijtihad by progressive thinkers over the past century, the majority of Muslims now believe that polygamy is outdated, and monogamy is the best model for marriage even with its many problems.

(2) Many progressive thinkers have argued that sacrificing an animal at the time of Eid-al-Adha is not necessary. The concept of sacrifice is more general and can be fulfilled by other means such donating to charity. However, this ijtihad is still not yet accepted by the majority of Muslims