taqlid means conformity to traditional legal decisions in Shari'a jurisprudence. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
taqlid is pronounced /tækˈliːd/.
Why “taqlid” is a great word
TAQLID — [Noun] In Islamic jurisprudence, the acceptance and adherence to the legal rulings of a qualified religious scholar without necessarily examining the scriptural proofs. From Arabic تَقْلِيد (taqlīd, "imitation, following"), from the root ق ل د (q-l-d), relating to placing something around the neck, such as a necklace (qilādah). Unlike *ijtihad* (the strenuous independent reasoning from foundational texts) or *itba* (following with a conscious understanding of the evidence), *taqlid* is the act of donning a pre-forged chain of legal reasoning. It is the trusted map handed to a traveler, the inherited key that opens a door whose lock one has not studied, the quiet comfort of a borrowed certainty—a submission not to ignorance, but to the profound relief of a burden shared.
noun
- Conformity to traditional legal decisions in Shari'a jurisprudence.“Muslims must not imagine that their sole duty was taqlid, the emulation of a jurist.”