Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the Renewal of Islamic Legal Reasoning: Reconstructing a Contemporary Framework of Ijtihād for Emerging Muslim Contexts

Abstract

Purpose - The accelerating transformation of Muslim societies has generated complex legal and ethical questions that classical juristic formulations did not directly anticipate, creating ongoing debates between textualist and reformist approaches to Islamic legal renewal. Yusuf al-Qaradawi (1926–2022) represents one of the most influential modern jurists who sought to bridge these orientations; however, previous scholarship has often examined his ideas as fragmented positions rather than as an integrated methodological framework. This study aims to reconstruct al-Qaradawi’s methodology of contemporary ijtihād and evaluate its explanatory capacity and limitations in addressing emerging Muslim contexts.

Design/Methodology/Approach - This study employed a qualitative library research design based on a purposively selected corpus of eight primary Arabic works by al-Qaradawi concerning ijtihād, uṣūl al-fiqh, maqāṣid al-sharīʿah, priorities, and jihād, complemented by twenty-four secondary studies. Data were analysed through thematic content analysis and conceptual reconstruction, supported by source triangulation and interpretive cross-validation to ensure methodological consistency.

Findings - The study identifies five interconnected dimensions underlying al-Qaradawi’s contemporary ijtihād framework: (1) textual fidelity grounded in the Qur’an, Sunnah, and uṣūl al-fiqh; (2) contextual diagnosis through fiqh al-wāqiʿ; (3) purposive reasoning through maqāṣid al-sharīʿah while remaining subordinate to authoritative texts; (4) consequence evaluation through fiqh al-maʾālāt; and (5) collective ijtihād as an epistemic mechanism. A critical examination of several contested rulings demonstrates that the framework provides a strong contextual-integrative approach, yet its primary limitation lies in the absence of a clearly specified procedure for resolving tensions between maqāṣid-based considerations and particular textual evidence.

Originality/Value - This study contributes to Islamic legal theory by transforming al-Qaradawi’s dispersed juristic writings into a structured and testable five-dimensional methodological framework. Rather than evaluating his contribution solely as a doctrinal position, the study demonstrates its procedural significance and identifies both its operational strengths and unresolved tensions. The proposed framework provides an auditable analytical model for fatwa institutions, Islamic legal education, and future research on contemporary Islamic law, particularly in addressing complex issues where textual authority, contextual realities, and public benefit must be simultaneously considered.