mujtahid

American  

[mooj-tah-hid] / mudʒˈtɑ hɪd /

noun

Islam.

1. a person who has been certified as capable of interpreting religious law.

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Etymology

Origin of mujtahid

1805–15; < Arabic: literally, one who exerts himself; ijtihad

Example Sentences

In 2022, a news outlet associated with the seminary in the holy city of Qom referred to him as an “ayatollah” for the first time, suggesting he had reached the rank of mujtahid.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

The supreme leader must also be a mujtahid, a cleric qualified to issue religious rulings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

Alireza Arafi, whose name has also come up as a potential successor, attained the rank of an ayatollah, or mujtahid, after publishing over 20 books and articles on Islamic jurisprudence and philosophy.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

There was, in the city of Najaf, among the disciples of the widely known mujtahid, Shaykh Murtadá, a man without likeness or peer.

From Memorials of the Faithful by `Abdu'l-Bahá

With praises showered upon him, he received his new rank from the mujtahid.

From Memorials of the Faithful by `Abdu'l-Bahá