A person is allowed to perform the rites of Islam, either by the way if ‘Ijtihad’ or ‘Taqlid’.

‘Ijtihad’ refers to the intense struggle in the way of extracting the rules of Islam from their sources, of which the most important are the Qur’an and the Ahadith (Traditions) of the infallibles (peace be upon them all) – after learning the necessary sciences (of the Islam) that enables the person to be able to extract the Ahkam (Rulings and Laws) from their sources. A person who has this intellectual power is called a ‘Mujtahid’.

‘Taqlid’ means to follow and to go behind someone, and in the context of Islam refers to following a Mujtahid; meaning that a person performs his responsibilities according to the Fatwa (Religious Verdicts) of a Mujtahid.