What Is the Meaning of Imitation?
Imitation in Linguistics
Linguistically, the word "imitation" [Taqlid] is derived from the necklace which is hung around the neck.1
We always hear the discourse which is ascribed to Imam Al-Husayn (God’s peace bestowed upon him): "Death was decreed on the mankind as the necklace is put around the neck of the girl."2 It is said, "I adorned him with a necklace" i.e. I put it around his neck.
The process of putting the necklace around the neck may be considered to be a sensible materialistic one, like when one is adorned with the national badge of honour i.e. the badge of honour is put around his neck.
This process may as well be considered to be an immaterial one when it is meant to assign someone with a certain trust or responsibility as we say for the one who is going to visit the purified shrines, "I assign you with the supplication and the visit" i.e. I entrust you with them as the necklace is put around the neck. This is equivalent in meaning to imposition. Under this meaning came the discourse of succession: God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) assigned the succession to Imam Ali (God’s peace bestowed upon him) i.e., he imposed it on him, put it around his neck, and gave it over to him.3
Imitation In Religion
On the basis of this meaning, the scholars agreed on calling the acceptance of the other’s saying without proof as [Taqlid] imitation. It is so because the imitator in the religious issues is actually putting the saying of the one imitated, whether true or false, as a necklace around his neck.
The Noble Qur’an dispraises those who imitate their fathers with respect to their creed. The Most High God says,
قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
“They say: Nay! we follow what we found our fathers upon. What! and though their fathers had no sense at all, nor did they follow the right way” (Surah Al-Baqara, 2:170).
Imitation In Jurisprudence
Under the above-mentioned linguistic meaning, the term "imitation" was used in the Islamic jurisprudence. When one follows a certain jurisprudent in his religious opinion, he is then working on the responsibility of that jurisprudent as if he has put the necklace around the neck of the reference of imitation as an expression of assigning him with the responsibility on the Day of Judgement.
When one imitates the reference correctly, he will not be asked on the Day of Judgement for the details of the deeds which he performed on the responsibility of the reference of imitation. The one who is responsible for these deeds is the reference himself.
Imam Al-Khomeini (May his secret be sacred) defined the imitation in Tahreer Al-Waseela by saying, "The imitation is to work on the basis of the religious opinion of a certain jurisprudent.4
The meaning of the term "imitation" has a continuation under the title "How do we imitate?" Before, we are going to answer a question which is related to the origin of imitation i.e. "Why do we imitate?" Let us turn to it.
