Usulists

Usulists are adherents of Usulism, a school of Twelver Shia jurisprudence that emphasizes a systematic method for deriving religious rulings (usul al-fiqh) and the role of qualified jurists in applying ijtihad. They argue that legal principles come from a defined set of sources and that learned jurists may interpret texts to address new circumstances, rather than relying solely on transmitted traditions.

A central feature of Usulism is the acceptance of four primary sources for jurisprudence: the Quran, the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet and the Imams), consensus among qualified jurists (ijma), and reason (aql). In practice, Usulis view reason as a legitimate tool for deriving rules when texts are ambiguous or silent, which allows reinterpretation in response to changing social and political conditions. This approach contrasts with the Akhbari view within Shia Islam, which prioritizes textual reports and limits the use of independent reasoning and analogy (qiyas).

Historically, Usulism emerged and gained prominence in the 17th to 19th centuries, expanding under the influence of scholars based in Najaf and later in Qom. The movement helped shift many Shia communities toward a system in which learned jurists could exercise independent legal reasoning and, over time, establish formal authorities such as marjaʿ al-taqlīd (sources of emulation) who guide the community’s religious practice.

Today, Usulism remains the dominant approach in many Shia seminaries, shaping contemporary jurisprudence, clerical leadership, and the structure of religious authority across major Shia communities.