ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Taqlid

Taqlid is a big word that means following someone else's rules and opinions about religion. It's like if you were trying to play a game, but you didn't know the rules, so you asked someone who knew how to play to tell you what to do. In religion, some people follow the rules and opinions of a particular scholar or teacher, instead of trying to figure things out for themselves. They might do this because they think the scholar is really smart and knows a lot, or because it's easier than trying to figure things out on their own.

It's kind of like if you were trying to make a really complicated cake, but you didn't know how to measure things or what temperature to bake it at. You might ask someone who is really good at baking to tell you what to do, and you would follow their instructions. That's kind of like taqlid in religion - you're following the instructions of someone who knows what they're doing.

Some people think that taqlid is really important, because it helps them stay on the right path in their religion. Other people think it's not a good idea, because they think everyone should try to think for themselves and figure out what they believe. But it's up to each person to decide what they think is best.
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