As for ijtihād, blame is lifted when its prerequisite is absent or an impediment is present, even though the underlying cause for blame remains. Blame, however, attaches to the one to whom the truth became clear yet he abandoned it, or to the one who was negligent in seeking it so that it never became clear to him, or to the one who turned away from pursuing it out of desire, laziness, or the like.

Moreover, Allah reproached the idolaters for two matters: first, that they associated with Him that for which He had sent down no authority; and second, that they declared unlawful what Allah had not made unlawful for them. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—clarified this in the ḥadīth recorded by Muslim from ʿIyāḍ ibn Ḥimār (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he said: “Allah, the Exalted, said: ‘I created My servants as pure monotheists, but the devils came to them, turned them away, made unlawful for them what I had made lawful, and commanded them to associate with Me that for which I had sent down no authority.’”

The Almighty also says: “Those who associate others with Allah will say, ‘Had Allah willed, neither we nor our fathers would have committed shirk, nor would we have declared anything unlawful.’” (al-Anʿām 6:148)