The “Ijtihadi” Interpretation Theory and its Place in Interpreting the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The process of interpretation needs an interpretive theory more than it needs methods and schools of interpretation. A theory that responds well to the essential question of the nature of interpretation and legitimizes the interpretation provided by the interpreter. This paper, using a descriptive-analytical approach and utilizing library resources, attempts to respond to the question of what constitutes the correct interpretive theory and what its elements are. For this purpose, it will introduce the “ijtihadi” (scholarly effort) interpretation theory. This theory considers interpretation as  part of the legal system and its response to the issue at hand. Furthermore, considering the two important pillars of any legal system namely the principles and goals of the system, this theory believes that correct interpretation is an interpretation that from an existential point of view is based on the foundations of the legal system and from a functional point of view fulfills the objectives of the legal system.