What is the meaning of taqlid?

The questioner : ... if you would permit me ... .

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner : The one who follows a scholar without knowledge ... .
Another questioner: He is asking about the meaning of taqlid?

The Shaykh : The meaning of taqlid?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : It is following a scholar in ignorance, not with insight. If this scholar says, "This is forbidden," the one who follows him says, "Amen." Do you know why it is forbidden? I do not know. This is not permissible in Islam except out of dire necessity. However, the scholar knows why he forbade the thing; he derived it from the Qur'an, or from a hadith, or from ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) which is the scholarly consensus of the Muslim community, or from qiyas (analogical reasoning) based on his ijtihad. If the ruling is based on a verse or a hadith, it is not permissible for the one who follows him to contradict it, because this ruling is established upon the Book and the Sunnah. But if it is based on the scholar's ijtihad, it is permissible to contradict it, because he can ask another scholar who will give him a different opinion. So, the one who ... follows the opinion that appears stronger to him. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Taqlid, which is proceeding in knowledge without insight, is not permissible in Islam. Therefore, some scholars said there is no difference between a man who follows without knowledge and a beast that is led. A beast that is led does not know whether it is being led to lush pasture or to slaughter. So, the one who follows is told, "This is forbidden," and he says, "Forbidden." He is told, "This is obligatory," and he says, "Obligatory." But what is the evidence? He does not know the evidence. So, he is like the beast that is led. Yes.