Is the door of ijtihad closed

The issue of ijtihad is one of the important issues that have been raised in the past and present. Halaq begins in this article a response to Shakht - and others - who claimed that the Sharia is rigid and petrified, and that the reason for that is what is claimed to be "closure of the door of ijtihad." Halaq traces the roots of this issue historically, attempting to answer the question: Has the door of ijtihad been closed? And who closed it?