Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Baraktuh
O my Dear Respected Brothers & Sisters, I ask Allah to have mercy upon the Ummah of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah May Allah’s Peace Mercy and Blessings be upon him.
I noticed that me myself used to stick strictly to one madhab and used to have respect for the other three imams, but used to think that the other madhab was not better than my own, after seeking knowlodge allah has guided me, may allah keep on guiding me and make my death to be in the state of al islam.
The followers of the madhhabs are not all the same. Some of them are mujtahids within their madhhab, and some are followers (muqallids) who do not go against their madhhabs in any regard.
Al-Buwayti, al-Muzani, al-Nawawi and Ibn Hajr were followers of Imam al-Shaafa’i, but they were also mujtahids in their own right and differed with their imam when they had evidence. Similarly Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr was a Maaliki but he differed with Maalik if the correct view was held by someone else. The same may be said of the Hanafi imams such as Abu Yoosuf and Muhammad al-Shaybaani, and the Hanbali imams such as Ibn Qudaamah, Ibn Muflih and others.
The fact that a student studied with a madhhab does not mean that he cannot go beyond it if he finds sound evidence elsewhere; the only one who stubbornly clings to a particular madhhab (regardless of the evidence) is one who lacking in religious commitment and intellect, or he is doing that because of partisan attachment to his madhhab.
The advice of the leading imams is that students should acquire knowledge from where they acquired it, and they should ignore the words of their imams if they go against the hadeeth of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Abu Haneefah said: “This is my opinion, but if there comes someone whose opinion is better than mine, then accept that.”
Maalik said: “I am only human, I may be right or I may be wrong, so measure my words by the Qur’aan and Sunnah.”
As-Shaafa’i said: “If the hadeeth is saheeh, then ignore my words. If you see well established evidence, then this is my view.” Imam Ahmad said: “Do not follow me blindly, and do not follow Maalik or al-Shaafa’i or al-Thawri blindly. Learn as we have learned.” And he said, “Do not follow men blindly with regard to your religion, for they can never be safe from error.” No one has the right to follow an imam blindly and never accept anything but his worlds. Rather what he must do is accept that which is in accordance with the truth, whether it is from his imam or anyone else.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
No one has to blindly follow any particular man in all that he enjoins or forbids or recommends, apart from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Muslims should always refer their questions to the Muslim scholars, following this one sometimes and that one sometimes. If the follower decides to follow the view of an imam with regard to a particular matter which he thinks is better for his religious commitment or is more correct etc, that is permissible according to the majority of Muslim scholars, and neither Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al-Shaafa’i or Ahmad said that this was forbidden.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 23/382.
Shaykh Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Rather what the believer must do, if the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have reached him and he understands them with regard to any matter, is to act in accordance with them, no matter who he may be disagreeing with. This is what our Lord and our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) have enjoined upon us, and all the scholars are unanimously agreed on that, apart from the ignorant blind followers and the hard-hearted. Such people are not scholars.
Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, p. 546
Based on this, there is nothing wrong with a Muslim being a follower of a certain madhhab, but if it becomes clear to him that the truth (concerning a given matter) is different from the view of his madhhab, then he must follow the truth.
And allah Knows best.
"Seeking of knowledge is an obligation on each and every Muslim." Reported by Abu Hanifa upon the authority of Anas ibn Malik. Many books of biography mention two chains of transmition for this Hadith.
The Imam abu hanifa said, "I heard Abdullah ibn Juz’ al-Zabidi, the companion of the Prophet (saw), saying, "Whoever learned the knowledge of religion, Allah will protect him from worries and will provide him with sustenance from where he does not expect."
Here is a well-known saying that is ascribed to Abu Hanifa and al-Shafi'e : 'It is part and parcel of my school of thought to follow every sound Hadith'.
Imam as-Shafi'e said: 'If anyone finds that there is some contradiction between an opinion of mine and a sound Hadith, one has to disregard my opinion'.
Imam Malik said: 'Everyone's sayings are subject to be followed or rejected except those of Allah's Messenger'.
Imam Abu Haneefah said: “If the hadeeth is saheeh then that is my madhhab.” And he said: “It is not permissible for anyone to follow what we say if they do not know where we got it from.” According to another report he said: “It is haraam for the one who does not know my evidence to issue a fatwa based on my words.” And according to another report he added: “We are human, we may say something today and retract it tomorrow.” And he said: “If I say something that goes against the Book of Allaah or the report of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), then ignore what I say.”
Imam Maalik said: “I am only human, sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes I get things right. Look at my opinion and whatever is in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, take it, and whatever is not in accordance with the Qur’aan and Sunnah, ignore it.” And he said: “There is no one after the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whose words cannot be taken or left, apart from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).”
Imam al-Shafi’ee said: “There is no one who will not be unaware of some of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Whatever I say or whatever guidelines I establish, if there is a report from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which is different to what I said, then what matters is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, and that is my opinion.”
Imam Ahmad said: “Do not follow me blindly, and do not follow Maalik or al-Shaafa’i or al-Thawri blindly. Learn as we have learned.” And he said, “Do not follow men blindly with regard to your religion, for they can never be safe from error.”
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “No one has to blindly follow any particular man in all that he enjoins or forbids or recommends, apart from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The Muslims should always refer their questions to the Muslim scholars, following this one sometimes and that one sometimes. If the follower decides to follow the view of an imam with regard to a particular matter which he thinks is better for his religious commitment or is more correct etc, that is permissible according to the majority of Muslim scholars, and neither Abu Haneefah, Maalik, al- Shafi’ee or Ahmad said that this was forbidden. “
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 23/382.
Please if anyone has a Discussion on this topic i need them to adhere to the islamic principals and to not talk any bad things about there fellow muslims in any regards whatsoever, but have a islamic civilised discussion.
members from any islamic political movement or any one intrested in this topic can freely ask me any questions and i will try to answer inshallah, if however i am unable i will refer your questions to
shaikh ul islam haitham al hadadd or sheikh shuaib hasan both sheikhs are very well known and respected for theire knowlodge, jazakallah khairan
waalaikum as salam
