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The strength of the Muslim Ummah depends on the unity of Muslims. For centuries, Muslim have been divided; division is fostered by a number of differences of opinions and misinterpretations of our beautiful and perfect religion, Islam.
Among the things that have caused much confusion is whether or not we should follow a particular madhhab (school of jurisprudence). The most well-known and adhered to madhhabs are Hanafi, Shafi`i, Hanbali, and Maliki. However, there were also many other great scholars who are not as well-known as the scholars who established the abovementioned madhhabs.
So what has caused the confusion and how does one decide which madhhab to follow? Faced with this dilemma approximately 100 years ago was Sheikh Muhammad Sultan. He had received a letter from a group of Japanese people who were interested in becoming Muslim. They were somewhat confused because when they inquired from the Muslims in India, they were told that the only true path was to follow the Hanafi Madhhab. When they inquired from the Muslims in Indonesia they were told that the right path to follow was the Shafi`i Madhhab. It was this confusion that led them to inquire from Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi on the importance of following a particular madhhab.
In his book Should a Muslim Follow a Particular Madhhab, Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi writes, "Different Madhahib are personal and private opinions, judgments, and interpretations of legal points according to religious scholars and jurists. Allah and the Prophet (prayer and peace be upon him) have not ordered us to follow these opinions and interpretations."
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi was born in a small town in Azerbaijan. With a thirst for knowledge, he began his studies at a young age, reading books in the Turkish language. He then went on to study religious books in Arabic, with a special interest in logic, philosophy, and creed.
He traveled to many places to pursue his studies. First, he traveled to Turkey and stayed for a short while before he went on to Makkah. He stayed in the Hijaz (Saudi Arabia) for three years and spent all his time studying the teachings of Islam. Thereafter, he went on to Syria and learnt from many great scholars.
After Syria, he moved on to Lebanon and thereafter to Egypt where he spent time with scholars at Al-Azhar, learning from them as much as possible, and ended up buying a thousand books! After Egypt, he returned to his country.
When he returned to Azerbaijan, he taught at the school his father had established and was later made the Mufti of Shari`ah Courts. By the age of 23, he openly denounced the blind following of madhhabs. His extensive studies led him to write in refutation of blind following, which consequently led to the abolishment of worshipping shrines, tombs, and places of pilgrimage in his country.
For many, the idea of not adhering to a particular madhhab may seem absurd and some even consider it blasphemous. However, we have to consider that after the death of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), there was no such thing as a school of jurisprudence for at least 200 years. Also consider that when a person reverts to Islam, are they supposed to choose a particular madhhab?
We are commanded by Allah to remain united and to not allow divisions among us. [And hold fast, all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves](Aal `Imran 3:103).
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi further explains, "All the religious scholars of olden times who were considered to be the luminaries of Islamic knowledge, always brought evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and they always urged people to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah." In fact, all the great scholars warned people against following anyone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Malik had said, "The views and opinions of everybody may be accepted or rejected, except he who is resting in this grave" (and pointed to the grave of the Prophet).
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi's aim was to attempt to unite the Muslim Ummah and to end the practice of blindly following scholars and madhhabs, and he encouraged people to adhere only to the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
His life in Azerbaijan, however, did not remain stable. In 1917, the Bolsheviks in Russia came to power and started to kill many scholars. Some scholars were transported to far-off places where they later died. Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi was arrested several times and finally ordered to be shot. But Allah helped him escape, and in 1928 he fled to China where he remained for several years. Thereafter, he went to Makkah, settled there, and began to teach.
Among his students were visitors from Turkey, with whom he used to send letters to his family in Azerbaijan. He passed away in Makkah in 1959, leaving behind a number books he had written in Arabic and Turkish.
Among the things that have caused much confusion is whether or not we should follow a particular madhhab (school of jurisprudence). The most well-known and adhered to madhhabs are Hanafi, Shafi`i, Hanbali, and Maliki. However, there were also many other great scholars who are not as well-known as the scholars who established the abovementioned madhhabs.
So what has caused the confusion and how does one decide which madhhab to follow? Faced with this dilemma approximately 100 years ago was Sheikh Muhammad Sultan. He had received a letter from a group of Japanese people who were interested in becoming Muslim. They were somewhat confused because when they inquired from the Muslims in India, they were told that the only true path was to follow the Hanafi Madhhab. When they inquired from the Muslims in Indonesia they were told that the right path to follow was the Shafi`i Madhhab. It was this confusion that led them to inquire from Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi on the importance of following a particular madhhab.
In his book Should a Muslim Follow a Particular Madhhab, Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi writes, "Different Madhahib are personal and private opinions, judgments, and interpretations of legal points according to religious scholars and jurists. Allah and the Prophet (prayer and peace be upon him) have not ordered us to follow these opinions and interpretations."
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi was born in a small town in Azerbaijan. With a thirst for knowledge, he began his studies at a young age, reading books in the Turkish language. He then went on to study religious books in Arabic, with a special interest in logic, philosophy, and creed.
He traveled to many places to pursue his studies. First, he traveled to Turkey and stayed for a short while before he went on to Makkah. He stayed in the Hijaz (Saudi Arabia) for three years and spent all his time studying the teachings of Islam. Thereafter, he went on to Syria and learnt from many great scholars.
After Syria, he moved on to Lebanon and thereafter to Egypt where he spent time with scholars at Al-Azhar, learning from them as much as possible, and ended up buying a thousand books! After Egypt, he returned to his country.
When he returned to Azerbaijan, he taught at the school his father had established and was later made the Mufti of Shari`ah Courts. By the age of 23, he openly denounced the blind following of madhhabs. His extensive studies led him to write in refutation of blind following, which consequently led to the abolishment of worshipping shrines, tombs, and places of pilgrimage in his country.
For many, the idea of not adhering to a particular madhhab may seem absurd and some even consider it blasphemous. However, we have to consider that after the death of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), there was no such thing as a school of jurisprudence for at least 200 years. Also consider that when a person reverts to Islam, are they supposed to choose a particular madhhab?
We are commanded by Allah to remain united and to not allow divisions among us. [And hold fast, all of you together to the rope of Allah and be not divided among yourselves](Aal `Imran 3:103).
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi further explains, "All the religious scholars of olden times who were considered to be the luminaries of Islamic knowledge, always brought evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, and they always urged people to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah." In fact, all the great scholars warned people against following anyone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Imam Malik had said, "The views and opinions of everybody may be accepted or rejected, except he who is resting in this grave" (and pointed to the grave of the Prophet).
Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi's aim was to attempt to unite the Muslim Ummah and to end the practice of blindly following scholars and madhhabs, and he encouraged people to adhere only to the teachings of the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
His life in Azerbaijan, however, did not remain stable. In 1917, the Bolsheviks in Russia came to power and started to kill many scholars. Some scholars were transported to far-off places where they later died. Sheikh Al-Ma`soomi was arrested several times and finally ordered to be shot. But Allah helped him escape, and in 1928 he fled to China where he remained for several years. Thereafter, he went to Makkah, settled there, and began to teach.
Among his students were visitors from Turkey, with whom he used to send letters to his family in Azerbaijan. He passed away in Makkah in 1959, leaving behind a number books he had written in Arabic and Turkish.
