I wanted to ask if it is compulsory to follow a Madhab? Some Moulanas say that it is compulsory to follow a Madhab & to blindly follow it as they say that all the Madhabs are 100% correct & that the differences are just because they had different approaches on how they interpreted texts from the Qur'an & Hadith.
Can you please make a list of quotes from the 4 Madhab imams warning against Taqlid with references & please share pictures of their quotes from the books
بارك الله فيكم
Following a particular madhhab
is not compulsory in Islam, and
blind taqlid of any imam is
prohibited by the Qur’an, Sunnah, and by the statements of the four imams themselves. The obligation in the Shari‘ah is
submission to the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah, not binding oneself to a single human authority.
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1. Qur’anic Evidence Against Blind Taqlid
﴿اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ﴾
[الأعراف: 3]
“Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow besides Him any patrons.”
﴿وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا﴾
[النور: 54]
“If you obey him (the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم), you will be guided.”
﴿لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
[الحجرات: 1]
“Do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger.”
﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾
[الإسراء: 36]
“And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge.”
This ayah is used by scholars to show that following opinions without knowing their evidence is invalid.
﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ﴾
[التوبة: 31]
“They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah.”
The scholars state that this applies to anyone who
accepts human opinions in religion without evidence, elevating them above revelation.
﴿قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ﴾
[البقرة: 111]
“Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.”
This ayah establishes that
proof, not imitation, is the basis of religion.
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2. Hadith Evidence Against Taqlid
«تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمْ أَمْرَيْنِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا مَا تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةَ نَبِيِّهِ»
“ I am leaving among you two matters; you will never go astray as long as you hold firmly to them: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet.”
[موطأ مالك، حديث 1395]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did
not instruct the ummah to bind itself to any imam or madhhab.
Another hadith describes the condition of later generations:
«فَيَبْقَى نَاسٌ جُهَّالٌ، يُسْتَفْتَوْنَ فَيُفْتُونَ بِرَأْيِهِمْ، فَيَضِلُّونَ وَيُضِلُّونَ»
“People will remain who are ignorant; they will be asked for fatwa, and they will issue verdicts based on their opinions, so they will go astray and lead others astray.”
[صحيح البخاري 7307]
This is exactly the condition of blind taqlid.
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3. Scholarly Definitions: What is Taqlid?
Imam Ibn Abd al Barr رحمه الله defined taqlid as:
والتقليد أن تقول بقوله، وأنت لا تعرف وجه القول، ولا معناه، وتأبى من سواه، او أن يتبين لك خطأه، فتتبعه مهابة خلافه، وانت قد بان لك فساد قوله، وهذا محرم القول به فى دين الله سبحانه وتعالى.
[جامع بيان العلم وفضله 2/787]
Translation:
“Taqlid is that you accept a person’s statement while you do not know the proof or its meaning, and you reject all other views. Or when his mistake becomes clear, you still continue following him out of fear of contradicting him. This is prohibited in the religion of Allah.”
Ibn al Qayyim رحمه الله said:
“والتقليد ليس بعلم باتفاق أهل العلم.”
“Taqlid is not knowledge, by agreement of the scholars.”
[إعلام الموقعين 2/169]
He also said:
“فإنه ليس علما باتفاق الناس.”
“It is not knowledge according to the agreement of all people.”
[إعلام الموقعين 2/215]
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4. Statements of the Four Madhhab Imams Against Taqlid
These statements come from your provided material and its references.
4.1 Imam Abu Hanifah رحمه الله
“إذا جاء الحديث الصحيح فهو مذهبي.”
“When the authentic hadith is found, that is my madhhab.”
[إعلام الموقعين 2/309]
“حرام على من لم يعرف دليلي أن يفتي بكلامي.”
“It is forbidden for anyone who does not know my evidence to give fatwa based on my words.”
[إعلام الموقعين 2/302]
4.2 Imam Malik رحمه الله
“كل يؤخذ من قوله ويترك إلا صاحب هذا القبر.”
“Everyone’s statement may be accepted or rejected, except the one in this grave.” (Meaning: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم)
[جامع بيان العلم وفضله 2/91]
“إنما أنا بشر أخطئ وأصيب، فاعرضوا قولي على الكتاب والسنة.”
“I am only a human; I make mistakes and I am correct. So examine my words in light of the Book and the Sunnah.”
4.3 Imam al Shafi‘i رحمه الله
“إذا صح الحديث فهو مذهبي.”
“If the hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab.”
[الرسالة ص 599]
“إذا رأيتم كلامي يخالف حديث رسول الله فاضربوا بكلامي الحائط.”
“If you find my statement contradicting the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, then throw my statement against the wall.”
4.4 Imam Ahmad بن حنبل رحمه الله
“لا تقلدني ولا تقلد مالكا ولا الشافعي ولا الأوزاعي ولا الثوري.”
“Do not make taqlid of me, nor Malik, nor Shafi‘i, nor Awza‘i, nor Sufyan al Thawri.”
[إعلام الموقعين 2/302]
“العجب ممن يعرف الحديث صحته ثم يذهب إلى قول سفيان.”
“How strange is the one who knows that a hadith is authentic, yet he follows the statement of Sufyan.”
[جامع بيان العلم 2/32]
“من رد حديث رسول الله فهو على شفا هلكة.”
“Whoever rejects the hadith of the Messenger of Allah stands upon the edge of destruction.”
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Conclusion
● Following one madhhab is
not compulsory.
● Blind taqlid is
prohibited by Qur’an, Sunnah, and the Salaf.
● The four imams themselves
forbade taqlid and instructed the ummah to follow sahih evidence.
● The correct approach is
اتباع (following dalil), not taqlid.
