Written by: Hafiz Abu Yahya Noor Puri
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi writes about the renowned Hanafi scholar Ali bin Muhammad al-Damghani:
"He refused to accept the opinion of anyone other than Imam Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad bin Hasan al-Shaybani as definitive and announced loudly in his assembly that no Mujtahid (independent jurist) remains in the world today. He was unaware of the error inherent in his statement, as he denied ijma' (consensus), which is the most solid proof in Shariah. In fact, we have no other infallible proof besides ijma'. Allah Almighty has made it the replacement for Prophethood in the Ummah of Muhammad, because our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was the Seal of the Prophets. After him, no prophet is to come; therefore, Allah made the consensus of this Ummah its substitute."
[Al-Muntazam by Ibn al-Jawzi: 9/210, 513 AH]
Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi writes about the renowned Hanafi scholar Ali bin Muhammad al-Damghani:
"He refused to accept the opinion of anyone other than Imam Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Muhammad bin Hasan al-Shaybani as definitive and announced loudly in his assembly that no Mujtahid (independent jurist) remains in the world today. He was unaware of the error inherent in his statement, as he denied ijma' (consensus), which is the most solid proof in Shariah. In fact, we have no other infallible proof besides ijma'. Allah Almighty has made it the replacement for Prophethood in the Ummah of Muhammad, because our noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was the Seal of the Prophets. After him, no prophet is to come; therefore, Allah made the consensus of this Ummah its substitute."
[Al-Muntazam by Ibn al-Jawzi: 9/210, 513 AH]