Personal Imitation (Taqleed): A Secret Gateway to Shirk

Derived from the book “Shirk ke Chor Darwazay” by Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi and Hafiz Mahmood al-Khizri

◈ Personal Imitation (Taqleed Shakhsi)​

One of the major hidden gateways to shirk (polytheism) is personal imitation (taqleed shakhsi). When difficult times befall any group within the Muslim Ummah, they abandon the luminous guidance of the foundational principles—Qur'an and Sunnah—and fall prey to the incurable disease of following ancestral practices. As a result, they continue descending into the dark depths of ignorance, from which there remains no path of return. This is because taqleed contradicts the fundamental principles of Shari'ah, indeed it is their very antithesis.

The core principle of Islamic Shari'ah is the belief in Tawheed (Oneness of Allah), whereas taqleed is entirely contrary to Tawheed. Any act that opposes Tawheed is counted as shirk. The following discussion elaborates on this claim:

✿ Two Forms of Shirk Denied in the Qur'an​

Allah Almighty in the Qur’an emphatically negates two forms of partnership:

① Partnership in worship:
(وَّ لَا یُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهٖۤ اَحَدًا)
(Al-Kahf: 110)
"Do not associate anyone in the worship of your Lord."

② Partnership in command and authority:
(وَّ لَا یُشْرِكُ فِیْ حُكْمِهٖۤ اَحَدًا )
(Al-Kahf: 26)
"He does not share His command with anyone."

Also, in Surah Al-Baqarah:
(یٰۤاَیُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوْا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِیْ خَلَقَكُمْ...)
(Al-Baqarah: 21)

And in Surah Az-Zumar:
(فَاعْبُدِ اللّٰهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ الدِّیْنَ)
(Az-Zumar: 2)

These verses emphasize that worship is exclusive to Allah alone. Worship, in its broader sense, includes obedience and submission. Whoever abandons the commandments of Allah and follows someone else’s laws or rulings, in essence, accepts them as lord and deity.

✿ Religious Authority Belongs Solely to Allah​

Islam is the religion ordained by Allah. Those who fabricate their own religion place themselves in Allah’s position, as described in the verse:
(اَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكٰٓؤُا شَرَعُوْا لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّیْنِ...)
(Ash-Shura: 21)

Imam Shafi’i said:
"Whoever declares something good from himself has legislated a new law."

◈ The Concept of Worship as Obedience​

When ‘Adi bin Hatim came to the Prophet ﷺ wearing a silver cross (having been a Christian), the Prophet ﷺ recited:
(اِتَّخَذُوْۤا اَحْبَارَهُمْ وَ رُهْبَانَهُمْ اَرْبَابًا...)
(At-Tawbah: 31)

When ‘Adi objected that they never worshipped their priests, the Prophet ﷺ clarified: “Did you not accept what they declared lawful and unlawful without question?”
When ‘Adi affirmed, the Prophet ﷺ said: “That is their worship.”

This hadith makes it clear that obedience and submission are forms of worship, and whoever follows another in this manner has accepted them as a lord.

✿ Imitation Equals Shirk​

The widely accepted definition of taqleed is:
"To act upon the saying of someone whose word is not a proof in Shari'ah, without any evidence."

Since obedience equals worship, and worship is only for Allah, following another person’s ruling without evidence is shirk. The Prophet ﷺ affirmed this by stating that accepting someone’s declaration of lawful or unlawful is akin to worshipping them.

◈ Statements of the Imams Against Taqleed​

✔ Imam Abu Hanifah:
"I do not follow a Tabi’i because they are men, and we are men; their imitation is not valid."

✔ Imam Shafi’i:
"If an authentic Hadith is found, that is my madhhab. If my statement contradicts the Hadith, act upon the Hadith and discard my words. Do not imitate me."

✔ Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal:
"Do not imitate me, Malik, Shafi’i, Awza’i, or Thawri. Take knowledge from where they took it (i.e., Qur'an and Sunnah).”

✿ Harmful Consequences of Taqleed​

Examples:

1. Mulla Ali Qari, in Mirqat, acknowledged a Hadith as clear and aligned with the Shafi’i view but found it very difficult to act upon due to his own school’s teachings.
2. Shaykh al-Hind Mahmood al-Hasan, admitted that the Shafi’i view was stronger in a certain issue, yet felt obliged to follow Imam Abu Hanifah due to taqleed.
3. Ibn Nujaym, in Bahr al-Raiq, wrote that even if the truth inclined toward the opposing view, following the madhhab remained obligatory.
4. Some scholars even went so far as to write:
   "May the curse of our Lord, as numerous as the grains of sand, be upon one who rejects the saying of Abu Hanifah."

✿ Effects of Taqleed on the Muslim Ummah​

Personal imitation (taqleed shakhsi) has shattered the unity of the Ummah, dividing it into factions—Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali—and led to mutual declarations of misguidance. Even fatwas were issued prohibiting prayer behind an Imam of a different madhhab.

A Real-Life Example:
When enlightened Japanese individuals inclined toward Islam in Tokyo, one group of scholars urged them to accept Hanafi madhhab, while another insisted on Shafi’i. The result? The individuals refrained from embracing Islam altogether due to this discord.

◈ Conclusion​

Taqleed shakhsi has:

❶ Distanced the Ummah from the core teachings of Islam,
❷ Caused sectarianism and religious fanaticism,
❸ Even prevented non-Muslims from entering Islam.

The true teachings of Islam promote unity, clarity, and simplicity. Those who made personal imitation obligatory have tarnished the brilliance of Islam and harmed the faith of Ibrahim (Islam).

و نعوذ بالله من هذه الخزعبلات