Why Follow Only One Imam if All Four Are on the Truth?
Derived from: Fatawa Ilmiyyah, Vol 1, Kitab al-Aqa'id, Page 187
Some people say that all four Imams are on the truth, yet they follow only one. Please clarify in the light of the Qur'an and Hadith how the Imams are on the truth, and to what extent it is permissible to follow them.
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The four Imams — Imam Abu Ḥanīfah, Imam Mālik, Imam Shāfi‘ī, and Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (رحمهم الله) — held an esteemed position in knowledge, piety, and ijtihād (independent reasoning). Their contributions to the Muslim Ummah are indeed commendable.
However, the Qur'an and Sunnah do not command the blind following (taqlīd muṭlaq) of any particular Imam. Instead, the command is to follow the truth, that is, the Qur'an and Sunnah.
﴿اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾
(Surah al-A‘rāf 7:3)
Translation: “Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow any protectors besides Him. Little do you remember.”
﴿وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا﴾
(Surah al-Nūr 24:54)
Translation: “If you obey him (the Prophet ﷺ), you will be rightly guided.”
These verses clearly demonstrate that true guidance lies in the Qur'an and Sunnah, not in the absolute imitation of any particular Imam.
"تركتُ فيكم أمرينِ لن تضلُّوا ما تمسَّكتم بهما: كتابَ اللهِ وسنَّةَ نبيِّه"
(Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik, Ḥadīth: 1395)
Translation: “I am leaving behind two things among you. As long as you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet.”
﴿لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
(Surah al-Ḥujurāt 49:1)
Translation: “Do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger.”
All four Imams forbade blind following of their own opinions when a sound Hadith contradicted them:
✔ Imam Abu Ḥanīfah (رحمه الله):
“When a Hadith is found to be authentic, then that is my madhhab.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn, Vol. 2, p. 309)
✔ Imam Mālik (رحمه الله):
“Every person’s opinion can be accepted or rejected except that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
(Jāmi‘ Bayān al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlih, Vol. 2, p. 91)
✔ Imam Shāfi‘ī (رحمه الله):
“When an authentic Hadith is established, then abandon my view and adopt the Hadith.”
(Al-Risālah, p. 599)
✔ Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (رحمه الله):
“Do not follow my opinion, nor that of Mālik, Shāfi‘ī, Awzā‘ī, or Thawrī. Rather, take from where they took.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn, Vol. 2, p. 302)
① All four Imams were upon the truth.
② However, they themselves forbade absolute imitation (taqlīd muṭlaq).
③ According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, true guidance lies in the obedience of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
④ A statement of any Imam should be accepted only when it aligns with the Qur'an and Sunnah, otherwise, it should be discarded.
⑤ Therefore, taqlīd must be conditional — if the Imam's view aligns with Qur'an and Sunnah, it is to be accepted; if not, it is to be set aside.
This is the stance of the Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
هَذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Derived from: Fatawa Ilmiyyah, Vol 1, Kitab al-Aqa'id, Page 187
❖ Question:
Some people say that all four Imams are on the truth, yet they follow only one. Please clarify in the light of the Qur'an and Hadith how the Imams are on the truth, and to what extent it is permissible to follow them.
❖ Answer:
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The four Imams — Imam Abu Ḥanīfah, Imam Mālik, Imam Shāfi‘ī, and Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (رحمهم الله) — held an esteemed position in knowledge, piety, and ijtihād (independent reasoning). Their contributions to the Muslim Ummah are indeed commendable.
However, the Qur'an and Sunnah do not command the blind following (taqlīd muṭlaq) of any particular Imam. Instead, the command is to follow the truth, that is, the Qur'an and Sunnah.
◈ Evidence from the Qur'an:
﴿اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾
(Surah al-A‘rāf 7:3)
Translation: “Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow any protectors besides Him. Little do you remember.”
﴿وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا﴾
(Surah al-Nūr 24:54)
Translation: “If you obey him (the Prophet ﷺ), you will be rightly guided.”
These verses clearly demonstrate that true guidance lies in the Qur'an and Sunnah, not in the absolute imitation of any particular Imam.
◈ Evidence from Hadith:
"تركتُ فيكم أمرينِ لن تضلُّوا ما تمسَّكتم بهما: كتابَ اللهِ وسنَّةَ نبيِّه"
(Muwaṭṭa’ Mālik, Ḥadīth: 1395)
Translation: “I am leaving behind two things among you. As long as you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet.”
﴿لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ﴾
(Surah al-Ḥujurāt 49:1)
Translation: “Do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger.”
◈ The Position of the Four Imams on Taqlīd:
All four Imams forbade blind following of their own opinions when a sound Hadith contradicted them:
✔ Imam Abu Ḥanīfah (رحمه الله):
“When a Hadith is found to be authentic, then that is my madhhab.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn, Vol. 2, p. 309)
✔ Imam Mālik (رحمه الله):
“Every person’s opinion can be accepted or rejected except that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
(Jāmi‘ Bayān al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlih, Vol. 2, p. 91)
✔ Imam Shāfi‘ī (رحمه الله):
“When an authentic Hadith is established, then abandon my view and adopt the Hadith.”
(Al-Risālah, p. 599)
✔ Imam Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (رحمه الله):
“Do not follow my opinion, nor that of Mālik, Shāfi‘ī, Awzā‘ī, or Thawrī. Rather, take from where they took.”
(I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn, Vol. 2, p. 302)
✿ Conclusion:
① All four Imams were upon the truth.
② However, they themselves forbade absolute imitation (taqlīd muṭlaq).
③ According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, true guidance lies in the obedience of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
④ A statement of any Imam should be accepted only when it aligns with the Qur'an and Sunnah, otherwise, it should be discarded.
⑤ Therefore, taqlīd must be conditional — if the Imam's view aligns with Qur'an and Sunnah, it is to be accepted; if not, it is to be set aside.
This is the stance of the Ahl al-Ḥadīth.
هَذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
