Following the Sunnah is Obligatory, Selecting a Madh`hab Is Not

[Q]: Is it obligatory upon the general populace who have not studied Islām to select and follow a specific madh`hab from the four? If so, which one do you recommend? May Allāh reward you.

Imām Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthyamīn answers:

[A]: The correct view on this issue is that it is not obligatory for anyone to select and follow one specific madh`hab and completely ignore the rest, except for the madh`hab of the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As the imams of those madhāhib sought to follow him (صلى الله عليه وسلم) but they were human beings who erred at times in certain issues of fiqh and managed to reach the truth in others. Thus, we do not support blind adoption of all the opinions of a single imām. Rather, whenever the truth is made apparent in an opinion held by any imām, it becomes obligatory to follow that opinion. This is because it is the truth, not because it happens to be the opinion of a certain person. This is our view on this issue.¹

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ bin Fawzān said:

One should adopt the truth espoused by the madh`hab only, abandoning the clear errors that it contains. In all issues, whenever the truth is apparent, regardless of whether it exists within the confines of the madh`hab one attributes himself to or another one altogether, one must adopt it. This is because whenever the Sunnah of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in a particular issue is made manifest before a person, it becomes absolutely impermissible for him to abandon it for the statement of another. For our actual role model shall always be the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Thus, we adopt the opinions of a madh`hab insofar as they are concurrent with the Sunnah of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). If an opinion that is espoused is clearly contrary to the Sunnah, then we must be cognizant of this, recognizing it as an error from that scholar that we shall refuse to implement. We will, instead, follow the Sunnah in that issue, adopting the correct opinion that is consistent with it regardless of the specific madh`hab that espouses this alternative opinion.

As for those who adopt the opinion of a particular imām in every circumstance regardless of whether he espouses that which is correct in an issue or not, then this person is considered a muqallid (blind imitator).² If he believes that taqlīd of a particular person other than the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is obligatory, then this is a form of apostasy. As Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah³ said: As for those who postulate the obligation of blindly imitating a particular person other than the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم), they should be asked to make repentance from this position. If they refuse, then they should be subject to the punishment of an apostate [i.e., trial and potential execution under Islamic law]. This is because it is not obligatory to follow anyone besides Muḥammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم). As for the imams who use their Islamic knowledge to issue fatāwá, striving to reach the truth in issues of fiqh, we implement their opinions that are concordant with the Sunnah. If—despite their efforts—they are mistaken, it is completely impermissible for us to persist in our implementation of their opinion on that issue. And Allāh—the Most High—knows best.⁴

The Correct View on Following the Four Imams and the Reason for Their Prominence Over Other Imams of Their Time

Imām ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz said:

The four madhāhib gained prominence among the latter generations of Muslims after the third Islamic century, except for the madh`hab of Abū Hanīfah and Mālik both of which spread in the second century. As for the madh`hab of al-Shāfiʿī and Aḥmad, they became apparent in the third century onwards. They are all considered scholars of guidance, who dedicated their lives to the propagation of goodness. However, it is impermissible for anyone to claim that a single one among them was infallible, incapable of falling into error. Rather, every one of them had mistakes consistent with the portions of the Sunnah they were ignorant regarding, and based on their knowledge of the interpretations of the Book of Allāh. There were portions of knowledge and aḥādīth from the Sunnah regarding which each of them were ignorant. This is a widely recognised fact that applies to them and other imams of their time like al-Awzāʿī, Isḥāq ibn Rahūyah, Sufyān al-Thawrī, Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah, Wakīʿ ibn al-Jarrāḥ, and others. No single imām has ever completely encompassed all of the Sunnah, gained complete awareness of all Islamic knowledge in its entirety. Rather, there are matters that escape each of them but they are all still imams that called to Allāh’s guidance.

The propagation of these specific madhāhib is attributable to the students of these imams who compiled the issues and fatāwá of their teachers, ordering their work sequentially and composing written works that subsequently led to the spreading of these madhāhib, gaining popularity because of these followers who composed these books. There are errors in some of the issues of fiqh contained therein because of the portions of the Sunnah that the (given) imām was ignorant regarding, such that they issued an fatwá based on the knowledge they had and their own scholarly efforts, but were incorrect in their ruling. While, in the same issue of fiqh, another imām was cognizant of the pertinent portion of the Sunnah such that his fatwá was correct. This occurs with respect to each and every single one of the imams in a litany of different issues of fiqh—may Allāh have mercy on all of them. For this reason, Imām Mālik used to say: “There are none among us except that he refutes the judicial position of another or is himself refuted, except for the companion of this grave (the Messenger of Allāh (صلى الله عليه وسلم))”.⁵

Attributing Oneself to a Madh`hab as a Student of Fiqh

Imām ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz said:

As for selecting one specific madh`hab for the purpose of learning the principles of fiqh, this applies to the students of Islamic knowledge. Such students should still not blindly imitate any one madh`hab, but if he identifies the fundamentals and rules of one of them to be suitable and appropriate to his learning style, then he may select that one for the purpose of learning, and even attribute himself to the madh`hab in question in this way. At the same time, it is impermissible for him to blindly imitate any one of them, not Aḥmad, al-Shāfiʿī, Mālik, Abū Ḥanīfah or anyone else. Instead, he should extract rulings from the same sources they utilised, examining the evidence and adopting the correct opinion based on that evidence only. Thus, if the correct evidence in a particular issue lies with Abū Ḥanīfah, then he should adopt it. If it lies with al-Shāfiʿī, then he should adopt that, and so on for Mālik, Aḥmad, al-Awzāʿī, Isḥāq ibn Rāhūyah, or anyone else. It is therefore obligatory to act in accordance with the evidence and to completely abandon all that is contrary to it, as Allāh—the Glorified—said:

فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

“(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allāh and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), if you believe in Allāh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.”
(Al-Nisāʾ, 4:59)⁶

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān said:

As for attributing oneself to a particular madh`hab among the four [famous] madhāhib of Ahl al-Sunnah that have remained over all these years, that are widely studied, and expounded upon among the Muslims, and associating oneself with one of these madhāhib—there is nothing wrong with this. For example, saying ‘so-and-so is Ḥanbalī’ or ‘so-and-so is Shāfiʿī’ and so on. For such titles were historically used by Islamic scholars. For example, Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim were both referred to as Ḥanbalī. There is nothing wrong with this association provided it is not taken as an indication that one confines himself to the madh`hab in question, adopting everything therein without reservation or discernment between the truth in certain issues and that which is a clear error or mistake.⁷

The General Populace Should Seek the Council of Scholars of the Day

Imām ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz said:

As for the general populace who have not studied Islām, they should seek the council of the scholars of their time. They should select those characterised by apparent goodness and piety, who exemplify a clear emulation of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), who are well-versed in Islamic fiqh; the people testifying and bearing witness to their manifest goodness. The people should seek such a scholar and ask him their questions, their madh`hab would then be that of the one whose council they sought. It is incumbent upon them to seek true scholars for this purpose, searching with due diligence for such men whether they be in their country or outside of it. They must ensure that the scholar being asked is known for his erudition, his piety and righteousness, adoption of the truth; a person who performs the five daily prayers, who follows the Sunnah closely, manifesting on his personage, for example by him possessing a full beard, not wearing garments that hang below his ankles, distant from any circumstance that could warrant criticism or suspicion, and displaying any other factor that acts as a clear indicator that a scholar is upright and steadfast in his practicing of this religion. Then, if a person is guided towards a scholar whose apparent nature is one of goodness, known for his Islamic knowledge, then he should seek the resolution of his issues with this person, asking whatever questions he possesses. All praise is for Allāh.

فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ

“So keep your duty to Allāh and fear Him as much as you can”
(Al-Taghābun, 64:16)⁸

Imām Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʿUthyamīn said:

If one is unable to extract rulings from these sources because he is not sufficiently learned, then he should direct his questions to the scholars regardless of whether they attribute themselves to a specific madh`hab or not. He should seek their counsel and act in accordance with it, implementing the saying of the Most High:

فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“So ask of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Tawrāh (Torah) and the Injīl (Gospel)], if you know not.”
(Al-Naḥl, 16:43)

Thus, if one is unable to extract rulings from the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم), it is obligatory for him to seek the counsel of those whose knowledge he trusts from among the scholars.⁹

Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān said:

It is also important to note that it is impermissible for a person to adopt the opinions of scholars that are consistent with his own personal desires and whims, eagerly adhering to opinions that promote his own free reign or are notoriously easy in every judicial issue without supporting evidence. It is absolutely impermissible for one to adopt opinions because he finds them most agreeable to his own circumstance, or because they facilitate the attainment of his own personal goals. Rather, he should select the opinions of the scholars that are supported by clear evidence, provided he is sufficiently learned to make such a selection.¹⁰