Sahaba-e-Kiraam and the Taabi'in, the most excellent are the four
Imams of the Ahle Sunnat Wa Jamaat. They are such great Imaams that
they are known as "Mujtahideen Fi Shara'" . They are Imam-e-Azam Abu
Hanifa, Imam Maalik, Imam Shafi'i and ImamAhmed bin Hambal (radi
Allahu anhum).
2. Taqleed means to follow one of the four Imaams of religion
concerning the commandments of Islamic Law (Shari'ah).
3. Today, Muslims throughout the world follow the Taqleed of these
four Imaams. In the Masa'ile Furoo'iya, there is no other fourth
Madhab. The difference of opinion of the four Imaams is only in the
laws of Furoo' (actions) and not in beliefs (Aqaa'id).
4. The followers of the four Madhabs are commonly known as Hanafi,
Maaliki, Shafi'i and Hambali.
5. It is necessary (Waajib)to follow one of them, eg. to perform
Salaah, or perform Saum, Zakaah, etc. as per what they have
prescribed. This is known as Taqleed Shakhshi .
6. These Imams have not made a rule on their own accord but have
explained the meaningof the Holy Quran and Hadith, which a
normalperson or even an Alimcould not understand. Therefore, to follow
these Imaams is really following the Holy Quran and Hadith.
7. Whoever follows one Imaam cannot follow another Imaam, for example,
to follow some rules of one Imaam and other rules of another Imaam is
not allowed. It is necessary to firmly follow only one Imaam.
8. A person is not allowedto change from one Imaam to another, e.g. to
become a Hanafi after following the Shafi'i way. You have to follow
your Imaam and continue following him.
9. It is also a joint agreement by all Ulema that you cannot follow
another Imaam or a Mujtahid (religious director) except for one of
thesefour Imaams.
10. The following verses are proofs from the Holy Quran on Taqleed:
1. The Holy Quran says: "Guide us on the Right Path, the Path of those
on whom you have showered blessing". (Surah Fateha: 5) The verse may
be taken as the argument in favour of Absolute (Mutlaq) Taqleed as
well as the Taqleed of Mujtahids. Those on the Right Path are the
Mufassirin (Commentators of Quran), Muhaddiseen (Scholars of the
Ahadith), Jurists, Awliya Allah, Ghaus, Qutub, Abdal, etc. They were
all Muqallids proving there by that Taqleed is the Right Path.
2. The Holy Quran says: "Allah does not put burden on a person which
he cannot bear." (Surah Baqarah:286) This verse shows that Allah does
not cause hardships to a man which he cannot endure. It means that the
man who is incapable of Ijtihad, is unable to extract problems
(masail) fromthe Qur'an as it amounts to over-burdening him if he is
restrained from Taqleed and to expect him to derive problemsfrom the
Qur'an is not justifiable.
3. The Holy Quran says: "And the first and foremost among the
Muhajireen and Ansar and those who followed them with good intentions
these are those with whom Allah was pleased and they were pleased with
Allah." (Surah Tauba: 100) It means that Almighty Allah is pleased
with those who followed the footstepe of the Muhajirs and the Ansar.
This is nothing but Taqleed.
4. The Holy Quran says: "Obey Allah the Almighty and obey the Holy
Prophet and thosewho wield authority inthe land." (Surah Nisa: 59) In
thise verse there is the command to obey Almighty Allah (Holy Quran)
the Holy Prophet (Hadith), the person holding authority to command the
Ulama versed in Fiqah (Jurisprudence) and Istimbat (Knowledge of
deriving problem fromthe Quran and Hadith).
5. The Holy Quran says: "Ask (enquire) from the persons of learningif
you do not know." (Surah Nahal: 43) The verse points to seekingadvice
and knowledge from the persons of learning if the common men do not
know the real meaning or nature of any command. The men of learning
explicitly refer to the Mujtahids.
6. The Holy Quran says: "And follow the man who leads (people) unto
Me." (Surah Luqman: 15) The verse indicates that the following
(Taqleed) should be done of those persons who have devoted themselves
to AlmightyAllah. Here there is no restriction on the nature of
matters in which guidance is needed.
7. The Holy Quran says: "And those who say: O our Lord! Provide us the
coolness of our eyes from our wives and children and makeus the leader
of the right ous people." (Surah al-Furqan: 25) The verse also demands
that the Taqleed or following the men of Almighty Allah is on
obligation.
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