The Status and Proof of Taqleed, Taqleed of Specific People and Answers to Objections against Taqleed

The central claim of Islam is that only Allah must be obeyed. In fact, it is Wajib to follow Rasulullah ﷺ because of his words and deeds were a rendering of Allah’s commands. Rasulullah ﷺ made clear what was forbidden and not forbidden and we obey him because he conveyed the message of Allah. This essentially means that obeying Rasulullah ﷺ is really obeying Allah. Allah declares in the Qur’an, “Whoever obeys the Rasul (ﷺ) obeys Allah.”

Therefore Muslims follow only Allah and His Rasul ﷺ and whoever claims that he should be followed independently of Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ, then such a person will be deemed despicable and worthy of condemnation. The two guides to follow are therefore the Qur’an and the Ahadith.

There are certain laws in the Qur’an and the Ahadith that can clearly be established from the verses of the Qur’an and authentic Ahadith. These are called Mansoos laws. Then there are others that are not very clear or are very brief. There are also Ahadith and verses of the Qur’an that are ambiguous, some that are Muhkam and others that are Mutashabih. There are also those that are Mushtarak and those that are Mu’awwal. Furthermore, there are also those that seem to contradict other verses or Ahadith.

An example is a verse of the Qur’an that states that a divorce should remain in Iddah for three ‘Quru’. Now because the word Quru means menstruation as well as the state of purity, some confusion may arise about whether a divorcee should wait in Iddah for three periods of menstruation to pass or for three periods of purity to pass.

Another example is a Hadith that states, “When a person has an Imam then the Qiraa’ah of his Imam is his Qiraa’ah as well.” There is also another Hadith that states, “The Imam has been appointed to be followed, so say the Takbir when he says it and remain silent when he does.” (Muslim Vol.1 pg 174)

Now contrary to these Ahadith is a Hadith that states, “There is no Salah for the one who does not recite the opening of the Qur’an (Surah Fatihah).” (Bukhari Vol.1 pg 104)

Like these, there are many Ahadith that appear to contradict each other.

There are also countless rulings that are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an and the Ahadith and require deep thought and analysis. To arrive at a conclusion in such matters, one may resort to two avenues. One may either base the finding purely on one’s personal judgment or, alternatively, one may search for a statement that the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم, Tabi’een or those after them made on the same issue. By virtue of them being closer to the period of Rasulullah ﷺ, such people have been lauded in a Hadith in which Rasulullah ﷺ said, “The best of periods is my period, followed by those after them and then those after them.” They were therefore more knowledgeable, more spiritually pure and had a deeper insight into the Deen than us.

The matter is simple to understand in the context of our worldly activities. When faced with any health issue, people refer to medical specialists, when faced with a legal issue, people consult lawyers and when faced with a construction issue, they refer to an engineer. Just as people refer to specialists when faced with a relevant issue in worldly matters, so too do they need to refer to and rely on the statements of the Mujtahideen when the issue is a Deeni one. This is what referred to as Taqleed.

The person practicing Taqleed understands that by following the Imam, he is actually following Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ. The Imam is merely a link in the connection to the Qur’an and Sunnah. The example is simple. Just as worshippers follow and Imam in Salah as they hear him call out the Takbirs, when there are too many worshippers, a Mukabbir is appointed to transmit the Takbirs further for the people at the back to hear. The Mukabbir is however still following the Imam and is not doing anything out of his own accord. At the same time, the people at the back known that they are following the Imam and not the Mukabbir. The Mukabbir himself also understands that he is not the Imam and is part of the congregation like the others. Similarly, the Imam of jurisprudence also understands that he is merely a link and that he is following the Qur’an and Sunnah just like everyone else.

The gist of it all is that when one is not relying on the Imam to interpret the intricacies of the Deen, he resorts to following his own whims and passions. This is because such a person does not know which verses or Ahadith abrogated which others and also which rulings are preferred to which others. At the end, he will be doing only what his fancies dictate. At this point, Shaitan seizes control over a person’s heart and permeates his body. The Qur’an depicts such a person in the worst manner, when it says, “But he clung to the ground (like material gains of this world) and followed his passions. His example is like that of a dog.” (Surah A’raaf verse 176)

Allah also says, “Have you seen the one who has taken his whims as a Ilaah (who follows the dictates of his desires); whom Allah has allowed to stray despite (possessing) knowledge (of the truth); whose (spiritual) ears and heart Allah has sealed and on whose (spiritual) eyes Allah has cast a veil.” (Surah Jaathiya verse 23)

Yet another verse states: “can the one who is upon a clear proof from his Rabb be like the one whose evil acts have been beautified for him and who follows his whims?” (Surah Muhammad)

There can be no doubt about the fact that the first is better than the latter.

Following the dictates of one’s passion is so bad that even Rasulullah ﷺ was cautioned about the Qur’an. Allah said, “Do not obey him whose heart we have made heedless of Our remembrance, who pursues his passions and whose (every) affair entails transgressing (the laws of Allah).” (Surah Kahaf verse 28)

Allah also says, “Should you not follow their wishes after knowledge (revelation) has come to you, then surely you would be among the unjust ones.” (Surah Baqarah verse 145)

Another verse states, “And do not follow their wishes, leaving aside the truth that has come to you.” (Surah Ma’idah verse 48)

Yet another verse says, “And O Muhammad you should judge between them by that which Allah has revealed to you and do not follow their whims, Beware of them lest they should divert you (be careful that they do not turn you away) from some part of what Allah has revealed to you.” (Surah Ma’idah verse 49)

Allah says, “Then (after all these nations had passed on) We placed you (O Rasulullah ﷺ) on a special way (the Shari’ah of Islam) so follow it (by practicing and propagating it) and do not follow the whims of those who have no knowledge.” (Surah Jaathiya verse 18)

Although addressed to Rasulullah ﷺ, the Qur’an is cautioning all of the Ummah against following the dictates of their Nafs when He says, “And do not follow carnal passions which will mislead you from Allah’s path.” (Surah Saad verse 26)

In another verse, Allah says those who do not follow Rasulullah ﷺ are actually following their whims and are the most deviated people. Allah also says, “Who can be more unjust (misguided) than the one who follows his whims without any guidance from Allah?” (Surah Qasas verse 50)

While the Ghair Muqallideen follow their Nafs, by the grace of Allah, we who follow the Imams are safely following the Qur’an and the Sunnah. While we refer to the statements and deeds of the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم and pious predecessors when faced with a unique situation, the Ghair Muqallideen decide on the grounds of their personal fancies because they have no knowledge of Ijtihad, of the abrogated laws and other details of jurisprudence.

Rasulullah ﷺ said, “None of you can have true Iman until his desires are subservient of what I have taught.” (Mishkatul Masabih pg 22)

Rasulullah ﷺ also said, “There shall come a time when there will be people in whose bodies desires and passions will flow just as no vein or sinew of a person is left unaffected when a person is bit by a rabid dog.” (Ibid pg 30)

Two factors come to the fore when analyzing the above Hadith. The first is that the rabies germ penetrates every area of the person’s body leading to his eventual death. Secondly, if this diseased person has to bite a healthy person, the healthy person will also become ill. Such is the condition of a person who follows the dictates of his Nafs. While he is a danger to himself, he also poses a threat to those in his company.

Desires and carnal passions are the walls surrounding Jahannam and whoever indulges in them is actually heading for Jahannam. It is for this that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Jannah is surrounded by hardship and Jahannam is surrounded by carnal passions.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه once said to the people, “Today you people are in a time when desires are subservient to knowledge (of Deen) whereas a time shall come when knowledge will be subservient to desires.” (Ihyaa Vol.1 pg 93)

The famous Shaykh Abu ‘Umar Zujaji رحمة اللہ علیه (student of Junaid Baghdadi رحمة ﷲ علیه) said, “People during the period of Ignorance followed that which their minds and dispositions approved of. Rasulullah ﷺ then came and referred them to the Shari’ah and obedience. The sound mind is therefore that mind which approves of that which the Shari’ah approves of and which disapproves of that which the Shari’ah disapproves of.” (I'tisaam Vol.1 pg 67)

Imam Shatbi رحمة ﷲ علیه said, “The Shari’ah is there to remove people from the dictates of their whims.” (Ibid)

Abdul Qadir Jilani رحمة ﷲ علیه said, “Shirk does not entail only worshipping idols, but it is also when you follow the dictates of your Nafs.” This, he mentioned while explaining the verse: “Have you seen the one who has taken his whims as a Ilaah (who follows the dictates of his desires).”

Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمة ﷲ علیه wrote, “Remember that is it the natural inclination of the Nafs to follow its carnal passions and will always do this unless the light of Iman enters it.” (Hujjatullaahil Baalighah Vol.2 pg306)

Dhun Noon Misri رحمة ﷲ علیه said that people will fall prey to corruption for the following six reasons:

1. Weakness of intention with regards to the acts of Akhirah
2. When their bodies become an instrument for fulfilling their desires
3. When long hopes overcome them despite their short lives
4. When they prefer to please the creation rather than the Creator
5. When they follow the dictates of their Nafs rather than the Sunnah of their Nabi ﷺ
6. When they make the errors of their predecessors a proof for their errant ways and forsake the virtuous deeds of these predecessors (I’tisaam Vol.1 pg 64-65)

In short, it must be emphasised that following the dictates of the Nafs has been condemned by the Qur’an, the Ahadith and the ‘Ulema. The best course for people’s safety is to follow the rightly guided Imams and to rely on their guidelines. Following any of the four Imams is a haven of safety for any Muslim.

Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمة ﷲ علیه writes, “One ought to know that there is immense benefit in following the four Mathahib and tremendous harm in turning away from them.” (Uqdul Jayyid pg 31)

In the same book, he writes further, “The second reason for following a Mathhab is that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Follow the broader consensus of people.” Since there are no Mathahib on the truth besides the four Mathahib, following them will be the broader consensus of people and failing to follow them will be to leave the broader consensus of people, which will go against the instruction of Rasulullah ﷺ.” (Uqdul Jayyid pg 33)

Therefore, if no one wishes to remain safe from the curses associated with following ones desires, one should follow one of the four Mathahib specially in these times when tribulations are so great and about which Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Then (after the best periods) lying will be more rife.”

Sound thinking will tell one that Taqleed is really natural and is attached to people like their shadows. Even our Ghair Muqallideen brothers are not exempt from this because their children in their homes follow and imitate what their elders do. Their womenfolk are not Muhadditheen and also have to ask their men to find out what they need to be doing. Do they regard this form of following also to be Shirk and Bid’ah? In fact, the various trades and professions of this world also require Taqleed. If a person merely studies medicine without training under anyone and then opens a surgery, it will be only a madman who would consult him.

Now the adage is famous that says, “While a fake doctor is a threat to the health, a fake ‘Alim is a threat to the Iman.” Since people feel the need for Taqleed in worldly matters, it is even more necessary for it to be a requirement when Deeni matters are concerned. Here we have a few people who study a bit of the translations of the classical works and then think they are experts in the field of Qur’an and Ahadith. They will go a step further and criticise the Mujtahideen and declare Taqleed to be Shirk and Bid’ah, while regarding their following of their Nafs as Tawhid.

Taqleed as proven from the Qur’an and Ahadith

Let alone the permissibility of Taqleed, The Qur’an and Ahadith actually emphasize that it is Wajib. Here follow a few verses of the Qur’an:

1. “Ask those who know if you do not know.”
2. “Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, follow in their guidance.” While this verse commands following the previous Anbiya, another verse states, “Follow the creed of Ibrahim who was on the straight path and adverse to all wrong ways.”
3. “O you with Iman! Obey Allah, Obey the Rasul and obey those with command amongst you.”
4. “Had they referred it to the Rasul and to those in command amongst them, then surely those with insight would have been able to verify the matter.”
5. “Why does a small group from every large party not proceed to attain a deep understanding of Deen so that they may warn their people (who had been engaged in Jihad) when they return to them so they may beware (of sin)?” (Surah Tawbah verse 122)
6. “From them we made leaders who guided under Our command when they exercised Sabr and were convinced about (the truth of) Our Ayaat.” (Surah Sajdah verse 24)
7. “Follow the path of the one who turns towards me.”
8. “O you who have Iman! Fear Allah and be with those who are true.”

Here follows a few Ahadith on the subject:

1. Hudhaifah رضي الله عنه reports that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “I do not know for how much longer I shall be with you, so (after I die), follow the two after me, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar.” (Mishkatul Masabih pg 560)
2. Rasulullah ﷺ said, “You must hold fast to my way of life and the ways of life of the righteous and rightly guided Khulafa. . .” (Mishkatul Masabih pg 30)
3. Rasulullah ﷺ said, “My Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم are like the guiding lights and whichever of them you follow, you shall be rightly guided.” (Mishkat Masabih pg 554)
4. Mu’adh Bin Jabal رضي الله عنه reports that when Rasulullah ﷺ sent him to Yemen. Rasulullah ﷺ asked, “How will you pass judgment when a case comes before you?” Mu’adh رضي الله عنه replied, “I shall pass judgment according to the Book of Allah.” Rasulullah ﷺ asked, “And if you do not find the ruling in the Book of Allah?” Mu’adh رضي الله عنه replied, “I shall pass judgment according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ.” Rasulullah ﷺ asked him, “And if you do not find the ruling in the Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ?” Mu’adh رضي الله عنه replied, “I shall then apply my mind without making compromises.” Rasulullah ﷺ then placed his hand on Mu’adh’s رضي الله عنه chest and said, “All praise belongs to Allah who has inspired the messenger of the Messenger of Allah with that which pleases Him.” (Mishkatul Masabih pg 324 and Abu Dawood Vol.1 pg 149)

The following becomes evident from this narration of Mu’adh Bin Jabal رضي الله عنه:

a. There are many rulings that are not apparent in the Qur’an and the Ahadith.
b. Applying one’s mind to those rulings that are not clearly stated in the Qur’an and Ahadith is commendable and pleases Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ.
c. Applying one’s mind to a question of Deen is a bounty from Allah that Rasulullah ﷺ praised Allah for. The fact that Rasulullah ﷺ placed his hand on the chest of Mu’adh Bin Jabal رضي الله عنه shows that the blessings of Rasulullah ﷺ are with the Faqih and Mujtahid.
d. Rasulullah ﷺ had sent Mu’adh Bin Jabal رضي الله عنه to Yemen to be the judge there and knew that the people of Yemen Would refer their matters to him and would be following what he told them. They would therefore be making Taqleed of him. Close inspection of the above Hadith will reveal the reality and proof for Taqleed

5. Rasulullah ﷺ also said, “The ‘Ulema are the heirs of the Anbiya علیھم السلام.” (Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi as quoted in Mishkatul Masabih pg 34)
Therefore just as it is Fardh (obligatory) to follow the Anbiya علیھم السلام, so too is it to follow the ‘Ulema. The legacy of the Anbiya علیھم السلام is their knowledge and since the ‘Ulema also have this knowledge of the Shari’ah, it is necessary to follow them as well.

6. Rasulullah ﷺ also said, “It was their Anbiya علیھم السلام who led and ruled over the Bani Israel. Each time a Nabi السلام علیه passed away another succeeded him. Remember that there shall be no Nabi after me, but there shall be Khulafa and there shall be many of them (follow them as you had been following me).” (Ma’ariful Qur’an Vol.1 pg 185)

The above Ahadith and verses of the Qur’an proves the importance of Taqleed. Taqleed is of two types. The first type is not to follow any particular Imam, but to choose to follow one Imam in certain matters, and another in other matters. This is called Taqleed Mutlaq. The form of Taqleed is to follow a specific Imam in all matters. This is called Taqleed Shakhsi. Both types of Taqleed were common during time of the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم and the Tabi’een. Those Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم who were not Fuqaha followed the ruling of those who were regarded to be Fuqaha. Whenever someone asked a ruling from the Fuqaha, they replied sometimes with proof and sometimes without, and in all cases, the questioner practiced what he was told. Never did the questioner ever ask the proof if it was not provided.

Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمة ﷲ علیه says that the custom from the time of the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم up to the time of the four Imams was to follow a reliable Faqih and no one questioned this custom. Had it been something questionable, the great Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم and Tabi’een of the time would have certainly questioned it. Taqleed Shakhsi was also commonly practiced because we see that the people of Makkah always referred to Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه when there arose a difference in any ruling and they followed his ruling in the matter. Similarly, the people of Madinah referred to Zaid bin Thabit رضي الله عنه and the people of Kufa referred to Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه.

1. When people once asked Abu Musa al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه about something, he gave them a reply that turned out to be contrary to that which Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه gave. When Abu Musa al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه heard about this contradiction, he told the people, “Do not ask these rulings from me as long as that man of deep knowledge (Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه) is with you.” (Bukhari and Muslim in Mishkatul Masabih pg 264)

2. A narration from Ikramah رحمة ﷲ علیه in Bukhari states that when some people of Madinah asked Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه about the ruling concerning a woman who started to menstruate after performing her Fardh Tawaaf (could she return home without performing the Tawaaf Widaa?). When Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه ruled that she may return home, they said, “We cannot accept your verdict and discard the verdict of Zaid bin Thabit رضي الله عنه. This narration makes it clear that they practiced Taqleed Shakhsi in following Zaid bin Thabit رضي الله عنه. When he heard this, Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه neither reprimanded them, not said that what they were doing was Shirk or Bid’ah. This he would have done if such a form of Taqleed was not permissible.

3. Although Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه was himself a Mujtahid, he always maintained that it was not necessary to follow the verdict of anyone else as long as ‘Ali رضي الله عنه was alive. (Kalimatul Fasl Pg 19)

4. It is mentioned that as long as Saalim bin Abdullah رحمة اللہ علیه lived, Imam Naafi رحمة ﷲ علیه never issued Fatawa. (Tadhkiratul huffaadh Vol. 1 pg 98)
This makes it apparent that during the time of Imam Naafi رحمة اللہ علیه people followed only Saalim رحمة ﷲ علیه.

5. The previously quoted narration of Mu’adh bin Jabal رضي الله عنه being sent to Yemen proves both Ijtihad as well as Taqleed Shakhsi because by allowing Mu’adh bin Jabal رضي الله عنه to apply his mind to matters, Rasulullah ﷺ was making it compulsory for the people of Yemen to follow only Mu’adh bin Jabal رضي الله عنه since he was the only one sent to them as judge and religious instructor.

6. It is common knowledge that there were seven great Fuqaha who were followed during the period of the Tabi’een.

All the above clearly illustrates that both forms of Taqleed were well practiced during the time of the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم and the Tabi’een. It must be remembered that these were the best times according to Rasulullah ﷺ. It was time when people were overcome with Taqwa and religiousness and because people always took the more cautions of any two opinions they comfortably practiced Taqleed Mutlaq as well as Taqleed Shakhsi. However as the time moves away from the blessed period of Rasulullah ﷺ, piety and scrupulousness deteriorated and people started to become overwhelmed with worldly matters, the Ulema whose fingers were always in the pulse of the Ummah restricted Taqleed to Taqleed Shakhsi.

The Ulema all started to support this move and eventually the Ummah stood unanimously upon this because without such Taqleed, the laws of the Shari’ah would be a toy in the hands of every person and would be manipulated to conform to their desires.

In one of his works, Shah Waliullah رحمة ﷲ علیه says, “It was during the second century of Islam that following a particular Mujtahid became common and there was scarcely anyone who did not do not so. This was compulsory.” (Insaaf Pg 59)

Hakimul Ummah Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanwi رحمة ﷲ علیه writes that it is really permissible to follow various people and ask something from each of them to follow. In fact, the pious predecessors did ask certain things from Imam Abu Hanifah رحمة ﷲ علیه and other rulings from Imam Awza’ee رحمة ﷲ علیه and others. Today’s people now wish to also do the same. While this is in itself permissible, it is forbidden because of another factor. However before understanding this, first understand the following introduction. What needs to be understood is that the overwhelming and prevailing condition of people should be noted. The distinct difference between the people of that period and today’s time is that the people of those times were overwhelmed by piety and religiousness. Therefore, if they asked several Mujtahideen, it was really coincidental or because they wished to follow the most cautious of opinions. Now if the same state of religiousness prevailed today. It would not be necessary to restrict Taqleed to the following of only one person. But this is not the case today and how would such a state remain until today? Rasulullah ﷺ explicitly mentioned that after the best of times, lying and dishonesty would become widespread and the condition of people would be much worse.

Such is the situation today when people worship their desires and every person includes his motives in his opinions. Allamah Shaami رحمة ﷲ علیه reports an incident of a Faqih who wished to marry the daughter of a certain Muhaddith. The Muhaddith however stipulated that he would allow the marriage only if the Faqih conformed to the practices of ‘Raf’ul Yadain’ and ‘Ameen bil Jahar’. The Faqih accepted and the couple was married. When the incident was mentioned to a saint of the time, he lowered his head and after a while he said, “I fear for his Iman because he compromised what he was doing as Sunnah for worldly gain.”

If people are allowed to practice Taqleed Mutlaq, they would do so for their own ends. For example, if a person with Wudhu started to bleed. He would maintain that his Wudhu is not broken in accordance with the view of Imam Shafi’i رحمة ﷲ علیه. If he later happened to touch a woman he would then say that his Wudhu is still not broken because Wudhu does not break in this way according to Imam Abu Hanifah رحمة ﷲ علیه.
In such a situation, he neither has Wudhu according to Imam Shafi’i رحمة ﷲ علیه as well as according to Imam Abu Hanifah رحمة ﷲ علیه, even though he will be adamant that his Wudhu intact. People will therefore search for a ruling that appeases their whims and reject whatever does not. Deen will therefore be non-existent and all that will remain will be whimsical fancies.

Therefore, although Taqleed Shakhsi was not necessary during the best of times, it is necessary nowadays because of the differences of the people. Although it will not be said that Taqleed Shakhsi is Wajib or Fardh (obligatory), it must be noted that it secures the welfare of a person’s Deen and without it, his Deen will be destroyed. Therefore, together with such Taqleed securing safety of one’s Iman, it also makes life much more easier.” (Ashraful Jawab Vol. 2 pg 89-96)

Even Allamah Ibn Taymiyyah رحمة ﷲ علیه stressed the importance of Taqleed Shakhsi when he wrote, “According to their whims, these people sometimes follow an Imam who permits a marriage and then another Imam who disallows it. Such a practice is not at all permissible.” (Fatawa Ibn Taymiyyah Vol. 2 pg 240)

The Ghair Muqallideen professes to follow Shaykh Abdul Wahhab Najdi, but they are really stepping ahead of him because even he professes to follow an Imam. He writes, “By the grace of Allah, we follow our pious predecessors and are not perpetrators of Bid’ah, we follow the Mathhab of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمة ﷲ علیه.” (Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab by Allamah Ahmad Abdul Ghafoor, published in Beirut)

In another book, he writes, “I praise Allah for being a follower of the pious predecessors and for not being a perpetuator of Bid’ah. My beliefs and Deen are those that conform with the Deen of Allah. They are those of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah and the four Imams and their followers” (Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab by Allamah Ahmad Abdul Ghafoor, published in Beirut pg 174-176)

Explaining the stance of his father and himself, Shaykh Abdullah who was the son of Shaykh Abdul Wahhab Najdi writes, “We follow the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah in the principles of Deen, we follow the ways of the pious predecessors and follow Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal رحمة ﷲ علیه in the derivatives of Deen. We also do not condemn any person following any of the other three Imams.” (Alhadiyyatus Suniyyah pg 38)

The above clearly spells out the stance of both Shaykh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and Allamah Ibn Taymiyyah رحمة ﷲ علیه, both of whom are revered by our Ghair Muqallideen brothers. They both regarded Taqleed to be necessary and did not at all refer to it as Shirk or a Bid’ah. However, our Ghair Muqallideen brothers make no secrets of their stance when they say in their book Fiqh Muhammadi, “Millions of thanks to Allah for saving us from the Shirk of following a Mathhab and being either Hanafis, Shafi’is, Malikis or Hanbalis. So many people are trapped in this whereas opposing the commands of Allah and his Rasul ﷺ is Shirk according to a verse stating that people take their priests and religious leaders as gods apart from Allah. The Hadith of Adi bin Hatim رضي الله عنه also professes the same.” (pg 4)

The verse referred to by the author of the above book deduces that Taqleed is Shirk by virtues of the quoted verse of the Qur’an. The verse however refers to Jews and Christians who would listen to their priests and Rabbis when these men made lawful that which their religions clearly forbade and which they always knew was unlawful. Adi bin Hatim رضي الله عنه then asked Rasulullah ﷺ what the Qur’an meant by saying that the Jews and Christians took their religious leaders as gods whereas they never worshipped them. Rasulullah ﷺ explained, “Although they never worshipped them, they regarded something as lawful if these leaders legalized them as regarded things as unlawful if they outlawed them.” (Tirmidhi)

The clear difference between Taqleed and the ways of the Jews and the Christians is that Muslims do not regard the Imams and the law-makers of the Shari’ah as the Jews and Christians did, but as conveys of the commands of Allah, as has been already explained. The verse of the Qur’an therefore has no bearing on Taqleed as we define it.

Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi رحمة اللہ علیه sums it up as follows, “While the original command is from Allah, the ruling of something being Halal or Haram is attributed to Rasulullah ﷺ because his words are a sure indication of the command. They are further attributed to the Mujtahideen of the Ummah because they are reporting from Rasulullah ﷺ or deriving the rulings from what he said.” (Hujjatullahil Balighah Vol.1 pg 127)

(Fatawa Raheemiyyah Vol.1 pg 407-442)

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 3rd February 2012

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