Asslamo Allaikum,

Spinning the word Taqleed (Part 1):

From the time of Sahaba (RA) the Deen of Islam has been simple to learn and follow and aligns with common sense.

You are either a laymen OR an expert of Qur’aan and Sunnah and no one in Islamic history has advised to laymen who can barely read and understand English text (let alone Arabic) to simply pick up Qur’aan or Hadeeth (or use google in our days) and start deriving rulings of Shariah.

It’s absurd!

Taqleed is defined as trusting the words of a Scholar when proof is not provided to you. In English some enthusiasts have taken to translating it as “Blind Following” again a wilful attempt to portray a negative image, nevertheless we will crack on and actually show that even this negative concept of “Blind Following” is actually an obligation upon the laymen according to Salafi Ulamah themselves.

We can give you quote after quote of Saudi Ulamah like Shaykh Ibn Baz (RA), Shaykh Uthaymeen (RA) who NEVER advised any laymen to commit such foolishness but here I want to reproduce the advice of Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) who was the most severe of our times on Taqleed. I know of less then 10 major/classical Ulamah in Islamic history who were vociferously Anti-Madhab and in our times some people believe that Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) came close to them. Allah (SWT) knows best about his actual position but here is what he said on blind following (summarised):

First Question: Is it permissible for the student of knowledge to suffice with the declarations of the scholars of the past as to whether a saying of the Prophet, صلى الله عليه وسلم, is weak or authentic? For example, he reads the checking of Haafidh al-Iraaqi where he says, “This hadith is authentic.” So is it permissible for him to suffice with that and the same with Imaam Ahmad or other than him?

Shaikh al-Albaani: “This matter resembles blind following in Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh). It is sufficient for the student of knowledge to listen to and act upon an opinion of one of the Imaams who are followed, and by that I do not only mean the four [famous ones], since there are more, by the Grace of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic with two conditions:

1) That he does not know it to be a mistake

2) That he himself is not capable of verifying the authenticity or inauthenticity of the particular hadith in question, so this is something permissible–since we cannot burden all of the people [by saying that they must] become capable of reaching the level of ijtihaad or that they become scholars.”

Second Question: “What is the proof concerning the forbiddance of blind following?”

Shaikh al-Albaani:“I do not know of any proof that states that blind following is haraam, rather blind following is a necessity for the one who has no knowledge. And Allaah, the one free from all defects and the Most High, said, “So ask those who know the Scripture if you know not.” Therefore, this aayah placed the Muslims into two categories as regards knowledge:

i) the scholar and it made obligatory upon him to answer the questioner
ii) those who do not know, and it made asking the scholars obligatory upon them.

So if a person from the common folk came to a scholar and asked him about something and the scholar answered him, then this man has implemented the aayah.

Taken from Al-Fataawaa al-Kuwaitiyyah, compiled by Amr Abdul-Mun’im Saleem, pp. 81-83.

Islam-qa's opinion about Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) after his death:
“ It is not in accordance with the methodology of Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) – or of any of the imams –to look at the verse and hadeeth and then derive from it whatever rulings one wants! Rather the Shaykh (may Allaah have mercy on him) often complained about those who did that. He said: We were suffering from blind following (taqleed) and now we are suffering from a free-for-all! And he stated that blind following of the earlier scholars is far better than this free-for-all; rather for the ordinary Muslim, following a scholar is obligatory and this free-for-all is haraam.

So we pose this question to all FREE-FOR-ALL search and apply Qur’aan & Hadeeth enthusiasts, where do you get your ideas from? Is your ego so bloated that you have constructed your own Islam when NO SCHOLARS in Islam has permitted you to do so?

And we say with pride that Alhumdolillah we are BLIND-FOLLOWERS of the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jam’aah because we fear the reckoning on the day of judgement in front of Allah (SWT) and we DO NOT want to indulge in matters which are beyond our capabilities (even though we can use google as well as anyone else : - ) ) and we chastise our Nafs (ego) which makes us think of ourselves bigger and more capable then we actually are and we submit to the command of Allah (SWT) as stated in the Qur’aan:

Ask the people of knowledge (Ulamah) about what you know not!

We would rather be humble and admit to be BLIND-FOLLOWERS then to be arrogant and claim to be MUJTAHIDS!

Lastly and more importantly, we neither disparage Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) nor expose his weaknesses and as per the Sunnah of Sayyidina Rasul-ullah (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) we make dua for Allah (SWT) to grant him Jannatul-Firdaus. The purpose of this blog entry is to show that NONE sanctioned FREE-FOR-ALL Ijtehaad, that’s all.

أخبرنا إبراهيم بن يعقوب قال حدثني أحمد بن إسحق قال حدثنا وهيب قال حدثنا منصور بن عبد الرحمن عن أمه عن عائشة قالت ذكر عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم هالك بسوء فقال لا تذكروا هلكاكم إلا بخير


Sayyida Aisha (RA) narrates that Something bad was said in the presence of the Prophet (Sallaho Alaihe Wassallam) about a person who had died. He said: 'Do not say anything but good about your dead" [Sunan An-Nasa'i]

P.S: : - ) I would love to use colors in this blog but can't, o well :-)