Mufti Musa Badat Saheb
Some unacquainted people regard Taqleed as apostasy and they spread an atmosphere of malice and controversy amongst the Muslims and especially in the youngsters. Some Non Muqallid go as far as writing about it as polytheism. Hence, after one of our Deeni brothers read it out from a book in English and drew our attention towards it, a desire grew in my heart to make our youngsters aware of the significance of Taqleed in the Shari'ah. So that they do not become a prey to misunderstanding, divergence and confusion and so that they do not have a misconception regarding our Imams, that they had adopted a path which was detached from the Qur'aan and Ahadeeth. When in reality, after understanding the objective and the meaning of the Qur'aan and Sunnah, they simplified it into the form of Fiqha and Masaa'il and then they offered it to the Ummah, which is in actual fact obeying the Qur'aan and Sunnah. For this reason, the Ummah owes a debt of gratitude to them, (May Allah reward them with the best of all rewards).
QUESTION
Why is it important to do Taqleed of only one Imam? What harm is there in following one Imam for one Mas'alah, then another Imam for some other Mas'alah, the way it was in the time of the Sahabah and the Tabi'een, They were not dependent on one individual in following the whole Madhab?
ANSWER
In the time of the Sahabah, virtue and prosperity had the upper hand and generally there was no part in deen for fulfilling personal desires. That is why when someone inquired about a Mas‟alah, he asked with a good intention and he would act upon it as well, regardless of whether he liked it or not.
In later times, this was not the case. Instead, people started having the urge to ask one Mas'alah from a certain Alim and if the answer was against their desires, they would walk off to another Alim in search of ease. Still not content with this, they were stricken with a growing concern about how they could find a way out in every Mas‟alah which would satisfy them. It is apparent that this can not be the motive for the search of truth.
Sometimes this can cause a lot of damage. For example, a person made wudhu then touched his wife. Somebody following the Madhab of Imam Shafi'ee (Rahmatullahi Alayh) said to him "Repeat your wudhu because touching your wife breaks the Wudhu." He replies, "I do Taqleed of Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullahi Alayh) and wudhu does not break in his opinion of this situation." Then this person vomits. Somebody following the Madhab of Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullahi Alayh) says to him, 'Repeat your wudhu because vomit breaks the wudhu in the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullahi alaihe)." He replies, "I am following the Madhab of Imam Shafi'ee (Rahmatullahi alaihe) and in his view, wudhu does not break by vomiting." Now, this persons Salaah is not valid in accordance with the Madhab of Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullahi alaihe) or Imam Shafi'ee (Rahmatullahi alaihe) This is known as Talfeeq which is void and not permissible, by unanimous decision.
Following in this manner is in actual fact doing Taqleed of neither of the Imams. Instead it is fulfilling personal desires, which is forbidden in the Shari'ah. It leads a person astray and away from the path of Allah. Allah says in the Qur'aan, „And do not follow your personal desires, for they will lead you astray from the path of Allah.'(Bayanul-Qur’aan)
This is why it is important to do Taqleed of only one Imaam. The Qur'aan has associated obedience with repentance, „And follow the path of he who turns towards me,' (Bayanul-Qur’aan) On this basis, any individual who had strong presumption about Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullahi Alayh), that he was repentant, correct and that his Ijtihad was in accordance with the Qur'aan and Ahadeeth, he chose to do his Taqleed. Anybody who had the same thought regarding Imam Shafi'ee (Rahmatullahi Alayh), Imam Malik (Rahmatullahi Alayh) or about Imam Ahmad (Rahmatullahi Alayh), he started doing his Taqleed. Now, this is incorrect to leave one's own Imam whenever a person feels and start following a different Madhab, because without permission of the Shari'ah it becomes Talfeeq and fulfilment of personal desires. In result of which a person is lead astray.
Hence, Maulana Mohammad Hussain Sahib has written in his compilation Ishaa'atus-Sunnah Vol 11 No.2 pg.53. After opposing Taqleed for a very long period of time and then becoming affected with bitter experience for not doing Taqleed, he writes, "We found out from 25 years of experience that those people who abstain from entire Mujtahids and Taqleed, they end up saying farewell to Islam. Some become Christians whilst others end up without any Madhab at all. Rebellion and disobedience of the Shari 'ah is a petty result of this freedom."(Sabeelur-Rashaad pg.12)
This is why those learned Ulama who have deep insight of the Qur'aan and countless treasures of the traditions of the Prophet and the Sahabah, in front of their eyes. Whose hearts are enriched with the fear of Allah and whose lives are enlightened with the lamp of the Sunnah of the Prophet , still choose to do Taqleed, despite having these qualities and virtues.
It would not be an exaggeration if it was said that these Ulama reached such a status only through following the Prophet and doing Taqleed of the pious servants of Deen and the great Mujtahideen.
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