AL-ISLAAH PUBLICATIONS
Changing Mazhabs
Foreword | Hadeeth explains the Quraan | Definition of Qiyaas & Ijtihaad | Types of Masa'il Qiyaas is made | Difference between Mujtahid & Muqallid | Taqleed of one Imaam | Changing Mazhabs | Some Of The Conditions Of Ijtihaad _______________________________________________
Taqleed-e-Shaksi
Changing Mazhabs
TALFEEQ AND CHANGING MAZHABS IS NOT PERMISSABLE.
It is not permissible to leave making taqleed of one Imam and follow another Imam when one wishes. When this is done without permission from the Shariat it leads to Talfeeq, it also causes one to follow one's desires resulting in going far away from the truth and being lead astray.
Moulana Mohammed Hussain Sahib who opposed making taqleed for many years and then finally being affected by the bitter consequences of not making taqleed writes in his Risaalah, lshaa'atus Sunnat Vol.11 No. 2 Page 53.
After twenty-five years of experience we have come to know that those who leave making mutlaq taqleed or leave making taqleed of a Mujtahid-e-Mutlaq out of ignorance, finally leaves the fold of Islam. Some of these people become Christians and some remain without any matha'hib, who do not adhere to any faith or relegion. Violating the commands of Shariat, transgression and Irreligiousness are the least effects of this freedom.
The summary of the above is:
1. There are some Nusoos the meaning of which is clear-cut, Taqleed Is not made in these masa'll.
2. There are some Nusoos the meaning of which is not clear (ambiguous) or there are Nusoos which seem contradictory and it is not known which one is the latter and which one is the former.
3. Man is not free to act as he wishes. He is at all times bound to act according to Shariat.
4. In the second type of Nusoos we do not have the knowledge to understand as to what is required from us nor do we have the knowledge to remove the outward contradiction, therefore it is obligatory upon us to make taqleed of an Imam, who can explain the Nass to us and guide us as to what is required from us.
4. Taqleed has to be made of one of the four Imams only, as the matha'hib of not a single Sahaabi or Tabeie has been formulated and arranged in detail as the matha'hib of the four imams.
5. Taqleed should be made of one Imam only. Jumping from one matha'hib to another leads a person to. Follow his desires. It also leads to Talfeeq. And we have been prohibited from this.
Did you know that Imam Bukhari (rahmatullah alay) studied under Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahmatullah alay)? And Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahmatullah alay) studied under Imam Shafie (rahmatullah alay). Imam Shafie (rahmatullah alay) studied under Imam Muhammad (rahmatullah alay). Imam Muhammad (rahmatullah alay) was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah away).
The highest form of Hadith (from the point of view of the chain of narrators) in Bukhari Shareef the Thula'thi'yaat (in which there are only three narrators between Imam Bukhari rahmatullah alay and Rasulullah Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam). Imam Bukhari (rahmatullah alay) narrates these Thula'thi'yaat from his ustaadh Makka bin Ibrahim (rahmatullah alay). And Makki bin Ibrahim studied for ten years under Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay).
Did you know that Hafiz Zahabi (rahmatullah Alay) has counted Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay) from the Hufaaze Hadith (Huffaaz is the plural (of Hafiz) in his Kitaab Tadhkeratul Huffaz. A Hafiz of Hadith is a person who memorizes one hundred thousand Ahaadith or more with the names of the narrators and the context of the Hadith.
Hafiz Zahabi Shafie (rahmatullah alay) is that great Imam of Hadith regarding whom Hafiz ibn Hajar Asqalani (rahmatuUah alay) (the commentator of Bukhari Shareef who was a great Muhaddith of his time) made duaa at the Zam Zam, 0 Allah' give me a memory like the memory of Hafez-e-Zahabi.
Did you know, that Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiaani (who claimed prophet hood), Parvez (The Negator of Ahaadith), Hakeen Nurut Din (Successor of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Qadiaani) and along list of people who went astray were all Ghair Muqallidin (people who did not follow any Imam.)
Khatlb relates that Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay) used to make Tila'wat of the Quraan, perform Salaat and cry throughout the night (out of fear of Allah Ta'ala), so much that his neigbours used to pity him. He completed the Quraan seventy thousand times in the place in which he passed away. For forty years he read Fajr Salaat with the Wuzu of Esha. (Al Bida'ya Wan Nihayah Vol. 5 Page 107)
Did you know that Fiqhe Hanifa was compiled by a Shura of forty great Ulema of that time. Khatib Baghdadi writes:
Someone said to Imam Waki (rahmatullah Alay) (Ustaad t Imam Shafie (rahmatullah Alay) `lmam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah Alay) has made a mistake in this mas'ala.” Imam Waki (rahmatullah alay) replied: How can Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay) make a mistake when he has with him expertise in Qiyaas like Imam Abu Yusuf (rahmatullah alay) and Imam Zufar (rahmatullah alay); Huffaz of Hadith like Yahya bin Abi Za'eda, Hafs bin .Giyath, Habban and Mundil (rahmatullah Alayhi). (Yahyah (rahmatullah alay) and Hafs (rahmatullah alay) are Ustaads of Imam Bukhari (rahmatullah alay); an expert in the Arabic language and literature like Cassim bin Ma'an and Zaahid (one who abstains from the worldly things too) and Muttaqis (one who is extremely careful regarding the commandments of Allah Ta'ala) like Dawoodê Taie (rahmatullah alay) and FudhaiI bin Eyaaz (rahmatullah alay) “Will these people not correct him if he makes a mistake?”
A woman once came to buy silk from lmam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay). She requested Imam Sahib (rahmatullah alay) to sell the roll of silk to her at cost. Imam Sahib (rahmatullah alay) quoted her four dirham (± four rands). She said Oh Imam do not joke with me. Imam Sahib (rahmatullah alay) replied; “I bought two rolls of silk together and have sold the one with a profit which lands me this roll at four dirhams.” She paid the four dirhams and took the roll.
Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay) once advised his servant. “When you sell this article then do not forget to bring to the notice of the buyer the defect in it” The servant forgot to mention the fault at the time of selling that article. When this was brought to Imam Sahib (rahmatullah alay's) notice he said: “I have nothing to do with this.” He then gave that whole sum of a few thousand dinaars in sadaqa, as the buyer could not be traced.
Once a goat was stolen, Imam Abu Hanifa (rahmatullah alay) inquired as to the maximum period that a goat lives. He did not eat mutton for that period out of fear that Haraam will enter his stomach.
Imam Malik (rahmatullah alay) once while teaching Hadith was bit several times by a scorpion, he did not move out of respect of the words of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) until he had completed the lesson, even though his color had gone pale by then.
Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (rahmatullah alay) gave to the poor whatever he received in inheritance.
He used to cut wood for his living. Throughout the night he used to cry in sajda making dua. Oh Allah it a ransom is accepted on behalf of the sinners to the Ummat of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) then accepts me as a ransom.
Imam Shafie (rahmatullah alay) memorized the Quraan-e- Kareem at the age of seven, memorized the muwatta of Imam Malik (rahmatullah alay) at the age of ten and began to give fataawa at the age of fifteen. He used to complete sixty khatams in the month of Ramadan. He was a Sayyed by birth.
