Doubts of Madhab Partisans

Main Doubts of the Madhab Partisans.

This is a summary of point number 9 of Shaikh Al Albani’s refutation of Ali At Tantawi on the point of Blind Following. Inshallah we will put some of their main doubts and how to reply to them so that everyone would be able to defend themselves .

Their first doubt:

‘ No one can follow or understand the Sunnah except a scholar’

Reply: Allah ta’ala has told all the believers in the Qur’an to obey Allah and obey his Messenger . It is narrated from Imam Ahmad that he said that he checked through the Qur’an and found 33 verses where Allah said to obey him and his Messenger . So how is it that Allah orders us in the Qur’an to obey the Messenger and we are totally unable to understand what he said? In that you what you are saying is that Allah gave us an order which we cannot fulfill and this is injustice. However, if it is that there is the case where there is no evidence for a matter or that one is unable to understand specific issues that are not quite clear then he does what Allah has ordered us to do which is to ask the people of knowledge. However, when the evidence comes then it is unlawful to follow the statement of those who conflict the evidences.

The second doubt:

‘Are you more knowledgeable than Abu Haneefah or Imam Malik ? They know the religion better than us therefore we cannot follow the Hadeeth and have to blindfollow them’

Reply: No of course we are not more knowledgeable than these great scholars however they can have correct and incorrect opinions. And if one takes an opinion that conflicts clear evidences from the Qur’an and the Sunnah then he is from those who has opposed Allah and his Messenger . Secondly, in most if not in all cases an Imam from the Imams has taken the position based upon the authentic Hadeeth. Hence when a person acts upon the Hadeeth he is not only acting upon it but by default he is also acting upon the madhab of the one who took the Hadeeth as proof.

An example of this is when the Hanafis believe that Salatul Asr comes in at two shadow lengths (which many of them know is a weak hadeeth). However, there is an authentic narration in Saheeh Muslim that says that it is at one shadow length and the Imams like Imam Ahmad has taken this position. Hence when one takes the position of the weak Hadeeth then he is following the Imam only. But when one takes the position of the authentic Hadeeths he is following the Sunnah and the position of an Imam.

The third doubt:

‘ The Imam has to have Daleel but we do not know it’

Reply: Imam Al Bukhari said in his Saheeh : ‘ Chapter: Knowledge comes before statements and actions’. So how can we leave an opinion for which there is clear evidence for an opinion where the evidence is either non-existent or unknown? This is not how a person with intellect would operate. Rather the Muslim is ordered to follow what Allah has sent. Allah has said: ‘Follow that which was sent to you all from your Lord…’ A Muslim is not ordered to follow the opinion of a scholar over clear evidences from the Sunnah.

The fourth doubt:

‘All Madhabs are correct because the differences in the Ummah is a mercy’

Reply: Allah has said: ‘And if you disagree about a matter return it to Allah and his Messenger if you believe in Allah and his last day’. And he said : ‘And whatever you disagree in the ruling is with Allah’. Hence when Madhabs have differences of opinion how can all be correct? Yes maybe correct in their methodology of corroborating their evidences. However they may not be correct in their final ruling because one scholar may have evidences which the next scholar may not have.

The following example can be used. If some blood spills off a person there are three positions on this. One Madhab says that Wuduu is broken, the other that with plenty blood Wuduu is broken and the other that Wuduu is not broken at all. In this instance how can all be correct? As a poet said: Trying to affirm two opposites at the same time is uglier than what is impossible.

The fifth doubt:

‘ Abu Haneefah was the first of them therefore I follow him’.

This is a doubt we know about in Trinidad especially. Because Imam Abu Haneefah was the first of the four Imams this does not mean that he is free from error. Rather he can make mistakes in judgment as every man can do so. The Prophet said: ‘If a judge rules and is correct he gets two blessings and if he is wrong he gets one blessing’. Also Allah did not order you to follow any of the Imams neither did the Messenger . Rather you as a Muslim was ordered to obey Allah and his Messenger in all matters and when unable to understand what Allah or the Messenger says to return to the people of knowledge.

These are their four main doubts. Alhamdu lillah whatever comes after is easy inshallah ta’ala. So do not be fooled by decorated speech.

Musa Millington