Question Summary:
Why can’t we choose rulings from different Imams if they are all correct?

Question Detail:

Why can't we choose rulings from different Imams if they are all correct?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu 'alaykumwa-rahmatullāhiwa-barakaatuh.
Sister in Islam
In order for us to offer you appropriate answers to your queries, answer the following questions related to your queries.
1.      In your first query you refer to some people? Who are they and what is their ideology and their teachings?
2.      By saying that all four Imams are correct, do you mean that they individually correct in their academic analysis, conclusion and rulings, or is it correct to follow each one of them, in spite some of them being possibly incorrect in their academic conclusions?
3.      What is your practice, are you following any respective Imam from the four Imams of Fiqh?
4.      Who is the other group you refer to? What is their ideology and teachings?
5.      How will a person follow Imam Abu Haneefa (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) in namaz and Imam Shafee (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) in marriage? Which kitaab he will follow of each Mazhab? What happens if he cannot find a ruling on the other issues of fiqh, will he follow for example Imam Malik (Rahmatullahi Alayhi) and Imam Ahmad (Rahmatullahi Alayhi). Why will he not go beyond the four Imams?
6.         In your last question please clarify, what do you mean by maligning? and who are these other sects in reference? 
Jazaakillah
And Allah Ta'āla Knows Best
Saeed Ncane
Student DarulIftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
 
Question:
wa alaikum assalaam wa rahmatullahiwa barakaatuh,
1- please forgive my lack of Ilm. These people don't follow any madhhab. I have ppl of this thought in my immediate family too. They say that even ahl-e-hadees is a sect and a muslim must not need any labels. So we are only muslims and we'll follow only the qur'an and the sahih hadeeth. and the matters which are not clear, we can ask any of the known ulama irrespective of their sect.
2-  ' the four imams are correct'  means that one acknowledges their stature and their ikhlaas in giving out each and every ruling they gave. All their rulings have quran and hadeeth at their base yet they differ only as per their own interpretation and wisdom. So technically it should not be wrong to follow any of them if a person tries utmost not to let his self interest interfere and be just.
3- yes I follow the hanafi madhab. I am currently attached with respected mufti taqi usmani sahab and mawlana abdus sattat sahab in karachi. In fact, whoever argues with me about taqleed, I alwaya refer them Mufti Taqi's awesome book (MashaAllah) but ppl are lazy to want to go to that extent. And if I don't have answers to some of their questions, they say 'see u dont know what u r doing'...u r just blindly following....dont u have samajh of yourself (and these are the ppl from my mahrams and I cannot avoid them). But the idea that convinces me about taqleed is my own safety. Afterall how can I trust my own samajh only?
4- I think I have answered that in point one.
5- Not to go beyond the four imams is generally well accepted here in pakistan (at least as per my limited knowledge). The argument I've come across is that if all the possible areas of fiqh have been covered by the respected imam then one just has to be sincere to not to switch between them frequently....and once having followed one imam in particular fiqhi matter, should stick to it all his life even if at another point in life he finds the same ruling against his self interest and understanding. But it should not be made impermissible for him to follow one imam in one fiqhi matter and another for some other fiqhi matter. when he fails to find a ruling on some fiqhi matter, he can ask the ulama of any madhab.
6- it means that the allowing ppl to divide into different groups has given birth to many many fragments of ummah because then ppl dont stick to only these four imam.....everyone professing his own version of Islam. Had the ppl never been allowed to and always discouraged to have any other label than only 'muslim' then there wouldn't be ppl with barelvi , deobandi, ahl e hadees etc labels as their sub-identities.
jazakumullahu min ahsan al jaza.
...awaiting your response anxiously. I request to plz make dua for me and my family. May Allah pak guide us towards what is right. Ameen.
 
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Before we answer your query, it is important to understand that only one who is an 'ālim can fully understand the intricacies and wisdoms that lie under following one mazhab and the rulings issued from the Imam of that mazhab. Picking and choosing from one mazhab or another is not something for an ordinary person to take into their hands regardless of what their heart tells them. This is especially for the case of one who acts on a certain ruling only for the sake of ease as this is another form of ittibā'ul hawā (following one's desires) and constitutes disregarding the laws of Sharī'ah. You stated that you are a follower of the Hanafi mazhab and have also read material in regards to taqlīd. As such, it should be clear to you why it is important to follow one mazhab without wavering as a muqallid.
Nevertheless, in order to clear up your misconceptions, we will attempt to answer your questions. In doing so, we will answer each of the questions put forward by you or your peers without discussing the technical details.
1) We will only follow the Qur'an and the Sahīh ahādīth and the matters which are not clear, we can ask any of the known 'Ulama irrespective of their sect. 
As stated by you in answer number two, you have acknowledged that all rulings issued from the four great Imams are based on the Quran and Sunnah. As such, it seems illogical to use the argument of "following the Quran and Sahīh ahādīth" when the 'Ulama of your mazhab also issue rulings based on the Quran and Sunnah as interpreted by the Imam of the mazhab. If you believe that this is not the case, then you will be accusing great muhaddithīn (hadīth masters), muffasirīn (Quran exegetists), and fuqahā of not adhering to the teachings of the Quran and our beloved Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).
2) All their rulings have Quran and hadīth at their base yet they differ only as per their own interpretation and wisdom. So technically, it should not be wrong to follow any of them if a person tries utmost not to let his self interest interfere and be just.
"Trying utmost not to let one's self interest interfere and be just" seems like a simple concept, but a few questions still remain unanswered:

 
3) If I don't have answers to some of their questions, they say "See. You don't know what you are doing."
 
Imam Muslim narrates in his Sahīh that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ūd (radiyallahu 'anhu) said:
يا أيها الناس اتقوا الله، من علم منكم شيئا، فليقل بما يعلم، ومن لم يعلم فليقل: الله أعلم، فإنه أعلم لأحدكم أن يقول: لما لا يعلم: الله أعلم، فإن الله عز وجل قال لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم: {قل ما أسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفين} 
O people, fear Allah and only the one who knows amongst you should say what he knows. And for the one who does not know, he should simply say: "Allah knows best." for He has the best knowledge amongst all of you that one of you should say about which you do not know: "Allah knows best".[1]
 
As the creation of Allah the Almighty, we are not liable for answering each and every question posed to us. It is only Allah Ta'ālā who has the answer to all questions. Furthermore, it was the habit of past scholars to refrain from responding to every question due to the fear of being held responsible for answering a question relating to deen without knowledge.[2] In fact, expecting one to always know the "why" and "what" behind each action constitutes taklīf mā lā yutāq (holding one responsible for something beyond one's capacity).
 
If they believe that you are wrong in adhering to a certain Imam, then they must also believe that all the great scholars that adhered to following one Imam for over a thousand years also "did not know what they were doing". If not, then such an argument holds no weight and is simply a way used to confuse you and force you to question your ideals.
 
If great scholars such as Hafiz ibn Hajar al-'Asqalāni, Imam Nawawī, Imam Tirmidhī, Imam Abū Dawūd, Imam Tahāwī,  Imam Ibn Kathīr, and many others who established fundamental sciences in Islam did not know what they were doing by following one Imam, then how can anyone today claim to be on the truth despite our limited knowledge in comparison to these great giants of Islam?
 
4) If all the possible areas of fiqh have been covered by the respected imam ...it should not be made impermissible for him to follow one imam in one fiqhi matter and another for some other fiqhi matter. When he fails to find a ruling on some fiqhi matter, he can ask the 'Ulama of any mazhab.
 
 
 
In response to the first part of this argument, we would like to pose the following question. If all the possible areas of fiqh have been covered by the respected Imam, then why would one have a need to even go to the 'Ulama of a different mazhab? If one mazhab fulfills one's need, there should be no reason for a muqallid to resort to another mazhab.
 
In regards to the second part of this argument, we would like to ask what you mean by "fails to find a ruling on some fiqhi matter". If you mean to say that the scholar you asked was unable to answer, then one should refer to another scholar or Darul Iftaa that can research the issue and answer appropriately.
 
If you mean to say that a certain mazhab did not have the answer to a question that can only be found in another mazhab, then such an argument also holds no weight since every mazhab is formed on principles associated with deriving rulings from the Quran and Sunnah. As such, each mazhab is directly linked to the teachings of the Quran and the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) who left us a deen that has the solution to every problem we face in our daily lives. If the Quran and Sunnah cannot offer the answer, then where else can we look?
 
If you truly believe that the Hanafi mazhab does not have an answer to a certain question, then we are here to ensure you that such a notion is absolutely false. Askimam.org is open to the public for assisting all Muslims who are unable to find an answer to their questions. You may always forward us a query as we are always standing by for the service of all Muslims looking for a solution to their questions.
 
6) It means that the allowing people to divide into different groups has given birth to many fragments of the Ummah because people don't stick to only these four Imam.....everyone professing his own version of Islam.
 
If we understand your question correctly, you are implying that there should have been no so-called "divisions" caused by these "schools of thoughts". On the contrary, we believe that it is because of these schools of thoughts that we have unity today in all our acts of worship. Take the example of salah; if everyone was left to pick and choose their own way of praying based off of their limited understanding, then there would be absolutely no harmony at all. Every second person would be praying in their individual way without any regard to the other. In fact, there would be even more superfluous arguments that would take place causing more "division" through their own "school of thought" and professing "their own version of Islam". It is through these Imams that we are able to have a systematic and unified way of praying based off of rules and guidelines established through the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of our Nabi (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Those who choose otherwise bring a rift in a system running successfully for over a thousand years.
 
7) Had the people...been...always discouraged to have any other label than only 'muslim' then there wouldn't be people with barelvi , deobandi, ahl e hadees etc labels as their sub-identities.
 
Islam as a religion is based on certain creeds and beliefs that separates it from other religions, whereas the schools of thought focus on different rulings in regards to physical acts of worship and day to day occurrences. No school of thought professed a different set of beliefs nor was their mazhab based on defining a set rule of beliefs. Each Imam held the beliefs taught to us by the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and never considered themselves to be following their own version of Islam, nor did any of them consider the other to be following something other than the Quran and Sunnah.
 
Furthermore, as you have stated in answer two, each Imam derived their rulings from the Quran and Sunnah. If these schools of thought caused a divergence and created versions of Islam, then it would tantamount to saying that the Quran and Sunnah also preached different versions of Islam, na'ūdhu billahi min dhālik.
 
In regards to your question, by "any other label than Muslim", if you mean to say that none of the following "groups" should claim to be anything other than being a "Muslim", then we would like to answer that each of these groups do not claim to be anything other than a Muslim as it is.
 
If you mean to say that they should not give themselves any identity other than being a Muslim, then such a claim falls against the scholars of the four schools of thought as well as many were labelled to be "Shāfi'ī", "Hanbalī", "Mālikī", and "Hanafī". Simply having a sub-identity does not create divide. If such were the case, the following verse of the Quran would hold no meaning:
 
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا
O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into races and tribes, so that you may identify each other.[3]
Since you are a muqallid, we advise you to stick to one Imam and ignore those who try to confuse you. We also advise that you build a stronger connection with the Hanafi 'Ulama and refer to them for all your questions and problems.
 
May Allah Ta'ālā bless you and your family and grant them success in this life and the hereafter. Ameen.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Bilal Mohammad 
Student Darul Iftaa
USA 
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai with the following comments:
As a point of support for taqlīd of one Imam and the various questions you asked, consider the decision of Hazrat 'Uthmān (radiyallahu 'anhu) burning the various copies of the Quran and restricting the people to one dialect of the Quran. In view of some of the questions posed by you, why would 'Uthmān (radiyallahu 'anhu) burn all the other dialects of the Quran which were actually revealed by Allah and restrict the ummah to one dialect? Why didn't he leave the people to choose any dialect of their choice? The decision of 'Uthmān (radiyallahu 'anhu) was in the presence of Sahabah and no one objected to his decision.
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