THE PERMISSIBLE FORM OF TAQLEED
Shaykh Saalih
al-Fawzaan, hafidhahullaah said: "As for the permissible form of blind-following (at-taqleedul-mubaah), then it is for the common person (aamee) who, if he does not follow the people of knowledge, then he will stray from the path. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:
Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. [an-Nahl 16:43]
And taqleed is not done to just anyone. Rather, it is done to one who is acredited
with knowledge and piety and is known to the people for this. "
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, rahimahullaah, said:
"When a Muslim is faced with a problamatic situation, he should seek a
verdict from one whom he believes will give him a verdict based upon what Allaah
and His Messenger have legislated; whatever school of thought (madhhab) he
belongs to. It is not obligatory upon any Muslim to blindly follow a particular
individual from the scholars in all that he says. Nor is it obligatory upon any
Muslim to blindly follow a particular madhhab from the scholars in all that it
necessitates and informs. Rather, every person's saying is taken or left, except
that of the Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. To follow the
madhhab of a particular individual because of an inability of knowing what has
been legislated, is from that which is permissible; it is not from that which is
obligatory upon every individual - if they have the ability to know what has
been legislated without this path of blind-following (taqleed). So each
individual should fear Allaah as much as he is able, and seek knowledge of what
Allaah and His Messenger have ordered; doing what is commanded and keeping away
from that which is forbidden. "
Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah also said:
"As for the one who has the ability to perform ijtihaad, is it permissible for
him to do taqleed? About this there is a difference of opinion, with the
correct opinion being that it is permissible in cases where he is unable to
perform ijtihaad; either due to the proofs being similar, or due to a time constraint in being able to perform ijtihaad, or due to the proof not being apparent to him. So in cases where he is unable, the obligation of ijtihaad is lifted from him due to this inability."
THE PROHIBITTED FORMS OF TAQLEED
Ibn al-Qayyim, rahimahullaah, said about the prohibitted types of taqleed:
"It is of three types:- Firstly: totaly turning away from what Allaah has
revealed, but rather being satisfied with the taqleed of ones for-fathers.
Secondly: doing taqleed of someone when you do not know whether that person is
from those whose saying can be taken.
Thirdly: doing taqleed after the proofs have been established and it becomes
apparent that the evidence contradicts the view of the one to whom taqleed is
done."
Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal, rahimahullaah, said:
"How strange it is that a people who know the chain of narratiuon of a hadeeth
(isnaad) and its authenticity, yet still they follow the opinion of Sufy
aan [ath-Thawree]; even though Allaah, the Exalted, said:
Let those beware, who oppose the command of the
Messenger, lest some trial (fitnah) befalls them, or a painful punishment is
inflicted upon them.
[Soorah
an-Noor 24:63].
Do you know what the fitnah is? The fitnah is shirk! Since the rejection of
some of his sayings could cause something of deviation to enter into the heart, and
thus be destroyed."
Shaykh
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (the grandson of Muhammad ibn Abdul-Wahab), rahimahullaah,
said: "In the words of Imaam Ahmad, rahimahullaah, is an indication that doing taqleed before the proofs reach a person is not blameworthy. Rather, the one who is to be censured is that person to whom the proofs reach, yet he opposes them due to [adhering to] the saying of his scholar. "
REFERENCES
1. Muntaqaa min Fataawaa (5/363).
2. Majmoo Fataawaa (20/208-209).
3. Majmoo Fataawaa (20/204).
4. Ilaamul-Muwaqqieen (2/188).
5. Related by Ibn Battah in al-Ibaanatul-Kubraa (no.97).
Refer also to al-Masaail
(3/1355) of Abdullaah ibn Imaam Ahmad.
6. Fathul-Majeed (2/649).
The Prohibited and Permissible Forms of Taqlid