[2] The following of madhabs has not only led the blind followers to prefer the sayings and opinions of men to the clear texts of the Quran and Sunnah,it has further taken them even to forget the authentic sayings of their own Imaams(ra)-preferring the sayings of the later followers,thinkinbg that they are the madhabs of the scholars, without discrimination or research and that is due only to the severity of their blind following.It is known that the scholars wrote down their positions in books and left what they regarded to be correct according to their own ijtihaad.Imaam Maalik(ra) -left his position in al-Muwatta and Imaam ash-Shafiee left his position in al-Umm. If we wish to know the madhab of any of those scholars we have to refer back to his book.It is not fitting as being the saying of Imaam Maalik, Imaam Ash-Shafiee and Imaam Abu Haneefah (ra) -which they never said or did. For example, the Maalikees leave their arms at their side, during the Slaah and read Qunoot in fajr,whereas we find Maailik-(ra) quotes in al-Muwatta: "Chapter: placing the two hands, one upon the other in Prayer."He reported narrations therein,from them: That Abdul Kareem ibn Abil Makhaariq al-basaree said, "From the sayings of prophethood is: If you feel shame, then do as you wish; placing the hands one upon the other in prayer;being early in breaking the fast;and delaying taking the predawn meal (suhoor)"

But the later Maalikees use as evidence that Maalik used to pray with his hands hanging at his side,this is ignorance with regard to the madhab which they follow.Since Jafar ibn Sulayman, the governor of al-Madeenah lashed the Imaam in the year 146H and streched out his arms until his hands became dislocated and so he was not able to place his hands one over the other in Prayer.(See al-Intiqaa, p.44). He wrote al-Muwatta two years after this happened. Imaam Maalik (ra) also reports in the chapter of the Qunoot in Fajr prayer (1/159) that, "Ibn Umar(ra) did not read the Qunoot in any of his prayers".

As for Imaam ash-Shafiee (ra) then it is ignorantly attributed to him that he holds the salaat upon the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) to be a sunnah whereas he says in al-Umm (1/117) that it is obligatory:"Allaah, the Most high, made obligatory the salaat upon His Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) saying:

"Allah and the angels send salaat upon the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) : O you who believe send salaat upon him and greet him with respect.( Sooratul-Ahzaab (33):56)

There is no place which has more right for that be obligatory therein than within the Prayer.We find proof from Allahs Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) of what I have said,that salaat upon His Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) is obligatory in prayer and Allaah, the Most high, knows best.

As for the books of later Hanafees, such as al-Khulaash of al-Kaidanee,they quote that amongst those things which are prohibited in prayer is making a sign with your forefinger, like Ahlul-Hadeeth. In the book of Prayer of al-Masoodee, he states that pointing with the forefinger was a Sunnah with the older generations, then was practiced by the Sheeah and Raffidees and so the later scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah left it and so became abrogated.Whereas we find in fath-ulQadeer of ibn ul-Hammaam and he is one of the greatest of them, that the pointing is Sunnah and that he who says other than that then he has gone against what is related, rather Muhhamad ibn al-Hasan ash- Shaybaanee, the student of Abu Haneefah reported in his Muwatta that it is Sunnah. Is there not in these examples a clear proof that blind following of madhabs is a calamity that has taken the Muslims away from the following the way of the beset of generations?!

[3] This excellent saying,overflowing with great wisdom,was said by the learned man of this Ummah, Abdullaah ibn Abbas (ra) as quoted by Taqiyyuddeen as-Subkee in his Fatawaa(1/148) being amazed by its beauty. It was taken from Ibn Abbaas (rta) by Mujaahid, as occurs in Jaami Bayaan ul-ilm wa Fadlihee (1/91) and al-Ihkaam fee Usool il-Ahkaam (1/145). Maalik took it from Mujaahid and it is ascribed to Maalik and became well known from him. It was taken from them by Imaam Ahmad (ra) Abu Daawood says in Masaa-il-ul-Imaam Ahmad (p.276) "I heard Ahmad say: There is no one except that his opinion may be taken or left,except fpr the prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) .