A group of Japanese wished to accept Islam as their religion and conveyed their intention to Jamiyat – ul – Muslimin of Tokyo. Members of Jamiyat from India advised them to become Muslim and follow Imam Abu Hanifa. On the other hand, members of the Jamiyat from Indonesia guided them to follow Imam Sha’fii. On hearing these different viewpoints, the Japanese were confused and this problem stood in their way of accepting Islam. Mr. Muhammad Abdul Hai Qurban Ali wrote a letter to Sheikh Muhammad Sultan Al-Masoomi Al Khajnadee on behalf of Muslims of Tokyo asking whether it is required that a Muslim should be a Hanafi, Sha’fii, Maliki or Hanbali (the four schools) along with being a Muslim or just being a Muslim is enough? This motivated Sheikh Al-Masoomi, the Islamic scholar from Azerbaijan to write the book “Should A Muslim Follow A Particular Madhab?” (English translation: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 1998).
Shekh Al-Masoomi’s Book
Sheikh Al-Masoomi writes in this book that it is certainly not necessary for a Muslim to follow any Madhab i.e., Hanafi, Sha’fii, Maliki or Hanbali and if he does so, he is a wrongdoer and a sinner in the eyes of Islamic law. He will be treated among those who divided the religion of Islam into different sects. He quotes the Qur’an:
“As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou (O Muhammad) have no part in them in the least…….” (6:159).
The author states that none of the four Imams urged anyone to follow their Madhahib, but advised to follow the Qur’an and Sunnah. All the four Imams always clarified that if there is a better interpretation by anyone else, my view may be discarded. Sheikh Al-Masoomi opines that blindly following a Madhab is a dangerous innovation (bidah) which has crept into religion and that Muslims should be satisfied with the modes of worship contained in the Qur’an and the Hadith.
Counter Argument
Many Islamic scholars hold a contradictory opinion. They hold the view that you can follow any of the madhabs as long as you are a layman who is not yet able to conclude or derive rulings from the Qur’an and the given sources of Sharia. The excellence and superior scholarship of the mujtahid Imams (Imam Hanafi, Sha’fii, Maliki and Hanbali) have met the test of scholarly investigation and won the confidence of the thinking and practicing Muslims for centuries. The Madhabs of the Imams furnish thousands of sound, knowledge-based answers to questions of Muslims on how to obey Allah. If a Muslim has to derive answers from original sources on his own, it takes a lifetime of intense devotion and study which is practically not possible for all. A specific understanding of particular divine commands and prohibitions contained in the Sharia is required along with a knowledge of Arabic. The complex nature and the huge number of explanations of the Qur’an and Hadith texts involved require depth of scholarship to understand the revealed texts accurately. It is clear that not every Muslim can be a scholar. Many are engaged in other employments like serving as soldiers, doctors, engineers, accountants and so on. Because of the danger of distorting the Revelation, it is prudent that ordinary Muslims follow expert opinion, rather than rely on their own reasoning and limited knowledge.
Can We Follow All The Imams?
Islamic scholars opine that “a particular legal school does not bind the general public” and that they can follow any of the four Imams. One question that comes to my mind is whether a person who is committed to one Madhab, can also adopt the views of another Madhab in some matters? Can a Hanafi practice some recommendations of Imam Sha’fii and some recommendations of Maliki or Hanbali? For example, can a person follow the views of Imam Hanafi regarding the procedure of praying namaz, but, on the other hand follow Imam Sha’fii in matters pertaining to marriage laws. The consensus of the scholars is that if you choose a madhab, adhere to it totally. Even though all the four Madhabs are right from their point of view, an individual who lacks the ability to analyze and distinguish the arguments of each Madhab cannot be allowed to pick and choose between different views only to satisfy his personal desires. Following random views from more than one Madhab may result in choosing an option which is either easier or convenient to us, and discarding that which is difficult. Learning from one school results in less confusion for the non-scholar Muslim and facilitates consistency in practice. Generally, it is felt that it is better to follow one school predominantly.
Unity In Diversity
The argument that following a Madhab results in creating sects and internal conflicts does not hold water. From centuries it is noticed that there is internal intellectual cohesion among the learned Islamic scholars on this issue. Islamic history reveals that many kings and the rulers are guilty of promoting one school of thought or belittling another for political reasons. But the common Muslims rarely had conflicts with each other, although they remain loyal to their own Madhab and do not switch sides. The differences between the Madhabs become prominent, particularly while searching for marriage alliances. It is very common to see matrimonial ads declaring “Hanafi boy seeks alliance with a girl………” or “alliance needed for a Sha’fii girl from a boy………” Although there is no bar on inter-marriage between followers of different Madhabs, Muslims generally prefer a partner who follows their own Madhab in order to ensure that there is cultural compatibility. There is segregation of mosques according to Madhabs, yet the mussalies do commonly pray in mosques adhering to another school. This integration is due to the fact that the differences in the prayers between the Madhabs are very minor and are overlooked.
Jamaath Differences
In my long tenure as CEO of the Karnataka State Board of Waqfs, I rarely came across quarrels on the issue of following a particular madhab. Even where there was a dispute in a few mosques regarding their Hanafi or Sha’fii character, it was for reason that one group wanted to grab the administration of the mosque and the Madhab issue was just an excuse. However, it is very common in the Waqf Board to be confronted with bitter conflicts and differences among followers of Hanafi school between Barelvi and Deoband factions. In the scheme of management submitted by many mosques to the Waqf Board, it was distressing to notice the clause that Muslims of a particular jamaath are not allowed inside the mosque. We scrupulously removed such clauses. Despite that, some mosques install a board on the gate saying “Muslims of so and so jamaath are not allowed inside”. They have no qualms in calling each other a Kafir. Such regressive and fanatic actions should be condemned by all right-thinking Muslims. Efforts should be made to drive sense among these misguided persons. They should understand that such actions undermine the unity and integrity of the Umath. The solidarity of the Umath is of paramount importance and there should be no compromise on that.
(The author was three times CEO of the Karnataka State Waqf Board and can be contacted at [email protected] )
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