QuranCourse.com

Need a website for your business? Check out our Templates and let us build your webstore!

Al-Waadih Fee Usool ul-Fiqh by Muhammad Hussein Abdullah

The Madhaahib In Al-ijtihaad

The Madhaahib in Al-Ijtihaad, like the Madh’hab Ash-Shaafi’iy, Abu Hanifah and Al-Maalikiy amongst others, are schools of Fiqh that have taken the names of the A’immah Al-Mujtahideen who set down the principles and methodologies in relation to Ijtihaad for them. From amongst these Madhaahib are those which are still existing today and have followers like the four Madhaahib and the Madh’hab of Al-Imaam Ja’far. There are also those which have been blotted out and do not have followers in our current age like the Madh’hab of Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, the Madh’hab of Al-Imaam At-Tabari and the Madh’hab of Al-Imaam Al-Awzaa’i amongst others.

All of these Madhaahib without exception deduced their Ahkaam from the Shar’iyah texts. They therefore do not represent a proof (Hujjah) for the Islamic Shar’iyah but rather it the Islamic Shar’iyah which represents a Hujjah (proof) over them. The famous statement or slogan attributed to each of the Madh’hab was as follows: “My opinion is correct but open to error and the opinion of someone else is wrong but open to being correct”. In light of this, it is necessary for the Muqallid of a Madh’hab to comprehend the following:

1 – The justification for following these Madhaahib today is the wide absence of Ijtihaad amongst the Muslims and that these Madhaahib make their followers aware of the practical Ahkaam Ash-Shar’iyah that are necessary for them in their lives for them to be able to adhere to and abide by Islaam.

2 – The Muqallid of the Madh’hab should not have blind devotion (At-Ta’assub) to that Madh’hab. As such, if it becomes plainly evident to him that the Madh’hab that he follows has made a mistake in a particular issue and that the correct opinion is within another Madh’hab, then he should follow that which he believes most likely (Ghalabat Azh-Zhann) to be correct.

3 – The differences between the Madhaahib in relation to the deduction of some of the Ahkaam is a healthy manifestation and not an unhealthy one or sign of sickness, as some imagine. That is because the minds and understandings of people differ based upon the individual differences that Allah Ta’Aalaa has created within the Fitrah (nature) of people. For that reason, the Mujtahideen differ in their Istinbaat (deduction) and understanding and this difference in Ijtihaad occurred in the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) amongst the Sahaabah (rah). He (saw) approved of that and explained that the Mujtahid attains two rewards when his Ijtihaad is correct and that the Mujtahid who errs attains one reward. Consequently, making an error in the Ijtihaad is permitted by the Shar’a and the one who unintentionally falls into error is rewarded.

Reference: Al-Waadih Fee Usool ul-Fiqh - Muhammad Hussein Abdullah

Build with love by StudioToronto.ca