Wannan mataki ya ƙunshi kusan shekaru ɗari shida, tun daga lokacin da aka kwashe Baghdad a shekara ta 1258 miladiyya da kashe halifa na ƙarshe na Banu 'Abbas, al-Musta'sim, har zuwa kusan tsakiyar karni na sha tara na miladiyya. Wannan zamani kuma yana nuna tashin Daular Usmaniyya, wadda shugaban Turkawa 'Uthmaan I ya kafa a shekara ta 1299 miladiyya, har zuwa lokacin da ta fara raguwa a ƙarƙashin hare-haren mulkin mallaka na Turawan Yamma.

This stage covers approximately six centuries starting with the sacking of Baghdad in 1258 CE and the execution of the last ‘Abbaasid caliph, al-Musta’sim, and ending around the middle of the nineteenth century of the Christian era. This period also represents the rise of the Ottoman Empire, founded in 1299 CE by the Turkish leader ‘Uthmaan I, until its decline under the attacks of European colonialism.

Babban halin wannan zamani shi ne taqlidi (bin mazhaba makaho) da kuma rarrabuwar kai saboda mazhabobi. Wannan koma-baya ya haifar da watsi da dukkan nau'o'in ijtihadi, har mazhabobi suka koma abubuwa daban-daban masu kama da kungiyoyi. Rubuce-rubucen fiqhu a wannan zamani sun takaita ga yin sharhi a kan littattafan da suka gabata, kuma an mayar da hankali wajen kare mazhabobin mutum-mutum. Saboda haka, rayuwar fiqhu ta ɓace, kuma yawancin hukunce-hukuncen suka zama tsoffi, ba sa iya aiki a yanayinsu na yanzu. Don cike wannan gibi na doka, an sannu a hankali aka kawo dokokin Turai a wurin wasu hukunce-hukuncen Musulunci da suka daina aiki.

The prevailing characteristic of this period was that of Taqleed (the blind following of a Madh-hab) and factionalism. This degenerative trend resulted in the dropping of all forms of Ijtihaad and the evolution of the Madh-habs into totally separate entities closely resembling sects. The compilation of Fiqh during this period was limited to commenting on previous works and was directed toward the promotion of individual Madh-habs. Thus, the dynamism of Fiqh was lost and many of the laws became increasingly outmoded and inapplicable in their existing forms. In order to fill this legislative gap, European law codes were gradually introduced in place of some of the Islamic laws, which had fallen into disuse.

Daga ƙarshe, tare da ci gaban mulkin mallaka na Turawa da rarrabuwar Daular Musulunci, dokokin Turawa suka maye gurbin dokar Musulunci. Wasu masu gyara sun yi ƙoƙarin dakatar da igiyar koma baya da raguwa, suna kira da a komo ga tsarkakakkiyar asalin Musulunci da dokokinsa. Duk da haka, rarrabuwar kai ta ci gaba har zuwa yau, duk da karuwar koyar da ilimin Fiqhu na kwatance a cibiyoyin ilimi.

Eventually with the advance of European colonialism and the breaking up of the Muslim Empire, European laws supplanted Islamic law. Certain reformers sought to stem the tide of stagnation and decline, calling for a return to the original purity of Islaam and its laws. However, factionalism has continued to the present day, in spite of an increase in institutional teaching of comparative Fiqh.

Malamai na wannan zamani sun bar dukkan nau'o'in Ijtihaadi, sai suka yanke hukunci baki ɗaya da nufin rufe ƙofar Ijtihaadi har abada. Suka yi hujja da cewa an riga an tashi da warware dukkan matsalolin da za su iya tasowa, don haka babu buƙatar ƙarin Ijtihaadi.184 Da wannan mataki ne wani sabon ra'ayi na Madh-hab ya fito, wato dole ne mutum ya bi ɗaya daga cikin Madh-habobi huɗu domin Musulunci nasa ya inganta. A hankali wannan ra'ayi ya kafu sosai a cikin talakawa da kuma malaman Fiqhu. Ta haka addinin Musulunci kansa ya takaita a cikin iyakokin Madh-habobi huɗu da ake da su: Hanafee, Maalikee, Shaafi'ee da Hamblee. An ɗauki waɗannan makarantun shari'a a matsayin bayyanannun siffofin Musulunci waɗanda Allah ya ƙaddara. Dukkansu an ɗauke su cikakke ne gaba ɗaya, daidai da juna, kuma wakilan Musulunci na gaskiya, duk da cewa akwai bambance-bambance marasa adadi a tsakaninsu. A zahiri, akwai malamai a wannan zamani da suka fassara wasu Hadisai ta yadda za su tabbatar cewa Annabi (s.w.) da kansa ya yi hasashen bayyanar waɗannan Imamai da Madh-habobinsu. Saboda haka, duk wani yunƙuri na wuce waɗannan Madh-habobi na hukunci ana ɗaukarsa bidi'a, kuma duk wanda ya ƙi bin ɗaya daga cikin waɗannan Madh-habobi ana ɗaukarsa a matsayin mai barin addini. Malamai masu tsananin ra'ayin riƙon gargajiya na wannan mataki ma sun kai ga yanke hukuncin cewa duk wanda aka kama yana canzawa daga wani Madh-hab zuwa wani, yana fuskantar hukunci bisa ga ra'ayin alƙalin yankin. An kuma yi hukunci a cikin Madh-hab na Hanafee da ya haramta wa Bahanafe yin aure da Bashafi'e.185 Har ma ginshiƙi na biyu mafi muhimmanci na Musulunci, Salla, bai tsira daga illolin fanaticin Madh-hab ba. Mabiyan Madh-habobi daban-daban sun fara ƙin yin salla a bayan Imamai daga wasu Madh-habobi. Wannan ya haifar da gina mihrabai daban-daban a cikin masallatai a al'ummomin da ke da fiye da Madh-hab ɗaya.186 Masjid-masjid irin wannan har yanzu ana iya ganinsu a wurare kamar Siriya, inda Musulmi Sunni ke bin ko dai Madhhabin Hanafiyya ko Shaafi'iyya. Ma'il-harami, wato Masjidul-Haram na Makka, mafi tsarki cikin masallatai, wanda ke wakiltar haɗin kan Musulmi da addinin Musulunci, shi ma ya sami tasiri. An kafa mihrabai daban-daban a kewayen Ka'aba: ɗaya ga kowane Imami daga cikin makarantun. Idan lokacin Salla ya zo, Imami daga ɗaya daga cikin Madhhabai zai jagoranci jama'a masu bin Madhhabinsa wajen sallah; sai kuma wani Imami daga ɗaya daga cikin sauran Madhhabai ya jagoranci jama'arsa, haka dai har ya zama. Abin lura shi ne cewa wuraren sallah daban-daban ga kowane Madhhabi sun ci gaba da kasancewa a kewayen Ka'aba har zuwa kwata na farko na karni na ashirin, lokacin da Abdul-Azeez ibn Sa'ud da rundunarsa suka ci Makka (watan Oktoba na 1924) suka haɗa dukkan masu bauta a bayan Imami guda ɗaya, ba tare da la'akari da Madhhabinsa ko na su ba.

The scholars of this period left all forms of Ijtihaad and unanimously issued a legal ruling, which was intended to close the door of Ijtihaad permanently. They reasoned that all possible issues had already been raised and addressed, and there was therefore no need for further Ijtihaad.184 With that step, a new concept of Madhhab arose, namely that one of the four Madh-habs had to be followed for one’s Islaam to be valid. In time this concept became firmly embedded among the masses as well as the scholars of Fiqh. Thus, the religion of Islaam itself became restricted within the confines of the four existing Madh-habs; Hanafee, Maalikee, Shaafi’ee and Hamblee. These schools of law came to be considered divinely ordained manifestations of Islaam. All of them were supposed to be completely correct, equal and representative of true Islaam, yet there were innumerable differences among them. In fact there were scholars in this period who interpreted some Hadeeths in such a way as to prove that the Prophet (s.w.) him-self had predicted the appearance of the Imaams and their Madh-habs. Consequently, any attempt to go beyond these canonical Madh-habs was considered heretical and anyone who refused to follow one of these Madh-hab was classified an apostle. The hyper conservative scholars of this stage even went so far as to rule that whoever was caught transferring from one Madh-hab to another was liable to punishment at he discretion of the local judge. A ruling was also made in the Hanafee Madh-hab prohibiting the marriage of a Hanafee to a Shaafi’ee.185 And even the second most important pillar of Islaam, Salaah, was not spared the effects of Madh-hab fanaticism. The followers of the various Madh-habs began to refuse to pray behind the Imaams from other Madh-habs. This resulted in the building of separate prayer niches in the masjid186 communities where more than one Madh-hab existed. Masjids of this type can still be seen in places like Syria, where Sunni Muslims follow either the Hanafee or Shaafi’ee Madh-hab. Even the most holy masjid, al-Masjid alHaraam of Makkah, which represents the unity of Muslims and the religion of Islaam, was affected. Separate prayer niches were set up around the Ka’bah: one for an Imaam from each of the schools. And when the time for Salaah came, an Imaam from one of the Madhhabs would lead a congregation of followers from his Madh-hab in prayer; then another Imaam from one of the other Madh-habs would lead his congregation of followers and so on. It is interesting to note that separate places of prayer for each of the Madh-habs remained around the Ka’bah until the first quarter of the twentieth century when ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Sa’oud and his army conquered Makkah (October of 1924) and united all worshippers behind a single Imaam regardless of his or their Madh-habs.

Taqleed (bin-bi-ta, makafo) dole a bambanta shi da Ittibaa’ (bin-bi-ta da hankali). Bin hanyar magabata wajen hukunce-hukunce al’amari ne na al’ada kuma na halitta. Ma’ana, ta hanyar bin tafsirin da suka gabata sosai ne sakon Musulunci ke kasancewa ba tare da gurbata ba a tsawon lokaci. Domin wadancan tafsirai na farko an gina su ne a kan wahayin Allah da aka yi wa Annabi ﷺ da kuma rayuwarsa da Allah ya shiryar da ita. Annabi ﷺ da kansa ya ce: mafi alherin zamani shi ne zamanina, sannan wanda ya biyo bayansa, sannan wanda ya biyo bayan wancan.187 Sai dai tun da Musulmai na zamanin farko, sai dai Annabi ﷺ, ba su da kariya daga kuskure, ko da wadancan tafsirai na farko bai kamata a bi su makafi ba, ba tare da la’akari da wasu ka’idoji na asali na hankali wadanda ke ba mu damar bambance daidai da kuskure ba. A cikin wannan littafi, kalmar Taqleed (bin makafi) ana amfani da ita wajen nufin ayyukan wadanda ke binne kai wajen bin wani Madhhabi guda daya ba tare da la’akari da kuskuren da suke gani ba. Ga talakawan jama’a kuwa, wadanda ba su da ilimin yanke hukunci da kansu a cikin yanayi mai shakka, to, a gare su ita ce su bi duk wani ilimin da ke hannunsu, su bude zukatansu, kuma su dogara ga malaman da ke bude zuciya gwargwadon iko.

Taqleed (blind following) has to be distinguished from Ittibaa’ (reasoned following). The principle of following the rulings of our predecessors is normal and natural. In fact, it is by closely following earlier interpretations of Islaam that the message of Islaam remains uncorrupted through time. For, those early interpretations were founded on the Prophet’s (s.w.) divine inspiration and his divinely guided life style. The Prophet (s.w.) himself said that the best generation was his generation, then the generation following his, and then the generation following that.187 However, since Muslims of earlier generation, with the exeption of the Prophet (s.w.), were not infallible, even those earlier interpretations should not be followed blindly without without regard to certain basic principles of reason which enable us to distinguish between right and wrong. In this book the term Taqleed (blind following) is used to refer to the actions to those who slavishly follow a single Madh-hab regardless of errors that they see. As for the common people who do not have the knowledge to make independent decisions in doubtful situations, it is for them to follow whatever knowledge is available to them, keep their minds open and rely on open-minded scholars as much as possible.

Taqlid ya kasance sakamakon wasu abubuwa da dama, na cikin gida da na waje ga Madhhabai, waɗanda suka yi tasiri a kan ci gaban Fiqh da kuma halayen malamai. Ba za a iya keɓe wani dalili guda a matsayin babban dalili ba, haka kuma ba za a iya gano dukkan abubuwan ba. Abin da ke biye da shi wasu ne kawai daga cikin abubuwan da suka fi bayyana waɗanda suka kai ga wannan mataki na tsaiwa.

Taqleed was the result of a number of factors, internal and external to the Madh-habs, which affected the development of Fiqh and the attitude of scholars. No one cause can be singled out as the main cause nor can all of the factors be identified. The following only a few of the more obvious factors which led to this stage of stagnation.