Madhaahib katika Al-Ijtihaad, kama Madh'hab Ash-Shaafi'iy, Abu Hanifah na Al-Maalikiy miongoni mwa nyingine, ni madhehebu za Fiqh ambazo zimechukua majina ya A'immah Al-Mujtahideen walioweka kanuni na mbinu zinazohusiana na Ijtihaad kwa ajili yake. Miongoni mwa madhehebu hizi zipo zile zinazoendelea kuwepo leo na zina wafuasi, kama madhehebu nne na Madh'hab ya Al-Imaam Ja'far. Pia zipo zile ambazo zimefutwa na hazina wafuasi katika zama zetu za sasa, kama Madh'hab ya Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, Madh'hab ya Al-Imaam At-Tabari na Madh'hab ya Al-Imaam Al-Awzaa'i miongoni mwa nyingine.

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.

Madhehebu hizi zote bila ubaguzi zilitoa hukumu zake (Ahkaam) kutoka kwenye matini za Shari'ah. Kwa hiyo hazisimami kuwa ushahidi (Hujjah) kwa Shari'ah ya Kiislamu, bali ni Shari'ah ya Kiislamu inayosimama kuwa ushahidi (Hujjah) juu yake. Kauli maarufu au msemo uliohusishwa na kila Madhehebu ulikuwa kama ifuatavyo: "Maoni yangu ni sahihi lakini yanaweza kuwa na makosa, na maoni ya mwingine ni makosa lakini yanaweza kuwa sahihi." Kwa kuzingatia hili, ni lazima kwa Muqallid wa Madhehebu kuelewa yafuatayo:

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 – Sababu ya kufuata Madhehebu hizi leo ni kukosekana kwa wingi wa Ijtihaad miongoni mwa Waislamu, na kwamba madhehebu hizi huwajulisha wafuasi wake hukumu za kivitendo za Shari'ah ambazo wanazihitaji katika maisha yao ili waweze kushikamana nazo na kuzitekeleza Uislamu.

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 – Mfuasi wa madhehebu (Muqallid) hapaswi kuwa na ushabiki wa upofu (At-Ta'assub) kwa madhehebu hayo. Kwa hiyo, ikiwa itakuwa wazi kabisa kwake kwamba madhehebu anayoyafuata yamekosea katika suala fulani, na kwamba kauli sahihi iko ndani ya madhehebu mengine, basi afuate kile anachokiamini kuwa ndicho kilicho karibu zaidi na usahihi (Ghalabat Azh-Zhann).

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 – Tofauti kati ya madhehebu katika kuchota baadhi ya hukumu za kisheria ni dalili ya afya na si dalili ya ugonjwa, kama watu wengine wanavyodhani. Hiyo ni kwa sababu akili na ufahamu wa watu hutofautiana kulingana na tofauti za kibinafsi ambazo Allah Ta’Aalaa amezijaalia katika Fitrah (maumbile) ya watu. Kwa sababu hiyo, Mujtahidina hutofautiana katika Istinbaat (kuchota hukumu) na kuelewa kwao, na tofauti hii ya Ijtihaad ilitokea wakati wa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ miongoni mwa Sahaba (rah). Yeye ﷺ aliikubali hali hiyo na akaeleza kwamba Mujtahid hupata thawabu mbili anapokuwa Ijtihaad yake ni sahihi, na kwamba Mujtahid anayekosea hupata thawabu moja. Kwa hiyo, kukosea katika Ijtihaad kunaruhusiwa na Shari'a, na yule anayeingia katika kosa bila kukusudia hulipwa thawabu.

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.