Imam Ahmad aliendeleza mapokeo ya mwalimu wake, Imam ash-Shaafi'ee, pamoja na yale ya maimamu waliotangulia, kwa kujitahidi kuwapandikiza wanafunzi wake heshima kubwa kwa vyanzo vya Uislamu na kuchukia taqlid ya kipofu ya maoni ya wanazuoni. Lakini kwa kuwa taqlid ilikuwa imeanza kukita mizizi miongoni mwa baadhi ya wafuasi wa maimamu waliotangulia, Ahmad alichukua hatua kali zaidi. Wakati Abu Haneefah aliwakataza wanafunzi wake kuandika maoni yake yote, Imam Ahmad aliwakataza kabisa kuandika maoni yake yoyote. Hivyo, madhehebu yake haikukusanywa kwa maandishi hadi zama za wanafunzi wake.

Imaam Ahmad carried on the tradition of his teacher, Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee as well as that of the earlier Imaams by trying to instill in his students a high respect for the sources of Islaam and a disdain for rigid imitation of scholars’ opinions. But, because Taqleed had begun to take root among some of the followers of the earlier Imaams, Ahmad took even more drastic action. Whereas Abu Haneefah discouraged his students from recording all of his opinions, Imaam Ahmad forbade them from recording any of his opinions at all. Thus, his Madh-hab was not compiled in written form until the era of his students.