Oldingi boblarda biz Fiqh va Madhhablarning tarixiy rivojlanishini kuzatib, ularning o‘zaro bog‘liqligini hamda Qur’on va Sunnatda ochib berilgan Islomni umumiy va xususiy ma’noda tushunishga qo‘shgan hissasini ko‘rsatdik. Shuni ta’kidlash lozimki, Fiqh (Islom huquqi) ham, Madhhablar (Islomiy fikr maktablari) ham insonning Allohga va o‘z birodarlariga nisbatan huquq va mas’uliyatlarini belgilovchi asosiy tamoyillarni bayon etgan ilohiy vahiylarni to‘ldiruvchi zarur qo‘shimchalar bo‘lgan va hozir ham shundaydir. Qur’on va Sunnatning talqinlarini xususiy qo‘llash orqali Allohning ilohiy irodasi vaqt o‘tishi va makon bo‘ylab insonga namoyon bo‘lishi mumkin. Alloh bergan aqliy quvvat bilan inson (xususan, islomiy olimlar) umumiyni xususiyga moslashtirish uchun tegishli talqinlar bera oladi: shu sababli Madhhab (islomiy olimlar doirasi) va Fiqh (islom qonunlari majmui hamda bu qonunlarni chiqarish tamoyillari) dolzarbdir. Aynan mana shunda Islomda Fiqh va Madhhabning haqiqiy ahamiyati yotadi.

In the preceding chapters we have traced the historical development of Fiqh and the Madh-habs, showing their interrelationship and their contribution to a general, as well as specific, understanding of Islaam as revealed in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. It should be noted that both Fiqh (Islamic law) and the Madh-habs (schools of Islamic thought) were and are necessary additions complementing the divine revelations which define the basic principles giverning man’s rights and responsibilities in his relationships with Allaah and his fellow man. It is through specific applications of the interpretations of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah that Allaah’s divine will can be made manifest to man over time and through space. With God-given intellectual powers man (specifically Islamic scholars) can provide relevant interpretations of the general to meet the particular: thence relevance of the Madh-hab (the circle of Islamic scholars) and Fiqh (the body of Islamic laws together with principles for deducing these laws). Herein lies the true importance of Fiqh and the Madh-hab in Islaam.

Islom insoniyatga har zamonda, har joyda va barcha kishilar uchun Allohdan ilohiy yo‘l-yo‘riq sifatida berilgan dindir. Shu sababli, turli mintaqalarda va turli davrlarda yashagan olimlarga yuzaga kelgan yangi masalalarni hal etish uchun fiqh tamoyillarini va fiqhning alohida hukmlarini ishlab chiqish topshirildi. Ularning ijtihodlari to‘g‘riligi ularning tabiiy qobiliyatlariga, hukm chiqarish paytida qo‘llarida bo‘lgan dalillarning turi va miqdoriga mutanosib edi. Ba’zilari madaniy farqlar bilan ham yuzlashdi, ko‘pchiligi esa hamkasblari bilan maslahatlashish imkoniyatidan mahrum bo‘ldi, chunki ular bir-biridan uzoq yashardi va aloqa qilish qiyin edi. Shu sababli mintaqadan mintaqaga farqli qarashlar paydo bo‘ldi. Turli to‘siqlarga qaramay, dastlabki olimlar Islomga va o‘z birodarlariga bo‘lgan burchlarini Alloh ularga ato etgan aql-idrok kuchi bilan, Allohning insonlar uchun ko‘zlagan maqsadlarini tushuntirish orqali ado etdilar. Musulmon davlatining turli qismlarida joylashgan ular islomiy fikrning turli maktablariga asos soldilar. Shu tariqa Islom huquqi va musulmon davlatining rivojlanishi bosqichida mazhablarning ko‘payishi yuz berdi. Tarixiy jihatdan olganda, bir necha mazhabning paydo bo‘lishi muqarrar edi. Bundan tashqari, mazhablar soni ortib, aloqa va boshqa omillar ta’sir o‘tkazgani sari, farqlar va ziddiyatlar ham tabiiy natija sifatida yuzaga keldi. Biroq, olimlar haqiqatga erishish maqsadini doimo esda tutib, mazhabparastlik, fanatizm yoki shaxsiy shuhrat va mukofotga intilish ta’siriga tushib qolmagan ekanlar, Islomning asl ruhi ularning mazhablarida saqlanib qoldi. Bunday vaziyatlarda olimlar Qur’on va Sunnahdan kelib chiqadigan, niyat qilingan ma’noga aniqroq yaqin ekani ravshan ko‘rsatilgan boshqa olimlarning hukmlari foydasiga o‘z shaxsiy qarashlaridan voz kechishdan hech qachon tortinmadilar. Boshqacha aytganda, yuqorida zikr qilingan salbiy omillar (mazhabchilik va shaxsiy shuhrat istagi) ayrim olimlarning hayotida ustun kela boshlagunga qadar haqiqatni izlash davom etdi. Shundan keyin esa, albatta, madhhabga ko'r-ko'rona ergashish (taqlid) va ijtihodni taqiqlash birgalikda avom orasida mazhabchilikning keng tarqalishiga va ko'plab olimlar orasida haqiqatni izlashning umumiy pasayishiga olib keldi.

Now since Islaam is a religion divinely ordained for all men at all times and in all climes, it was given to scholars in different regions and times to evolve principles of Fiqh as well as specific laws of Fiqh in order to resolve various new issues as they arose. The correctness of their interpretations was proportional to their innate capabilities and to the type and quantity of evidence available to them at the time of making rulings. Some were faced with the additional factor of cultural differences, and many were deprived of the assistance to be gained from mural consultation, owing to their distance from their colleagues and the consequent difficulties of communication. Hence the differences of opinion that arose from region to region. Despite various handicaps, the early scholars discharged their duties to Islaam and to their fellowmen by using their God-given powers of intellect to interpret Allaah’s purposes for men. Situated in different parts of the Muslim state, they became the founders of different schools of Islamic thought, hence the multiplication of Madh-habs at one stage in the evolution of the Islamic law and the Muslim state. Historically, therefore, the appearance of more than one Madh-hab was inevitable. Furthermore, as the numbers of Madh-habs increased and communication and other factors exercised their influence, difference and contradictions, too, were a natural outcome. However, so long as scholars managed to keep the goal to truth foremost in mind and were not led astray by sectarianism, fanaticism, or a desire for personal glory and reward, the essential spirit of Islaam was preserved in their Madh-habs. In such circumstances, scholars were in no way reluctant to abandon their individual opinions in favor of rulings by others which were clearly shown to be nearer the intended meaning deducible from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. In others words, there was a continuing search for truth up until such time as the negative factors previously mentioned (sectarianism and desire for personal glory) became dominant in the lives of some of the scholars. Then, indeed, blind following of Madh-hab (Taqleed) coupled with the ban on Ijtihaad led to the widespread promotion of sectarianism among the masses and the general decline in the search for truth among many scholars.

Shundan so'ng, qolgan to'rt mazhab o'zlarining turli va ba'zan bir-biriga zid hukmlari bilan ma'sumlik tusini oldi va bu islomga zid xususiyatni mustahkamlash uchun soxta hadislar paydo bo'ldi. Bu inqirozga qarshi o'laroq, turli davrlarda vujudga kelgan islohot harakatlari mazhablarni birlashtirishga yoki ba'zi hollarda har qanday mazhabga ehtiyoj yo'qligini e'lon qilishga chaqirdi. Biz ko'rsatganimizdek, birinchi qarash to'g'ri, ikkinchisi esa aqidaviy jihatdan ekstremistik bo'lib, Qur'on va Sunnatga qo'shimcha sifatida birlashgan islomiy fikr maktabining Allohning ilohiy qonunlarini yaxshiroq tushunish va qadrlash uchun zarurligini e'tibordan chetda qoldirgani uchun bid'atga yaqin bo'lishi mumkin.

Thereafter, the four survining Madh-habs, with their different and sometimes contradictory rulings, assumed the character of infallibility, and spurious Hadeeths arose to bolster this anti-Islamic trait. As a counter to this decline, various reform movements through the ages have called for a unification of the Madh-habs or, in some cases, rejection of the need for any Madh-hab. The former position is a legitimate one, as we have shown; the latter is an extremist one, possibly heretical since it overlooks the importance of a unified school of Islamic thought as a necessary complement to the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, for a better understanding and appreciation of Allaah’s divine laws.

Fiqh tarixiy rivojlanishi va oldingi boblarda tasvirlangan mazhablarning evolyutsiyasidan ma'lum bo'ldiki, bir davrda turli mazhablar o'rtasidagi tabiiy farqlar mazhabparastlikkacha bo'lgan darajada haddan tashqari kuchayib ketgan, shu sababli o'sha davr olimlari ijtihodni rad etib, musulmonlar umumiyligiga to'rt asosiy mazhabdan biriga ko'r-ko'rona ergashish (taqlid)ni majburiy qilib qo'yganlar. Holbuki, to'rt mazhab nisbat berilgan imomlarning o'zlari bu farqlarning mutlaqlashtirilishiga qat'iyan qarshi bo'lgan va ham o'z shogirdlari orasida, ham umuman omma orasida taqlidga qarshi qattiq kurashgan. Shunga qaramay, bugungi kunga qadar ko'pchilik odamlar agar sahih hadisni rad etish kerak bo'lsa, uni qabul qilish o'z mazhabining imomi hukmda adashgan ekanini e'lon qilishni anglatadi, bu esa ularning fikricha kufrga yaqin hurmatsizlikdir, deb hisoblaydilar. Ular shuni anglamaydilarki, imomi fikrini Payg'ambar ﷺ so'zidan ustun qo'yishlari o'zlari ergashgan imomning tutgan pozitsiyasiga butunlay zid bo'lib, aslida "Shirk fee Tawheed al-Ittibaa'" nomi bilan ma'lum bo'lgan shirk turiga yaqinlashadi, ya'ni faqat Payg'ambar ﷺ ga tegishli bo'lgan so'zsiz ergashishni boshqalar bilan bo'lishishdir. Chunki islomni e'lon qilishda (Allohdan o'zga iloh yo'q va Muhammad Allohning elchisidir) degan so'zda Payg'ambar ﷺ so'zsiz ergashiladigan yagona shaxs sifatida qabul qilinadi, chunki uning ortidan ergashish Allohga ergashish bilan barobardir.

From the historical development of Fiqh and the evolution of the Madh-habs described in the preceding chapters, we have seen that there was a period during which natural differences among the various Madh-habs became extremely exaggerated to the point of sectarianism, so much so that scholars of that time discarded Ijtihaad and imposed upon the generality of Muslims the blind following (Taqleed) of one of the four major Madh-habs. However, the Imaams to whom the four schools are attributed were themselves totally against the enthronement of these differences and fought vehemently against Taqleed either among their own followers or among the masses in general. Yet, till today, many people feel that if an authentic Hadeeth should be discarded because, accepting it would mean declaring that the Imaam of one’s Madh-hab was mistaken in his ruling which, in their opinion is an act of disrespect akin to blasphemy. Little do they realize that their preference of their Imaam’s opinion over the Prophet’s (s.w.) statement is itself in total opposition to the stand taken by their own Imaam, and is in fact bordering on a form of Shirk198 known as “Shirk fee Tawheed alIttibaa‘”, that is sharing the unquestioned following which belongs only to the Prophet (s.w.). For in the declaration of one’s Islaam (there is no god but Allaah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah), the Prophet (s.w.) is accepted as being the only person who should be followed unquestioningly, since following him is equivalent to following Allaah.

Bugungi kunda ko'pchilik musulmonlar ilk imomlarning pozitsiyasi bilan hozirgi mazhablari o'rtasidagi ziddiyatdan xabarsiz. Shu sababli ilk imomlar va ularning shogirdlarining taqlidga munosabatini ularning haqiqiy so'zlaridan ko'rib chiqish o'rinlidir.

As most Muslims today are unaware of the contradiction between the position of the early Imaams hand that of their Madhhab is it exists today, it is appropriate there to take a closer look at the stand taken by the early Imaams and their students towards Taqleed as revealed in their actual statements.