seekeroftruth
05-12-2005, 03:21 PM
"If the Hadith is Authentic, that is my Madhhab"
Perhaps one of the statements they quote is of the Great Imams themselves (Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi, Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal) in which they stated "If this hadith is Sahih (authenthic) that is my Madhab." Now this statement misleeds many innocent Muslims in believing that doing taqleed is incorrect since the four great Imams themselves asked the layman to follow hadiths instead of their rulings in fiqh.
Imam Nawawi a famous Shafi Scholar the Hadith Scholar of his age who wrote the famous commentary on Sahih Muslim has taken great liberty to clear the confusion around this statement.
Al-Nawawî said:
What Imâm al-Shâfi‘î said does not mean that everyone who sees a sahîh hadîth should say “This is the madhhab of al-Shâfi‘î,” applying the purely external or apparent meaning of his statement. What he said most certainly applies only to such a person as has the rank of ijtihâd in the madhhab. It is a condition for such a person that he be firmly convinced that either Imâm al-Shâfi‘î was unaware of this hadîth or he was unaware of its authenticity. And this is possible only after having researched all the books of al-Shâfi‘î and similar other books of the companions of al-Shâfi‘î, those who took knowledge from him and others similar to them. This is indeed a difficult condition to fulfill. Few are those who measure upto this standard in our times. [2] What we have explained has been made conditional because Imâm al-Shâfi‘î had abandoned acting purely on the external meaning of many hadîths, which he declared and knew. However, he established proofs for criticism of the hadîth or its abrogation or specific circumstances or interpretation and so forth. Shaykh Abu ‘Amr said: “It is no trivial matter to act according to the apparent meaning of what Imâm al-Shâfi‘î said. For it is not permissible for every faqîh – let alone a layman (‘âmmî) – to act independently with what he takes to be a proof from the hadîth… Therefore, whoever among the Shâfi‘îs finds a hadîth that contradicts his School must examine whether he is absolutely accomplished in all the disciplines of ijtihâd, or in that particular topic, or specific question. [If he is,] then he has the right to apply it independently. If he is not, but finds that contravening the hadîth bears too heavily upon him – after having researched it and found no justification for contravening it – then he may apply it if another independent Imâm other than al-Shâfi‘î applies it. This is a good excuse for him to leave the madhhab of his Imâm in such a case.” ([I]I'laaus Sunan, Vol. 2, page 225)
Perhaps one of the statements they quote is of the Great Imams themselves (Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi, Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal) in which they stated "If this hadith is Sahih (authenthic) that is my Madhab." Now this statement misleeds many innocent Muslims in believing that doing taqleed is incorrect since the four great Imams themselves asked the layman to follow hadiths instead of their rulings in fiqh.
Imam Nawawi a famous Shafi Scholar the Hadith Scholar of his age who wrote the famous commentary on Sahih Muslim has taken great liberty to clear the confusion around this statement.
Al-Nawawî said:
What Imâm al-Shâfi‘î said does not mean that everyone who sees a sahîh hadîth should say “This is the madhhab of al-Shâfi‘î,” applying the purely external or apparent meaning of his statement. What he said most certainly applies only to such a person as has the rank of ijtihâd in the madhhab. It is a condition for such a person that he be firmly convinced that either Imâm al-Shâfi‘î was unaware of this hadîth or he was unaware of its authenticity. And this is possible only after having researched all the books of al-Shâfi‘î and similar other books of the companions of al-Shâfi‘î, those who took knowledge from him and others similar to them. This is indeed a difficult condition to fulfill. Few are those who measure upto this standard in our times. [2] What we have explained has been made conditional because Imâm al-Shâfi‘î had abandoned acting purely on the external meaning of many hadîths, which he declared and knew. However, he established proofs for criticism of the hadîth or its abrogation or specific circumstances or interpretation and so forth. Shaykh Abu ‘Amr said: “It is no trivial matter to act according to the apparent meaning of what Imâm al-Shâfi‘î said. For it is not permissible for every faqîh – let alone a layman (‘âmmî) – to act independently with what he takes to be a proof from the hadîth… Therefore, whoever among the Shâfi‘îs finds a hadîth that contradicts his School must examine whether he is absolutely accomplished in all the disciplines of ijtihâd, or in that particular topic, or specific question. [If he is,] then he has the right to apply it independently. If he is not, but finds that contravening the hadîth bears too heavily upon him – after having researched it and found no justification for contravening it – then he may apply it if another independent Imâm other than al-Shâfi‘î applies it. This is a good excuse for him to leave the madhhab of his Imâm in such a case.” ([I]I'laaus Sunan, Vol. 2, page 225)