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Do I Have to Follow Only 1 School of Fiqh?

17 December, 2022
Q As-Salamu alaykum. I am following the Hanafi madhhab at the moment. But I want to follow the Salafi manhaj. I've already adopted some of the teachings and I am starting to follow some of the fatwas of Ibn Taymiyyah. Can I leave this madhhab and follow another? Please clarify.

Answer

Dr. Muhammad Salama
17 December, 2022

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu waRahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. 

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

  • A Muslim has only to follow the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
  • Learned persons, who are aware of the principles of each school of Fiqh,  may choose to follow the principles of a specific school.
  • A lay person asks a scholar whom he believes to be most knowledgeable and most pious and follows his fatwa.
  • If there is a dominant Fiqh school in any country, usually scholars of that country follow the opinion of that Fiqh school.

Answering your question, Dr. Muhammad Salama, PhD, Islamic Studies in English, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Sciences al-Madinah International University (Mediu), states:

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Following Prophet’s Sunnah

A Muslim has only to follow the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). No Muslim scholar has ever asked Muslims to follow all his opinions. This is because he is a human being. His opinion could be wrong, in spite of his sincerity and great endeavor to reach the truth. The opinions of scholars are just attempts to guide Muslims along the prophetic path.

Following a Certain Madhhab

For learned persons, they are aware of the principles of each school of Fiqh. One of them may choose to follow the principles of a specific school, because its principles seem to be the best in his view.

Still, however, in his search for the true opinion, he may adopt a different opinion in some cases if he is not fully convinced with the opinion of the school he belonged to.

For lay people, they do not have the ability to distinguish between the principles of Fiqh Schools in order to choose the best in their sight.

Therefore, a lay person asks a scholar whom he believes to be most knowledgeable and most pious and follows his fatwa.

If there is a dominant Fiqh school in any country, usually scholars of that country follow the opinion of that Fiqh school.

Almighty Allah knows best.