CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

THE IMPORTANCE OF TAQLEED (FOLLOWING THE FOUR IMAMS

رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ

Through the grace of Allahعزوجل , I have comprehensively written about the issue of Taqleed in the beginning of this book, which has remained unanswered by Wahabi Ghair-Muqallids even until today. In continuing with this topic, we briefly explain the need and benefits of Taqleed as well as the harms and ills of not following it.

The Sahaaba were the Imams of the entire world. Which Imam would they follow?!

In the Ummah of the Holy Prophetصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم there are some fortunate people who gained the companionship of Rasoolullahصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and saw his miraculous beauty with their very own eyes. These people are stars on the sky of prophethood and are the guides and Imams of the entire Ummah. Regarding them, Rasoolultah himself said, "My Sahaaba are like stars. Whichever one you follow, you will attain guidance."

Allahعزوجل saved and protected the Sahaaba from deviance and transgression through the blessings of His Messenger’s صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم companionship. He also made necessary statements regarding their piety which they are surely worthy of, "(O Sahaaba) Allahعزوجل has put hate in your hearts for infidelity (kufr), transgression and sins," (Surah Hujaraat, Verse 7) and has promised every Sahaabi to be a Jannati, "Allahعزوجل has promised Jannat to all the Companions." - Surah Nisaa, Verse 95

In fact, Allahعزوجل even classified the Sahaaba to be the benchmark of the entire world's Imaan! Whoever has lmaan like them is a Mu'rnin, and whoever's Imaan is contrary to theirs is out of the deen, "If those people brought Imaan like yours, they would be on the path of salvation (hidaayat)." - Surah Baqarah, Verse 137

Through the blessings of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah’s صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم companionship, the hearts of the Sahaaba were illuminated and they possessed characteristics of the angels (such as obedience and virtue) even though they were earthly creation. There were no deeni conflicts, groupings, religious disputes or fitnas prevalent amongst them, and so there was no need for formal Taq1eed during this period. The Sahaaba were the Imams of the entire world. Which Imam would they follow?!

After their time, however, differences in religious thought, dispersion, profusion of rulings and confluence of logic (mantiq) and philosophy arose amongst Muslims. It was at this time that the Learned Ulama began to deduce laws from the Quran and Hadith and cleansed the rulings and verdicts of Islam like a mirror. The Ummah realized that besides following the Taqleed of the Four Imams, there was no other solution. In short, the Muslims were divided into three categories: the public, the Ulama and the Mujtahideen Imams. The masses followed the Ulama and the Ulama deemed the Taqleed of the Imams as necessary due to the needs of the time.

Examples of this follow,

1. The Sahaaba didn't collect the Holy Quran in book-form due to there being no need in their time. In the time of Hadrat Uthman رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ however, when need did arise, the Holy Quran was gathered and compiled into one article.

I'raab (zabar, zer, pesh), Rukus and Sipaarahs were later also applied.

2. No Sahaabi felt the need to collect the statements of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم (Ahadith), categorize and extract rulings from them (Bukhari, Muslim, etc. were books authored much later). In short, when religious needs arose, only then were these things created and emplaced.

The Taqleed of the Imams is similar to the above. Just as how we cannot say that the collecting of the Holy Quran and allocating Rukus, Sipaarahs and punctuation to it, or the surfacing of the Science of Hadith and the books of Hadith, etc, are all Bad Innovations (Bidat) because they didn't exist in the time of the Holy Prophetصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم or Sahaaba, so too is it ignorance to say that the following (Taqleed) of the Four Imams and knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) is bad because it was not prevalent in the time of the Sahaaba. Today, if the collected Quran, Bukhari and Muslim, etc is necessary, so too is the following of the Imams necessary.

[Translators note: At this point, the learned author has quoted various Quranic verses and Ahadith that substantiate the necessities of Taqleed. The majority of these quotations are found in the first discussion in this book. Please refer to them there]

The practice of Muslims also proves the necessity of Taqleed: Muslims of every category have always been Muqallids. None from the Muhadditheen,

Insects cannot consume the bodies of the prophets. The termites ate Hadrat Sulaiman's علیہ السلام stick, not his blessed foot. Thus, Hadrat Yaqub علیہ السلام had certainty that wolves didn't eat Hadrat Yusuf علیہ السلام. He knew that his sons were lying to him!

Mufassireen, Fuqahaa, Auliya or Sufiya have ever been Ghair-Muqallid Wahabies. Imam Qastalaani رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ and Imam Tajuddin Subki رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ have explicitly proven that Imam Bukhari رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ was a Shafee while Imam Nawawi رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ has also gestured towards him being so. Imam Tirmidhi رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ, Abu Dawood, Nasaa'i, Daar-Qutni رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ and other Muhadditheen were all Shafees, while Imam Tahaawi, Zai'Iee, Aini, Teebi, Ali Qaari, Abdul-Haqq Muhaddith Dehlwi رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ and other Muhadditheen were Hanafis.

The authors of Tafseer-e-Kabeer, Khaazin, Baidaawi, Jalaalain and Tanweerul-Miqyas were all Shafee Mufassirs, while the authors of Tafseer Madaarik, Roohul-Bayaan, etc. were all Hanafis. Every Wah (Friend of Allahعزوجل) was a Muqallid. Most were Hanafi.

Those who reject the Imams! How many Commentators of the Quran or Hadith, Jurists or Saints have emanated from you?!

Taqleed is even necessary from a rational point of view. Not following it is poison (as supported by the following),

1. To deduce rulings from the Quran and Hadith is not easy, Due to intricacy of the Quran Sharif, Allahعزوجل sent the greatest Messengerصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم to teach it. If the intellect was sufficient in understanding it, the Holy Prophetصلی اللہ علیہ وسلم wouldn't have been sent. Allahعزوجل states, "The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم teaches Muslims the Quran and pmdence."29.5 - Surah Aale-Imran, Verse 164