Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Imam Nawawi's View on Taqleed

· 29 Jumada II 1438 AH1 min readFatwa 37644English

Question

Last two times , 8 didnt got my answer , i hope this time i will . There are two views of imam al nawawi , first is - 3] Imam al-Nawawi writes in Al-Majmu‘ Sharh Al-Muhadhdhab:“The second view is it is obligatory (yalzamuhu) for him to follow one particular school, and that was the definitive position according to Imam Abul-Hassan (the father of Imam al-Haramayn Al-Juwayni). And this applies to everyone who has not reached the rank of ijtihād of the jurists and scholars of other disciplines. The reasoning for this ruling is that if it was permitted to follow any school one wished it would lead to hand-picking the dispensations of the schools, following one’s desires. He would be choosing between Halal and Haram, and obligatory and permissible. Ultimately that would lead to relinquishing oneself from the burden of responsibility. This is not the same as during the first generations, for the schools that were sufficient in terms of their rulings for newer issues, were neither codified nor widespread. Thus on this basis it is obligatory for a person to strive in choosing a madh-hab which alone he follows.” (vol.1 p. 93) And second is Al-Imam al-Nawawi says: "What is dictated by the evidence is that a person is not obliged to adhere to a Madhab; rather he should ask whoever he wishes." How can one imam have two views , is any of them is fabricated ? Please do refer and answer me .

Answer

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

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

The first view is recorded in Al-Majmu’ Sharhul Muhadhab.[i] You did not present a reference for the second view.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Ridhwan Ur Rahman

Student Darul Iftaa
Cardiff, Wales, UK

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[i] المجموع شرح المهذب (1/ 55)

(الثَّالِثَةُ) هَلْ يَجُوزُ لِلْعَامِّيِّ أَنْ يَتَخَيَّرَ وَيُقَلِّدَ أَيَّ مَذْهَبٍ شَاءَ قَالَ الشَّيْخُ يُنْظَرُ إنْ كَانَ مُنْتَسِبًا إلَى مَذْهَبٍ بَنَيْنَاهُ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ حَكَاهُمَا الْقَاضِي حُسَيْنٌ فِي أَنَّ الْعَامِّيَّ هَلْ لَهُ مَذْهَبٌ أَمْ لَا أَحَدُهُمَا لَا مَذْهَبَ لَهُ لِأَنَّ الْمَذْهَبَ لِعَارِفِ الْأَدِلَّةِ فَعَلَى هَذَا لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَفْتِيَ مَنْ شَاءَ مِنْ حَنَفِيٍّ وشافعي غيرهما: وَالثَّانِي وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ عِنْدَ الْقَفَّالِ لَهُ مَذْهَبٌ فَلَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ مُخَالَفَتُهُ وَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَا فِي الْمُفْتِي الْمُنْتَسِبِ مَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ أَنْ يُخَالِفَ إمَامَهُ فِيهِ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مُنْتَسِبًا بُنِيَ عَلَى وَجْهَيْنِ حَكَاهُمَا ابْنُ بَرْهَانٍ فِي أَنَّ العامي هل يلزمه ان يتذهب بمذهب معين يأخذ بزخصه وَعَزَائِمِهِ أَحَدُهُمَا لَا يَلْزَمُهُ كَمَا لَمْ يَلْزَمْهُ فِي الْعَصْرِ الْأَوَّلِ أَنْ يَخُصَّ بِتَقْلِيدِهِ عَالِمًا بِعَيْنِهِ: فَعَلَى هَذَا هَلْ لَهُ أَنْ يَسْتَفْتِيَ مَنْ شَاءَ أَمْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ الْبَحْثُ عَنْ أَشَدِّ الْمَذَاهِبِ وَأَصَحِّهَا أَصْلًا لِيُقَلِّدَ أَهْلَهُ فِيهِ وجهان مذكور ان كَالْوَجْهَيْنِ السَّابِقَيْنِ فِي الْبَحْثِ عَنْ الْأَعْلَمِ وَالْأَوْثَقِ من المفتيين وَالثَّانِي يَلْزَمُهُ وَبِهِ قَطَعَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ إلْكِيَا وَهُوَ جَارٍ فِي كُلِّ مَنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْ رُتْبَةَ الِاجْتِهَادِ مِنْ الْفُقَهَاءِ وَأَصْحَابِ سَائِرِ الْعُلُومِ: وَوَجْهُهُ أَنَّهُ لَوْ جَازَ اتِّبَاعُ أَيِّ مَذْهَبٍ شاء لا فضى إلَى أَنْ يَلْتَقِطَ رُخَصَ الْمَذَاهِبِ مُتَّبِعًا هَوَاهُ وَيَتَخَيَّرَ بَيْنَ التَّحْلِيلِ وَالتَّحْرِيمِ وَالْوُجُوبِ وَالْجَوَازِ وَذَلِكَ يُؤَدِّي إلَى انْحِلَالِ

رِبْقَةِ التَّكْلِيفِ بِخِلَافِ الْعَصْرِ الْأَوَّلِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ الْمَذَاهِبُ الْوَافِيَةُ بِأَحْكَامِ الْحَوَادِثِ مُهَذَّبَةً وَعُرِفَتْ: فَعَلَى هَذَا يَلْزَمُهُ أَنْ يَجْتَهِدَ فِي اخْتِيَارِ مَذْهَبٍ يُقَلِّدُهُ عَلَى التَّعْيِينِ وَنَحْنُ نُمَهِّدُ لَهُ طَرِيقًا يَسْلُكُهُ فِي اجْتِهَادِهِ سَهْلًا فَنَقُولُ أَوَّلًا لَيْسَ لَهُ أَنْ يَتَّبِعَ فِي ذَلِكَ مُجَرَّدَ التَّشَهِّي وَالْمَيْلَ إلَى مَا وجد عليه أباءه وليس له التذهب بِمَذْهَبِ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الصَّحَابَةِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَغَيْرِهِمْ مِنْ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا أَعْلَمَ وأعلا دَرَجَةٍ مِمَّنْ بَعْدَهُمْ لِأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَتَفَرَّغُوا لِتَدْوِينِ الْعِلْمِ وَضَبْطِ أُصُولِهِ وَفُرُوعِهِ فَلَيْسَ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَذْهَبٌ مُهَذَّبٌ مُحَرَّرٌ مُقَرَّرٌ وَإِنَّمَا قَامَ بِذَلِكَ مَنْ جَاءَ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنْ الْأَئِمَّةِ النَّاحِلِينَ لِمَذَاهِبِ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ الْقَائِمِينَ بِتَمْهِيدِ أَحْكَامِ الْوَقَائِعِ قَبْلَ وُقُوعِهَا النَّاهِضِينَ بِإِيضَاحِ أُصُولِهَا وَفُرُوعِهَا كَمَالِكٍ وَأَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَغَيْرِهِمَا: وَلَمَّا كَانَ الشَّافِعِيُّ قَدْ تَأَخَّرَ عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَئِمَّةِ فِي الْعَصْرِ وَنَظَرَ فِي مَذَاهِبِهِمْ نَحْوَ نَظَرِهِمْ فِي مَذَاهِبِ مَنْ قَبْلَهُمْ فَسَبَرَهَا وَخَبَرَهَا وَانْتَقَدَهَا وَاخْتَارَ أَرْجَحَهَا وَوَجَدَ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ قَدْ كَفَاهُ مُؤْنَةُ التَّصْوِيرِ وَالتَّأْصِيلِ فَتَفَرَّغَ للاختيار والترجيح والتكميل والتنقيح مع كمال مَعْرِفَتِهِ وَبَرَاعَتِهِ فِي الْعُلُومِ وَتَرَجُّحِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ سَبَقَهُ ثُمَّ لَمْ يُوجَدْ بَعْدَهُ مَنْ بَلَغَ مَحِلَّهُ فِي ذَلِكَ كَانَ مَذْهَبُهُ أَوْلَى الْمَذَاهِبِ بِالِاتِّبَاعِ وَالتَّقْلِيدِ وَهَذَا مَعَ مَا فِيهِ مِنْ الْإِنْصَافِ وَالسَّلَامَةِ مِنْ الْقَدْحِ فِي أحد من الْأَئِمَّةِ جَلِيٌّ وَاضِحٌ إذَا تَأَمَّلَهُ الْعَامِّيُّ قَادَهُ إلى اختيار مذهب الشافعي والتذهب به

Answered by
Ridhwan Ur Rahman
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
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