ABANDONING TAQLEED

A Muslim has only two ways to follow the Shari'ah:

By following his own Ijtihaad, if the person concerned possesses the required qualifications of a Mujtahid. Ijtihaad means "to make efforts," but in technical terms, it refers to "making efforts to find solutions, in the light of the Qur'an and Hadith, to various problems that are not explicitly specified in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah." A Mujtahid is one who is qualified to perform Ijtihaad.

It is difficult these days to find a qualified Mujtahid; therefore, it is necessary for each of us to do Taqleed. Literally, "Taqleed" means "to imitate, copy, or follow," but in Islamic terminology, it means "to practice Islam in accordance with the research and interpretations of the Qur'an and Hadith made by a Mujtahid."

There is no third or fourth way to follow the Shari'ah. In short, everything that comes after these two principles is nothing but following the path of desire and is no longer part of the Shari'ah. As 'Allaamah Al-Haafiz Abu I'shaaq Shaatbi (Rahimahullah), an eminent scholar of the 8th century after the Hijrah, wrote in his book Al-Muwaafaqaat.

The second type of Ijtihaad is an invalid Ijtihaad. An invalid Ijtihaad comes from a person who is not qualified and lacks the necessary knowledge and qualifications to perform Ijtihaad. This type of Ijtihaad is not acceptable because it stems from passion and personal interest. Therefore, all opinions formed in this way should be rejected as they go against the "Haqq" that Allah Ta'ala has revealed. Allah says in the Qur'an:

"And you should judge between them by that which Allah has revealed to you and do not follow their whims..." (5: 49)

And further Allah says:

"O Dawud! Indeed We have made you a deputy on earth, so judge between people with the truth, and do not follow carnal passions which will mislead you from Allah's path." (38: 26) (Al-Muwaafaqaat‎‎)

Let us see another statement from a great scholar, Maulana Muhammad Hussain Azad (Rahimahullah), who, in the beginning, did not follow any Imam, meaning he was not a muqallid. Not only was he a ghair-muqallid (one who does not follow a particular Imam), but he was also a strong promoter of "Adam-Taqleed" (the abandonment of Taqleed). However, after 25 years of bitter experience, he made the following observation:

"After 25 years of experience, we have come to the conclusion that those who claim to be Mujtahideen and who consequently abandon Taqleed completely—despite their ignorance—end up abandoning Islam. There are many things and many reasons that lead to Kufr and apostasy, but one of the main reasons that leads a pious person ('Deendaar') to become 'Be-Deen' (without religion) is the abandonment of Taqleed. The people of 'Ahle-Hadith', who have no sufficient knowledge of Deen and yet have abandoned Taqleed, must be fearful of this tragic consequence. In principle, the laymen of this group are penalized because they are the victims of libertinism and anarchy." (Ishaat-us-Sunnah No. 4 Vol 1/1888 AD)

So, just as the responsibility of a Mujtahid is Ijtihaad, the responsibility of a muqallid (one who is not a Mujtahid) is Taqleed, meaning to follow a Mujtahid. Abandoning Taqleed without possessing the qualities of a Mujtahid is the abandonment of Haqq (the truth). For a person to become a Mujtahid, he must necessarily possess knowledge and the ability to perform Ijtihaad. On the other hand, the one who does not possess these qualities is not a Mujtahid. Despite studying hundreds of books on Islam, such a person remains a layman. Therefore, he has no choice but to do the Taqleed of a Mujtahid, that is, to follow one of the four Imams: Abu Hanifah (Rahimahullah), Shafi'i (Rahimahullah), Maalik (Rahimahullah), or Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (Rahimahullah). Anyone outside of these Imams is considered to be in Dalaal (misguidance). May Allah Ta'ala protect us!

To conclude, we see that Taqleed is essential for the preservation of our Imaan. In the absence of Taqleed, our nafs (self) takes over and misleads us from the path of truth. On the other hand, Taqleed keeps the believer firmly on the path of righteousness. May Allah guide us and grant us the correct understanding of His Deen! Ameen.

[English version of "L'abandon du Taqlîde‎" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No. 8]