It is not permissible for those who have not reached the grade of ijtihad [1] to draw rules from the Nass, that is, the Book and the Sunna [2]. Now some ignorant people claim that they have reached the grade of absolute ijtihad, that they can draw rules from the Nass and that they no longer need to follow one of the four madhhabs [3], and they abandon the madhhab they have followed for years. They attempt to refute the madhhabs with their unsound thoughts. They make such ignorant, stupid statements as, ‘We will not follow the opinion of a religious man who was as ignorant as we are. ’ Deluded by Satan and provoked by the nafs [4], they claim superiority. They cannot realize that by saying so they reveal not their superiority but their stupidity and ignominy. Among these, we see also those ignorant heretics who say and write that everybody should read and derive rules from tafsir books and [the Sahih of] al-Bukhari. O my Muslim brother! Completely avoid making friends with such idiots or supposing that they are religious men! Hold fast to the madhhab of your imam [5]! You are free to choose whichever you like of the four madhhabs. But it is not permissible to collect the facilities (rukhsas) of the madhhabs, that is, to unify the madhhabs, which is called ‘talfiq’.
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GLOSSARY
[1] ijtihad: (meaning or conclusion drawn by a mujtahid by) endeavouring to understand the hidden meaning in an ayat or a hadith.
[2] Sunna: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada.
[3] Madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.
[4] nafs: a malignant being created in the human nature. All its desires run counter to Allahu ta’ala’s commandments. It is the only property whose desires and activities are harmful to itself and to its owner.
[5] imam: i) profound ‘alim; founder of a madhhab; ii) leader in congregational salat; iii) caliph.
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GLOSSARY
[1] ijtihad: (meaning or conclusion drawn by a mujtahid by) endeavouring to understand the hidden meaning in an ayat or a hadith.
[2] Sunna: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada.
[3] Madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated.
[4] nafs: a malignant being created in the human nature. All its desires run counter to Allahu ta’ala’s commandments. It is the only property whose desires and activities are harmful to itself and to its owner.
[5] imam: i) profound ‘alim; founder of a madhhab; ii) leader in congregational salat; iii) caliph.
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