Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – may Allah be pleased with him – was asked:
“What do the respected scholars, the Imams of the religion – may Allah be pleased with all of them – say about a man who was asked, ‘What is your madhhab (school of jurisprudence)?’
He replied: ‘I am Muhammadi – I follow the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ.’
It was said to him: ‘No. It is necessary for every believer to follow a madhhab, and whoever has no madhhab is a devil.’
So he replied: ‘What was the madhhab of Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq and of the caliphs after him – may Allah be pleased with them?’
He was then told: ‘You must only follow one of these madhhabs.’
So who is more correct? Please give us a beneficial verdict and may you be rewarded.”
He answered:
Praise be to Allah. People are only obligated to obey Allah and the Messenger. As for “those in authority,” whom Allah commanded to obey in His saying: “Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you,” their obedience is required only as a branch (and condition) of obedience to Allah and His Messenger – not independently. Then Allah said: “If you differ in anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is best and gives the best result.”
And when something befalls a Muslim and he needs a ruling, he seeks a fatwa from one whom he believes will give him a ruling according to the law of Allah and His Messenger – regardless of which madhhab he belongs to.
It is not obligatory upon any Muslim to blindly follow a specific person among the scholars in everything he says. Nor is it obligatory upon any Muslim to adhere to the madhhab of any one person – other than the Messenger of Allah ﷺ – in everything he commands or informs of. Rather, every person’s statement is accepted and rejected – except that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
A person’s following of the madhhab of a certain scholar because he is unable to know the sharī‘ah except through him – this is merely something permitted for him; it is not something obligatory upon everyone if he is able to know the sharī‘ah by another means.
Rather, each person must fear Allah according to his ability, seek knowledge of what Allah and His Messenger have commanded, then do what is commanded and avoid what is forbidden.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Majmū‘ al-Fatāwā 20/208
