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Thread of classical scholars saying you should stick to following the Four Madhabs:
1.Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni (419-478 AH) (teacher of Imam Ghazali) writes in his book Al-Burhan: “The expert scholars have agreed that the masses are obligated (‘alayhim) with following the schools of the (four) Imams who thoroughly investigated and researched,
who compiled the chapters (of Fiqh) and mentioned the circumstances of the rulings” (vol. 2, P. 1146).
2. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Hajr al-Haytami writes in Tuhfa al-Muhtāj fi Sharh al- Minhāj: “The claim the layman has no madhhab is rejected, rather it is necessary (yalzamuhu) for him to do taqlīd of a recognised school.
(As for the claim: scholars did not obligate following one school), that was before the codification of the schools and their establishment” (Vol.12 p.491 – Kitab al-Zakah).
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-Hasan (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 Halāland Harām, 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 madhhabwhich alone he follows” (vol.1 p. 93)
4. Shaykh Salih al-Sunūsi writes in Fath al-‘Alee al-Malik fil-Fatwa ‘ala madhhab al-Imam Malik: “As for the scholar who has not reached the level of ijtihād and the non-scholar, they must do taqlīd of the Mujtahid… And the most correct view is that it is obligatory (wajib)
to adhere to a particular school from the four schools…” (p.40-41, in Usul al-Fiqh).
5. Imam Sha’rāni, an undisputed authority in the Shāfi’ī school writes in Al-Mizan al-Kubra: “…You (O student) have no excuse left for not doing taqlīd of any madhhab you wish from the schools of the four Imams, for they are all paths to Heaven…” (p.55 vol.1)
6. Imām Shams al-Din Dhahabī (673-748 AH) writes in Siyar A‘lam al-Nubalā under Ibn Hazm Zāhirī’s comment: “I follow the truth and perform ijtihād, and I do not adhere to any madhhab,” “I say: yes. Whoever has reached the level of ijtihād and a number of imāms have attested
to this regarding him, it is not allowed for him to do taqlīd, just as it is not seeming at all for the beginner layman jurist who has committed the Qur’ān to memory or a great deal of it to perform ijtihād. How is he going to perform ijtihād? What will he say?
On what will he base his opinions? How can he fly when his wings have not yet grown?” (Vol.18, Pg.191)
7. In the famous twelve volume Maliki compendium of fatāwā, Al-Mi‘yar al-Mu‘rib an fatāwā ahl al-Ifriqiyya wa al-Andalus wa al-Maghrib, Imam Ahmad al-Wanshirisi records the Fatwa on taqlīd: “It is not permitted (lā yajūzu) for the follower of a scholar to choose the most
pleasing to him of the schools and one that agrees the most with him. It is his duty to do taqlīd of the Imam whose school he believes to be right in comparison to the other schools” (vol.11 p.163-164).
8. Hanbali scholar Imam ‘Ala al-Din al-Mardawi in his major Juristic compendium Al-Insaf, cites the statement of the famous scholar Imam Al-Wazir ibn Hubaira (d. 560 AH): “Consensus has been established upon taqlīd of every one of the Four Schools and that the truth
does not lie outside of them” (Vol.11 p.169, Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah).
9. Imam Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi states in Al-Bahr al-Muhit, “There has been established a consensus amongst the Muslims that the truth is restricted to these (four) schools. This being the case it is not permitted to act upon an opinion from other than them.
Nor is it permitted for ijtihād to occur except within them (i.e. employing their principles that is the tools of interpretation)” (vol.6 p.209).
10. Imam Rajab al-Hanbali writes in his book: “Refutation of anyone who follows other than the four schools” [A title that emphatically exposes the deception of the Salafi claim that it is they who represent true Islam]: “…that is the Mujtahid, assuming his existence, his duty
(Farduhu) is to follow what becomes apparent to him of the Truth. As for the non-Mujtahid his duty is taqlīd.” Elsewhere having indicated in the latter the rarity of the lofty status of ijtihād, he states: “As for all other people who have not reached this level (of ijtihād), it
is not allowed (lā yasau‘hu) for them but to do taqlīd of these Four Imams and to submit to that which the rest of the Ummah submitted to” (Majmoo‘ al-Rasail Ibn Rajab, vol.2 p. 626 and p.624 respectively).
This list could probably contain so many more great ulema, but i hope i have established the truth through this thread. FOLLOW ONE MADHAB NOT THE SALAFI MOVEMENT.
