Question: Our statement: the Four Imams in Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama’ah are Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi’ee and Ahmad. These are Ahlul Sunnah. So is it obligatory to follow one of them? Is there evidence for that?
Answer: ” It is not obligatory to follow anyone from the creation except Muhammad (ﷺ). As for other than him from the people, then it is not obligatory to follow them. However, some of the scholars said: verily the statement of a Companion is evidence and it is followed with two conditions:
1. It does not oppose a legislated text
2. It does not oppose anyone of the Companions
So if it opposes a legislated text, then it is known that the text is more deserving to be followed. If it opposes anyone of the Companions, then take the more correct opinion of the two Companions.
As for other than them, then it is not allowed, that is, it is not obligatory upon you to be Hanbali, Shafi’ee, Maliki, or Hanafi or Sufyani.
Questioner: The people who are unable to take knowledge?
Shaikh: Those who are unable, Allah ordered them to ask the People of Knowledge. He said:
فَاسْأَلوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ
So ask of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], if you know not.
[16:43]
So the one who does not have knowledge, blind-following is obligatory for him, however, who does he blind-follow? We do not say: it is obligatory upon you to blind-follow Ahmad, Shafi’ee, Malik, Abu Hanifa, Sufyan ath-Thawri or other than them. Rather follow who you see is closer to the truth”.
[https://audio.islamweb.net/audio/index.php?page=FullContent&audioid=111983#111986 ]
Translated by
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
