Taqleed

Question for the blind followers

1.) When you concluded in the belief that Taqleed was permissible was that whilst you were in a state of being a Muqaleed or Mujtahid? 

If you were a Muqaleed, you have performed Taqleed in an issue (belief) in which your Imam (scholar) did not permit Taqleed in due to it being a fundamental issue!

If you were a Mujtahid then it isn’t permissible for you to perform Taqleed according to your own admission!

2.) Where did you come to know that your Imam whom you make Taqleed of is a Mujtahid? 

If he says ‘I knew that he possessed a grasp of the entirety of the science of Ijtihad’ 

We say, you acknowledge your ignorance then deny it through this claim of yours?!

If he says I knew it through other people of knowledge professing his expertise. 

We will say: How did you conclude they were people of knowledge whilst you are ignorant?!

Paraphrased from the book – Beneficial Speech on the Ruling of Blind Following – Imam Shawkaani

Shaykh Muhammad bin Ismaa’eel As-San’aanee said, “And there is a difference between blindly following a scholar in everything that he says and seeking aid from his understanding.

The first is adopting his statement without looking for a proof from the Quran or Sunnah.

And seeking aid from his understanding- which is the second- is like the skillful guide on the path for the passer-by.

So he (the scholar) is a guide to a proof, once he (the passer-by) reached it (the proof) he is sufficed from using other than it as a proof. And this is similar to he who uses the star to be guided to the Qiblah, if he sees the Qiblah; no reason is left to use the star”

Ref: Irshaadun-Nuqaad elaa tayseeril-Ijtihaad 105

Blind Following and its dangers.

Their religion was built upon certain principles, the greatest of which was Taqleed (blind following). It being the biggest principle for the disbelievers, first to last of them.

Aspects of the Days of Ignorance by Shaikh Muhammed bin Abdul Wahab 

Shaikh Salih al-Fawzan in his explanation said, 

‘They would not base their religion on what the Messengers came with’…. ‘Taqleed means to imitate another person to the point that one resembles him, even though the one being imitated is not fit to be followed.’ (1)

‘As for performing Taqleed in matters of good, this is called Ittibaa (following) and Iqtidaa (Taking example)’ (2)

‘Therefore, blind-following is from the characteristics of the people of the Days of Ignorance, and it is also known as fanatical attachment, since the only true role-model is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and those who follow him.’

أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ

That you stand up for Allah’s sake (Surah As-Saba 46)

And not for the sake of desires or fanaticism. Rather, your standing up should be for the sake of Allah desiring the truth.’

Likewise, it is obligatory upon everyone with intellect to investigate the statements of people, discerning and scrutinising them, and distinguishing between the erroneous and the correct. So he should then accept the truth and reject the error. And blind-following should not cause him to remain upon falsehood.’ (3)

(1) Taqleed is following he whose saying is not a proof. Daleel, Hujjah, Bayeenah, Burhan means evidence and proof which is Quran and Hadith.

(2) Putting Ittiba as a subcategory of Taqleed causes confusion and many people fall into clearly impermissible Taqleed under the claim that ‘Scholars allow Taqleed or even obligate it’ whereas Taqleed is censored in Quran and Hadith and Ittiba is what is encouraged even though the word Taqleed has been used by some past and present scholars to refer to Ittiba.

Shaykh Wasi Ullah Abbas said regarding asking scholars

“Actually this is Ittiba because Aaami is practising on “Ask the people of knowledge If you don`t know”. But if it is named as Taqleed according to Istelah then there should be no harm in it [Taqleed ka Hukm page 54]

Scholars from the Indian Subcontinent are especially harsh against using the terminology Taqleed to refer to Ittiba due to the confusion it causes, Shaykh Badi-udeen Shah Rashidi has written extensively in the matter of Taqleed and Ittiba exposing and clarifying the matter in great detail.

(3) It is clear from the writing of Shaykh Fawzan,  when he refers to the permissible form of Taqleed he is referring to Ittiba and not the censored Taqleed of following the opinion of individuals not based on proof from Quran and Hadith. This is only the difference of wording or terminology used, some call it Ittiba some call it Taqleed. The stronger opinion it seems and Allah knows best is that the word Taqleed should not be used interchangeably to refer to Ittiba as it causes confusion in the mind of many.