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Accept four Imam's Madhab compulsory or not compulsory?

Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

as salam alikum burhan bahi.i am asking one quitions about imams.

we can accept four imams compulsary,or not compalsary,please give me

answer my quition

 

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Answer:

 

Accept four imams Madhab

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, first and foremost allow us to clarify what exactly is meant by the Arabic term ‘Imam’. The literal meaning of ‘imaam’ is a ‘leader’. All the Prophets of Allah Subhanah were ‘imaams’ or leaders of their people, culminating in the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws) being the ‘Imaam’ or leader of all mankind.

 

After the death of the Prophet (saws) and until the time of the Rightly Guided Khalifahs, the ‘imaam’ was the political as well as the religious leader of the believers, but after their demise the connotation of the term ‘imaam’ became distorted and only the religious leaders came to be recognized as ‘imaams’, and the political leaders as ‘Khalifahs’ or ‘Kings’ or ‘Sultans’, etc.

 

Thus it is not true there are only four imaams of the believers, for in the times after the death of the Prophet (saws), literally thousands if not millions of believers were recognized and chosen as the ‘imaams’.

 

Amongst all the eminent religious scholars, the rulings and opinions on Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh) of the four eminent and recognized ‘imaams’, namely Imam Malik, Imam Shafei, Imam Abu Hanifah, and Imam Hambal were best documented, preserved, accepted, and followed by the believers.

 

Your Question: we can accept four imams compulsary,or not compalsary

In light of the clear guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, there are six things which form the articles of faith or ‘emaan’ in Islam; if one does not believe in even one amongst these six articles of faith, he would leave the fold of Islam:

  1. Belief in Tawheed or the Absolute Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah Subhanah.
  2. Belief in each and every one of the appointed Messengers of Allah, culminating with belief in the appointment of the Last and Final Messenger, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws).
  3. Belief in each and every one of the revealed Books of Allah Subhanah, culminating with the belief in the Last and Final Revelation of Allah, the Al-Quran.
  4. Belief in the Angels of Allah Subhanah.
  5. Belief in the concept of the Hereafter; ie. Paradise and Hell Fire.
  6. Belief in the ‘Qadr’ or Divine Decree of Allah Subhanah.

 

If one does not believe in one, or even a part of one amongst the above listed six articles of faith, he would leave the fold of Islam and be considered a disbeliever in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

Belief in the four imams is neither an article of faith, nor compulsory for one to be regarded as a believer in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

The Truth is brother, the four eminent imams did not invent or bring something new to the deen of Islam revealed on Prophet Mohamed (saws), but simply gave their rulings and opinions upon issues of Islamic Jurisprudence and Fiqh in light of the guidance of the Glorious Quran and the authentic traditions of the Messenger of Allah (saws). None of the ‘madhabs’ have any difference of opinion in any of the foundational matters in the deen. They are all absolutely unanimous in the subjects like Tawheed, Message, Hereafter, Imaan, etc. The difference of opinion arose between the companions and between the scholars on very small matters of Jurisprudence, and each amongst them gave rulings and opinions on that matter in light of the evidence and guidance from the Quran and the Sunnah.

 

Thus, regardless if one accepts and follow the opinion of any one, or the best ruling of one regarding a particular matter amongst these eminent ‘imams’, provided his intention is to follow the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, there is absolutely no harm. The difference between following any of the four madhabs, would be the difference between following something which is very good to something which is excellent! It was never a situation that one imam was right and the other was wrong, for each and every one of these respected ‘imams’ based their opinion on nothing but the Quran and the Sunnah.

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

 

Burhan

 


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