Question 5:


Advice needed
As-salamu alaykum respected scholar,
I reverted to Islam well over 10 years ago- roughly 11. I never considered madhhab's before. I normally ask our local imam, or I look for information from Qur’ran and sahih hadiths. I also looked at some tafsir. I have never found an issue that I did not really understand after this extent. I try my best. I was told by my best friend I should follow a madhhab. Reason being if I do not follow one then I am just following my nafs because I am picking and choosing what I like. I personally do not think I have done that because issues such as smoking I take to be haram- even though some people say it is not because there is no consensus. I would like to know do I need to follow one particular madhhab i.e. Hanafi or Maliki or is respecting all of them permissible?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:


The issue of following a madhhab arises only when one is dealing with the issues that are not clear in the sources. As for the basics or fundamentals that are self-evident, no one needs to follow anyone but the Law-giver.What you have been doing is acceptable. You converted to Islam, and you tried your best to understand and practice Islam by reading and asking the imam or scholar. Every genuine scholar is trained in the tradition of a particular school and his advice is based primarily on his understanding of the tradition unless he has attained greater expertise through specialization in fiqh.The vast majority of Muslims have considered the four schools as genuine expressions of the Shari’a. And they have also allowed individuals to follow the rulings of another school if they are faced with a difficulty which makes it impossible to adhere to a particular school.For further details, you may refer to the answer linked below.http://www.askthescholar.com/5-220-2...mad-kutty.aspxAllah Almighty knows best.