The questions paused by the anti-Taqleedians

Definition of Taqleed

Literal: Taqleed is a verbal noun of the root ‘Qa' 'la' 'da’ in the second form. The verb Qalada means to place, to gird or to adorn with a necklace. When used in conjunction with human beings, it refers to the wearing of a necklace, pendant or any other such similar ornament.

Technical: The acceptance of a statement of another without demanding proof or evidence on the belief that the statement is being made in accordance with fact and proof, is called Taqleed, or, for the purist, Taqleed-ush-shakhsi.

The anti-Taqleedians are posing some ‘gigantic’ questions against Taqleed. The important evidences against Taqleed are the following:

1- The word of Allah:

ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۗ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(الأعراف:3) “You follow what is revealed from your Lord. And don’t follow the Auliyaa other than him. And you are thinking a little”

2- The verse from Quraan:

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ‌ۗ أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ (البقرة:170)

“If they are told: you follow what Allah has revealed they will say but we will follow what we found from out forefathers”

3- Allah says:

ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَحۡبَارَهُمۡ وَرُهۡبَـٰنَهُمۡ أَرۡبَابً۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَسِيحَ ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَـٰهً۬ا وَٲحِدً۬ا‌ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ عَمَّا يُشۡرِڪُونَ

They took their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were

commanded to worship but One Allah: ther

e is no god

but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)

4- Allah says:

فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍ۬ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلاً

If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination

Answers to the Questions

1- The source of the first question is the utter ignorance of the meaning of Qur’aan. Really the evidence brought against the following of the four Madhab is out of context. For every one of who has the basic knowledge about the Islamic principles knows that there are two kinds of Taqleed. First is the cursed Taqleed like that of the unbelievers who follow their fathers blindly in the worship of idols and others except Allah. This type of Taqleed is mentioned in the verse

ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ أَوۡلِيَآءَ‌ۗ قَلِيلاً۬ مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ (الأعراف:3)

The exegetes of Qur'aan described it clearly. Imam Baghwee says “that is, you don’t follow Auliya other than Allah in disobedience to Allah”. And it is known that the four Imams of the Madhabs and others did not command the people to disobey Allah. What did they do was to obey the Almighty and they described to them the Book of Allah and the way of The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم. And the people followed them only because they are able people to be followed.

And the second type of the Taqleed is that which is praised. This Taqleed is to follow the good people in good deeds. The followers of the four Madhabs fall in this category, because we follow them only by the reason that they are worthy to be followed with their excessive knowledge of Qur’aan and Sunnah of The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم and their piety to The Almighty Allah. But this position now is near to impossible.

2- The second Ayat is similar to the first one.

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ قَالُواْ بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَآ أَلۡفَيۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ءَابَآءَنَآ‌ۗ أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ (البقرة:170

This verse also is revealed in the case of the Kuffar who followed their fathers in the case of disobedience to Allah (may Allah protect us from such a state). This falls under the cursed category of the Taqleed.

3- The third verse

ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ أَحۡبَارَهُمۡ وَرُهۡبَـٰنَهُمۡ أَرۡبَابً۬ا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡمَسِيحَ ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓاْ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَـٰهً۬ا وَٲحِدً۬ا‌ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَهُ ۥ عَمَّا يُشۡرِڪُونَ

was revealed in the case of the Christian and Jewish who changed the God’s religion according to their whims and fancies. They presented the permissibles of Allah as the forbidden and the forbidden things of Allah as the permissible. Those priests made their own rules in the name of religion. And the Anti Taqleedians are applying these kinds of verses to the pious and careful Imams of the Islam. Really the Imams of the four Madhabs of Hanafi, Maliki, Shafii and Hanbali did not make their own rules and regulations in the religion. But they were most pious and careful and they did not forbid what Allah commanded and they did not command what Allah forbade. They are competent to reach the positions near Allah by obeying them at every level and they tried to be the real inheritors of the messengers of Allah. Then how can we apply this shameful remonstration against them?

4-The anti-Taqleedians take the verse

فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍ۬ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلاً

for the establishment of their feeble argument. The answer to this question is of two kinds. 1- In the verse it is told that if there is a dispute among the people in any thing we should return to the Allah and The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم. But this is able only to those people who are legitimate for looking to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. So it is applicable to those wise people who can deduce the rules from the Qur’aan and Sunnah. It is not applicable to the mad and those who can not take the mammoth attempt of researching the two sources. Then if one is not able to deduce the laws from Qur’aan and Sunnah he has no way but to follow one who is able to do the same. 2- The above mentioned verse is of general kind and is described in other verses. The people of the truth are unanimous that there are many verses in which general verdict is given and some other verses will particularize them. At that time the Ulamas will take the verdict of the particular in the particular case. But this power is not possible to all the common men.

Another verse itself particularizes the above verse.

وَلَوۡ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰٓ أُوْلِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنۡہُمۡ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسۡتَنۢبِطُونَهُ ۥ مِنۡہُمۡ‌ۗ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُ ۥ لَٱتَّبَعۡتُمُ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنَ إِلَّا قَلِيلاً۬

If they had only referred it to the Messenger, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of Allah unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan.

Then the return of the disputes is to the scholars who can investigate and find out the rules from the Qur'aan. And this verse is one of the evidences for the Qiyas (Analogy) as Imam Razi Rahmatullahi alaihi and others among the Qur'aan exegetes told.