Taqleed, muqallid, ghair muqallid and iteba

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

We often see Salafis and deobandi a discussing taqleed. Since this is very popular topic to talk about I am curious to find out how people feel about this.


I will start by telling my own personal view. Years ago, when started studying Islam, I learned about Taqleed when I started listening to Pakistani and Afghab Mullah's.

The Salafis said that Taqleed means blindly following without asking for evidence. The deobandi a said Taqleed is necessary because Allah orders us in Quran to ask a person of knowledge if we don't know much about something.

For years, I sided with the Salafis of Indo-Pak on this issue because they were opposed to Sufism and Tahrif of Quran.

But when I learned more I realized that their understanding of Taqleed is incorrect. They, just like their deobandi rivals chose an extremist position.

On the one hand, it is logical to ask knowledgeable people when we are ignorant. On the other hand we are suppose to be critical and inquisitive and we aught to study and ask for evidence.

Few years ago, I realized that those two don't exclude one another. One can be critical and inquisitive and yet use rely on knowledge and experience of the learned men and women.

I also found out many Arab scholars from the peninsula are proponents of Taqleed. They are vehemently against the info-pak Salafi ideology of"hale Hadis".

The Arab scholars advocate Taqleed but not in a sectarian manner like Deobandis.

So now I believe there is nothing wrong with Taqleed. I have abandoned the Salafi - deobandi discussion and I have learned to appreciate the scholars of other regions like North Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Those two groups are muc more sensible and balanced compared to indo pak.

[marwat]

so what is taqleed now?

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

so what is taqleed now?

Talqeed is basically relying on someone elses work. When you have a problem and you need answers, you consult an expert. You trust his expertise and you use the consult you receive from the expert. This is basically the essence of talqeed.

[marwat]

Talqeed is basically relying on someone elses work. When you have a problem and you need answers, you consult an expert. You trust his expertise and you use the consult you receive from the expert. This is basically the essence of talqeed.

so how taqleed relevance with islam is? you told me about the general definition. i am interested in Islamic perspective of taqleed?

also is it talqeed or taqleed? you made me confuse

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

so how taqleed relevance with islam is? you told me about the general definition. i am interested in Islamic perspective of taqleed?

also is it talqeed or taqleed? you made me confuse

It's taqleed.

In Islam, any person who ascribes himself to Islam is required to know some basic aspects of religion. Without the knowledge of these basic matters, one cannot be considered a Muslim. Knowledge of who Is Allah, how is he worshiped, who is Prophet Muhammed sal allahu alayhi wasalam, how is he followed and what is Islam and how is it practiced are the core of Muslim faith and identity.

When a person knows these basic things, he or she is considered a Muslim. Then, there are more complicated matters which require years of studying and research. Like the different ways to perform prayer, the differences of opinion between Sahaba, the scholars and the schools of thought.

The latter part is not necessary for each and every Muslim to know in order to have complete faith. One can rely on scholars in order to learn and practice.

Taqleed is in essence, reliance on experts in different fields.

For example, when you read Qur'an, you read a specific style of recitation. In our country, we read Riwayah of Hafs, through Aasem. This riwaya, or method of recitation and pronunciation is documented and preserved by a specific school of scholars in the science of Qur'an recitation.

As a laymen, we can't go and research all various styles and find out for ourselves how to recite. We can simply take a course with a person who is authorized to teach according to Hafs riwayah. We rely on the expertise of that particular school.

Similarly, when want to pray, we can't go and conduct research in order to find out how exactly we should pray. Should raise our hands in every takbeer? Should we go into prostration knees first? What is the correct method?

Finding out takes years of research which is not required from us in Islam. In the day of judgement, we are not asked if we knew which method was the correct method. We are simply asked to answer for what we knew, how he applied this knowledge in to practice etc.

Complex issues are necessary for us as a whole nation of believes to know. But not every individual Muslim is obliged to know all of that.

[marwat]

It's taqleed.

In Islam, any person who ascribes himself to Islam is required to know some basic aspects of religion. Without the knowledge of these basic matters, one cannot be considered a Muslim. Knowledge of who Is Allah, how is he worshiped, who is Prophet Muhammed sal allahu alayhi wasalam, how is he followed and what is Islam and how is it practiced are the core of Muslim faith and identity.
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thanks
can you put some light on the different school of thought and their approach to taqleed?
in another thread you talked about schools becomes sects, what's the difference?

[Shamlawar Khurasani]

thanks
can you put some light on the different school of thought and their approach to taqleed?
in another thread you talked about schools becomes sects, what's the difference?

Every school has its own principles in jurisprudence.

The source of law is Qur'an & Sunnah. Qur'an is speech of Allah, Sunnah is in this particular conext, speech of Prophet sal allahu alayhi wasalam.

Other sources consulted by scholars in order to derive a ruling are:

• Concensus of the companions of the prophet muhammed sal allahu alayhi wasalam
  
• Opinion of specific companions due to their status as men/women of great knowledge.
  
• Custom of people in the city of Madina. After the death of Prophet sal allahu alayhi wasalam many companions remained in Madina and it was a centre of learning and different sciences. Therefore, the custom of people of Madina is considered as reliable because knowledge of religion was preserved there. Other cities, like Mekkah experiences mass exodus due to expansion of Islamic empire.

All four schools use Qur'an and Sunnah as primary sources in order to derive rulings. However, they differ in other aspects. For instance, Maliki school considers "amaal ahl al Madina" (customs of people of Madina) as a very important source of knowledge. When they can't find a clear and explicit answer to legal question in Qur'an and Sunnah, they look into what was customary in city of Madina.

Other schools differ. For Hanafi law, "amaal ahl al Madina" is not a source. Hanafis hold views of specific companions in high regard.

There are also other differences. For instance, in Hanbali school, if they have no hadith for a specific ruling graded as authentic, they accept even ahadeeth considered weak. Other schools disagree with Hanbalis on this matter.


So you see, different schools have different ways of codifying Islamic law. Each method is developed over the course of centuries by thousands of scholars. They may disagree with each other, but among scholars, these differences are considered as academic and scholarly differences. They don't consider these differences as "sectarian".

The sectarianism emerged later when people tried to use schools of jurisprudence in order to oppose others and create groups and parties. For instance, if a particular scholar became very influential, his opponents who couldn't compete with him as fellow men of learning resorted to attacks and fabricated stuff. For example, according to later Hanafi jurists of lower rank, it is impermissible for a Hanafi to become a Shafi'i. If one leaves Hanafi school of law, he is supposed to receive punishment. Similarly, they consider nikkah between a Hanafi and a Shafi'i as invalid.

These exesses emerged later in an era where people turned more extreme and sectarian.

Today, most Deobandis in the subcontinent consider Hanafi school as a sect. They claim everyone who is born in Afghanistan and Pakistan is authomatically a Hanafi. That makes no sense. Because if a person doesn't know anything about Hanafi school, he can't be a follower of the school.

If a person doesn't go to a school where he learns prayer, zakat, fasting etc according to hanafi method, then this person cannot claim to be a hanafi.

Becoming a hanafi is practically, going to school or learning the method from someone who knows it. Like a father, a mother, and older brother.

One of the reason why anti-madhab Ahl Hadith movement emerged in Indo-Pak is due to extremism of these Hanafi fanatics. They turned Madhab into a sect, a cult. Anti Madhabism of the Ahl Hadith is in reality a reaction to their extremism.

Now they are trying to frame ahl al hadith as extremists by ignoring excesses in their own ways.