A Ghayr Muqallid writes that the Four Madhaahib are a Bid’ah According to Shah

Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ر ا‬

Question: I have recently read a booklet entitled “Madh’habi Firqa Parasti awr
Islaam” by Mukhtaar Ahmad Nadwi. The booklet examines the following of
Madhaahib and page 39 of the booklet has a heading stating that following the
Madhaahib is a Bid’ah according to Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ر ا‬. He then
quotes from Shah Wali’ullaah
‫‘ر ا‬s book Insaaf, which reads: “Muslims in the first
and second centuries of Islaam knew nothing about following a particular Madh’hab
and there was no culture of following the Madhaahib during those times as well. The
pious predecessors had no idea of what Madhaahib are all about because everyone
followed only the Shari'ah of Hadhrat Muhammad ρ. They did only that which
Rasulullaah ρ said and did and all of the Sahabah ψ, Taabi’een and those after them
agreed on the fact that the only being worthy of bring followed was Rasulullaah ρ.
They all prohibited the act of following the words and Fataawaa of any one person.”

What I wish to ask is whether Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬was opposed
to the following of the Madhaahib? Does he regard the following of the Madhaahib as
we have them today as a Bid’ah? Is will be appreciated if you could reply with
references to the works of Shah Wali’ullaah
‫ر ا‬.

Answer: The reference attributed to Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬is
erroneous and in fact slander against him. we will quote the works of Shah
Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬later, which will make it clear that he never
opposed the following of the Madhaahib and himself said that Rasulullaah ρ advised
him to remain within the four Madhaahib. He also stated that the Hanafi Madh’hab
conforms with the Sunnah, as attested to by Rasulullaah ρ.

When you read the text of Hadhrat Shah
‫’ر ا‬s works you will see that he was never
opposed to the Madhaahib. The text quoted in which he describes the condition of
the Muslims in the first and second centuries of Islaam is actually quoted from Abu
Taalib Makki
‫ ر ا‬, which he has stated in his book Qootul Quloob and it is the
demand of honesty that the text be attributed to him and not to Hadhrat Shah
‫ر ا‬. It
is therefore dishonest to attribute the test to Hadhrat Shah
‫ ر ا‬and also misleading
to construe the text to be against the concept of Taqleed. The text was translated
incorrectly. Hereunder follows the correct translation: “It must be noted that people
during the first and second centuries of Islaam had not agreed on a fixed Madh’hab.
For this reason, Abu Taalib Makki
‫ ر ا‬stated that books and compilations are all new
innovations and that it was not the practice of people during those times to quote
the statements of other people, to issue Fataawaa according to only one Madh’hab
and to choose the way of only one Madh’hab in all matters, relying on it totally.”1

Does this tie in with what the booklet quotes? If this is not deception, then what else
can it be? Look at how “had not agreed on a fixed Madh’hab” was translated as
“knew nothing about following a particular Madh’hab”. This is either a poor reflection
of the writer’s knowledge or a deliberate obfuscation. The only point that can be
proven from the text of Abu Taalib Makki
‫ ر ا‬is that following a particular Madh’hab
(Taqleed Shakhsi) was not in vogue during the first and second centuries of Islaam.
This however, became popular in the later centuries. In fact. Shah Wali’ullaah
Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬writes further: ““It was during the second century of Islaam

1
Insaaf pg.57.
that following a particular Mujtahid became common and there was scarcely anyone
who did not do so. This was compulsory.”2

There is a lengthy discussion on whether Taqleed Shakhsi was prevalent during the
time of the Sahabah ψ, Taab’ieen and those after them. There is also the question on
what is the status of Taqleed in the Shari'ah and whether or not it is proven in the
Qur'aan and the Ahadeeth. These and other discussions have been addressed in our
booklet titled “The need for Taqleed according to the Shari'ah.” One should study it
in detail. It will Inshaa Allaah put an end to any doubts or misgivings one may have
about Taqleed. This booklet has been printed in Fataawaa Raheemiyyah.

Here follows quotations from Shah Wali’ullaah :

‫ر ا‬

Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬writes: “CHAPTER ON THE IMPORTANCE OF

FOLLOWING THE FOUR MADHAAHIB AND THE SEVERITY OF GIVING THIS UP. One
ought to know that there is immense benefit in following the four Madhaahib and
tremendous harm in turning away from them.”3 In the same book, he writes further,
“The second reason for following a Madh’hab is that Rasulullaah ρ said, ‘Follow the
broader consensus of people’. Since there are no Madhaahib on the truth besides the
four Madhaahib, following them will be following the broader consensus of people
and failing to follow them will be to leave the broader consensus of people, which will
be against the instruction of Rasulullaah ρ.”4

Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ ر ا‬described the followers of the four
Madhaahib as the broader consensus of people and the one failing to follow any
perform them as a lost camel who really follows the dictates of his Nafs.
He further quotes Imaam Baghawi
‫ر ا‬, who said, “It is therefore compulsory for the
person who does not have all these qualifications (of being a Mujtahid) to follow
someone in all affairs that pertain to him.”5

Hadhrat Shah Wali’ullaah
‫ ر ا‬also says, “There are numerous benefits in it (in
following one of the four Madhaahib) that are no secret to anyone. These are
especially required in these days when people lack courage, when carnal passions
have taken deep root in people’s souls and when ever person is obsessed only with
his opinion.”6

In another of his works, Hadhrat Shah Wali’ullaah
‫ ر ا‬says, “It was during the
second century of Islaam that following a particular Mujtahid became common and
there was scarcely anyone who did not do so. This was compulsory.”7

He also said, “The entire Ummah, or rather those of them who are dependable, are
unanimous about the fact that it is permissible to follow one of these four Madhaahib
that have been methodically systemised and recorded. This unanimity remains to
this day (and opposing it is a means of deviation).”8

Hadhrat Shah
‫ ر ا‬also says, “The gist of it all is that following these four Madhaahib
is something extremely subtle that Allaah has inspired in the hearts of the Ulema and

2
Insaaf pg.59.
3
ul Jayyid pg.31.
4
Uqdul Jayyid pg.33.
5
Uqdul Jayyid pg.9.
6
Hujjatullaahil Baaligha (Vol.1 Pg.361).
7
Insaaf pg.59.
8
Hujjatullaahil Baaligha (Vol.1 Pg.361).
upon which they have declared unanimity, regardless of whether they understand it
or not.”9

He also says, “If there is a common man in India or in the territories of Maa
Waraa’un Nahr (places where there are predominantly Hanafis) and there are no
Ulema belonging to the Shaafi’ee, Maaliki or Hanbali schools of jurisprudence, as well
as no books of these Madhaahib, it will be Waajib (compulsory) for him to follow the
Madh’hab of Imaam Abu Haneefah
‫ر ا‬. It will be Haraam for him to leave this
Madh’hab because if he does this, he will be removing the collar of the Shari'ah from
his neck and will be left a useless and wasted soul.”10

Despite being a Mujtahid in his own right, Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ر ا‬
was commanded by Rasulullaah ρ to follow a Madh’hab and never to leave one. He
writes in his Fuyoodhul Haramain11 that he was commanded by Rasulullaah ρ to do
three things that he was not in favour of. In fact, he states, he was so staunchly
disinclined towards these three things that the fact that he turned to them is in fact a
sign of their truth. The second of these that he mentions is to follow one of the four
Madhaahib without leaving it. He states further that Rasulullaah ρ also informed him
that the Hanafi Madh’hab has a most excellent methodology that is closer to the
Sunnah as it was documented during the period of Imaam Bukhaari
‫ ر ا‬and his
contemporaries.”12

The summary of Shah Wali’ullaah Muhaddith Dehlawi
‫ر ا‬ comments are:

1. The practice of following a particular person was common during the times of the
Sahabah ψ and the Taabi’een
2. Following one of the four Madhaahib entails following the broader consensus of
people (which is compulsory in the words of the Ahadeeth) and failing to follow it
will lead to deviation
3. The practice of following one of the four Madhaahib became common after the
second century of Islaam
4. Following one of the four Madhaahib is something extremely subtle that Allaah
has inspired in the hearts of people
5. The Ummah is unanimous about following the four Imaams
6. Taqleed is Waajib (compulsory) for anyone who is not a Mujtahid
7. There are numerous Deeni benefits to following a specific Imaam
8. Rasulullaah ρ instructed Hadhrat Shah Wali’ullaah
‫ ر ا‬to follow an Imaam
9. Rasulullaah ρ told him that the Hanafi Madh’hab is closest to the Sunnah
10. It is Haraam for a common man to forsake Taqleed. In fact, this actually leads
him to leaving Islaam (as admitted to by the leader of the Ghayr Muqallideen
Moulana Muhammad Husayn Batalwi, as s we shall quote later)

Read through these quotations carefully and decide whether they actually support or
refute what has been attributed to Shah Wali’ullaah
‫ر ا‬. It is also worth noting what
Hadhrat Shah
‫ ر ا‬has to say about the group of people who criticise the Fuqahaa and
speak ill of them. He says: “Most of the people who claim to be people of the
Ahadeeth concern themselves only with collecting chains of narrators and
determining Ahadeeth which are Ghareeb or Shaadh from many that are either
Mowdoo or Maqloob. They do not concern themselves with the words of the Hadith,

9
Insaaf pg.47.
10
Insaaf pg. 70-71.
11
Pgs. 64-65.
12
Fuyoodhul Haramain pg.48.
do not understand the meanings of the Ahadeeth and cannot derive rulings from its
depths. These people condemn the jurists and claim that they oppose the Qur'aan
and the Ahadeeth without realising that they can never attain the knowledge that
Allaah had granted to the jurists. They are really sinful for making such
statements.”13

The Ghayr Muqallideen take pride in their abandonment of the Madhaahib and wish
to make others free thinkers like themselves. They however fail to see the harms in
this and ignore the dangers that the pious predecessors have cautioned against. If
they forsake their prejudices and obstinacy to think seriously about the matter, they
will certainly find no reason to remain the way they are.

The reviver of the Ahle Hadith group Janaab Nawaab Siddique Hasan Khan of Bopal
writes the following about his group, “There has now surfaced a boastful group who
(despite being far from it) claim that they have the knowledge of the Hadith and the
Qur'aan and also claim that they practise it and have recognition of Allaah.”14

He writes further, “How strange! How can they (these Ghayr Muqallideen) call
themselves sincere believers in Towheed while alleging that others (because of their
Taqleed) are Mushrikeen, whereas they (the Ghayr Muqallideen) are most obstinate
and mulish in their ways?” He later concludes the discussion by saying, “This way (of
the Ghayr Muqallideen) is nothing but a great tribulation and means of deviation.”15

Moulana Muhammad Husayn Batalwi whom the Ghayr Muqallideen look up to wrote
in his book Ishaa’atus Sunnah: “Twenty five years of experience has proven to me
that those who forsake following the Mujtahideen and a Madh’hab eventually end up
bidding farewell to Islaam. Many of the become Christians and other become people
who follow no religion at all. The least that happens is that they no longer follow the
Shari'ah and fall into sin. Some of them openly discard the Jumu’ah salaah, salaah in
congregation and fasting. They also do to abstain from liquor and interest and those
who do not indulge in these open sins, do so for ulterior motives, but then indulge in
secret sins. They are often also involved in illicit affairs with women. Although there
are many reasons for a person in Deen to become irreligious and to leave the Deen,
one of the main reasons is also when people with no knowledge forsake Taqleed
(following a Madh’hab).”16

And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

13
Insaaf pg.53.
14
Al Hitta fi Dhikri Sihaahis Sitta Pg.27-28.
15
Taqleede A’immah pgs.17-18
16
Sabeelur Rashaad pg.10, Kalimatul Fasl pg.10 and Taqleede A’immah pgs.16-17.