# Do I have to stick to one madhhab, or can I question its positions?

*Must I stick to one school? The door analogy, evaluating positions later, and resisting authority*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/s/2/
- Date: 2014-03-12 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Do I need to follow a Madhhab?- Mufti Abu Layth (5:13–7:47)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHI3gcIiCk&t=313s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/

**Topics:** Schools of law and following them; Legal theory and method

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Develop within one school, since each rests on its own principles, like choosing one door into a building; once knowledgeable you may evaluate its positions. Mufti Abu Layth adds that some who resist this seem to struggle with submitting to authority.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says a student should adopt one school of law as the basis for developing their understanding and may, at a later stage as their knowledge grows, analyse and evaluate some of its positions.

**Evidence, his words at 5:13:** “a person must adopt a particular basis through which they will develop their understanding of this them and as they continue to acquire knowledge and develop themselves then at a later stage they may choose to analyze and evaluate” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHI3gcIiCk&t=313s)

## Longer summary

Continuing the question whether one must stick to a particular school, Mufti Abu Layth says schools of law rest on their own principles, philosophies, objectives and interpretations, so while developing one's understanding it makes sense to remain within one. He compares it to a building with several doors: one need not use a particular door, but one must choose a door and go through it rather than all of them; so a person adopts a basis for understanding the deen and, as they acquire knowledge, may at a later stage analyse and evaluate some of the stances within that school. He adds that those who question these things are often genuine, but some seem to struggle to submit to authority, and he mentions the psychological condition called oppositional defiant disorder, a pattern of angry disobedience and defiance towards authority, saying some people display similar symptoms on such matters. He reminds listeners that the Messenger taught the companions, who taught the next generations, in an unbroken chain to this day. At the end he begins another misconception: saying 'Abu Hanifa says this or Malik says this but the hadith says that' is the wrong way of framing the matter, which the next segment develops.

## Sources and names cited

- madhhab
- oppositional defiant disorder
- Abu Hanifa
- Imam Malik
- hadith
- sahabah (companions)

## Transcript (machine tier, 5:13–7:47)

[4:30] sound understanding of the de that has not taken a medium that has not taken a particular School of Law so it somebody may ask am I obliged to stick to a particular School of Law well you see schools of law have been based upon several principles several philosophies behind them and objectives interpretations therefore whilst you are developing your understanding it would only make sense that you do pertain within a school of law because it would be based upon several

[5:10] principles it is like saying somebody wishes to enter into a particular building and there are several entrances several doors that you could go through and somebody may ask do I have to go through a particular door and you may say not necessarily but the answer is do I have to go through a door well yes you do you can't go through all of them you must choose one and go through it so similarly a person must adopt a particular basis through which they will develop their understanding of this them and as they continue to acquire

[5:47] knowledge and develop themselves then at a later stage they may choose to analyze and evaluate some of the stances and positions within that School of Law I also find that sometimes people that question these things I mean on many occasions they may be genuine questions and at times they may be people that are almost struggling to submit to Authority um in Psychology there is a condition known as an Oppositional

[6:23] Defiant Disorder an OD where people struggle to submit to Authority it is they describe it as a pattern of anger guided Disobedience and defiant Behavior towards Authority sometimes we see some people almost display similar symptoms when it comes to things like this we have to understand that the messenger of Allah S alaihi wasallam taught the sah who taught the who taught the and this tradition and Legacy has has been

[7:01] taught from the fathers to the children till our very day and age we have an unbroken chain of this tradition on that note there is another misconception people at times will say well Im Abu hanifah says this or Imam Malik says this and the Hadith says this IM Malik says this or IM Abu hanifah says this and the Hadith Sayes that's the incorrect way of doing things the correct way is to say well the Hadith that IM Malik used says this the Hadith that IM Abu hanifah used States this the

[7:39] Hadith that you are quoting States this so put Hadith On a par with Hadith not the of the or the fatwa of the IM On a par with the Hadith that comes across as Blasphemous almost at the least that you are challenging the words of the Prophet sallallahu alhi wasallam with the words of an IM that is not how this Dean has been transmitted it is the Hadith that these imams and these Scholars have relied upon which may be matched against the Hadith that you are quoting and then the

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 9tHI3gcIiCk/s/2. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/s/2/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.