# How should I choose which madhhab to follow? *How to choose a madhhab, and Mufti Abu Layth's preference for the school of Madinah* - URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/s/4/ - Date: 2014-03-12 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Do I need to follow a Madhhab?- Mufti Abu Layth (11:46–14:14) - Status: general teaching - Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHI3gcIiCk&t=706s - Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/ **Topics:** Schools of law and following them; The Maliki school **Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Choose by whatever criteria suit you; you are not bound to the school of your locality. All madhhabs are in essence upon the truth, but Mufti Abu Layth personally prefers the school transmitted in Madinah, that of Imam Malik. **Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that to him personally all madhhabs are in essence upon the truth, but asks what could be greater than the school transmitted in Madinah, later known as the school of Imam Malik. **Evidence, his words at 12:44:** “to me personally all mhbs are as has been clearly documented in essence upon the H however what could be greater than the school or the perspective upon the de which was transmitted in Madina itself” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tHI3gcIiCk&t=764s) ## Longer summary After the poet's second line about blowing into cold ashes, Mufti Abu Layth asks how a person who must adopt a school should choose one. Citing a scholar whose name is garbled in the transcript [?], he says a person may choose by whatever criteria suit them: liking a particular imam or a particular madhhab for a particular reason is fine, and nobody is obliged to prefer one over another. Some say one must follow the school of one's locality, but the scholar he cites disagrees clearly and says one may choose whichever one takes a fancy to. Asked for his personal opinion, he says all madhhabs are, as has been clearly documented, in essence upon the truth, but asks what could be greater than the perspective on the deen transmitted in Madinah itself, known as the madhhab of Madinah and later as the school of Imam Malik. He closes with a prayer that Allah guide us, increase our understanding of the deen and let us reconnect with this legacy. ## Sources and names cited - madhhab - Imam Malik - Maliki school ## Transcript (machine tier, 11:46–14:14) [11:26] says that if you were to call out to somebody who had some life they would have heard you but perhaps you are only calling out to somebody who has no life that if you were blowing into a fire it would have lit up by now but all you seem to be doing is blowing into cold ashes that said by perhaps another question Rises that if we are to adopt a particular School are we obliged to [12:06] follow a particular any particular is I mean how should I choose a particular School the answer is as had explained in his that a person may choose by whatever whatever type of um criteria fit them so somebody may say as has written clearly that I seem to like this IM for this particular reason and that is fine somebody may say I like this particular maab for this particular reason that is fine you are not obliged [12:44] to choose one over the other I mean some people say you you must go with the school which uh happens to be the school of your vicinity disagrees with that very clearly he says that you may choose whichever you take a fancy to that said I mean when people have asked me for my personal opinion I have said well to me personally all mhbs are as has been clearly documented in essence upon the H however what could be greater than the school or the perspective upon the de which was [13:23] transmitted in Madina itself known as the M of Medina later to become interpreted and known as the school of Imam Malik that said people I leave you for today I ask Allah subhana wa ta'ala that may he guide us all and increase us in our understanding of this theme may he give us the ability to reconnect with this Legacy that has reached [13:58] us for ## Cite Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment 9tHI3gcIiCk/s/4. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/9thi3gciick/s/4/ Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.