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Fatwa CenterChoosing a Madhab
Question
Can I choose between al-Hanafi, al-Shfie, al-Maliki, al-Hanbali and al-Jaafary?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.
There is no harm if you choose to follow one of the four Madhab (schools of Fiqh) [Al-Malikiya, Al-Shafi'a, Al-Hanafia or Al-Hambali]. You can act according to that particular Madhab unless you find stronger and more prevailing evidence; in this case, you should act accordingly, hence leaving the opinion of the Madhab. Know that each of the four Madhabs generally, leads to the truth. In each Madhab however there are some weak or unproven matters because these Madhabs were established by human beings, who are not infallible. They can make mistakes, and are far from being perfect.
However, we advise you to follow one of the four Madhabs. In fact, these Madhabs were very well established by their respective Imams who did their best to stick to the right path. So, their path is sufficient for any Muslim. al-Zarkashi says: 'There is a consensus among all Muslims that the truth is only within what is in one of the Madhabs (4 Madhabs)' .
So, no Ijtihad should be done beyond them.
Allah knows best.
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