The Issue of Taqleed and Madhhabs

The Issue of Ijtihaad and Taqleed

Shaykh Muhammad ’Eed ’Abbaasee said:

"The obligation upon the people of the first type is to make taqleed of any scholar of the Book and the Sunnah , who is reliable in his knowledge and Religion. The obligation upon the second type of people is to make ijtihaad in understanding what is indicated by [the texts of] the Book and the Sunnah, and [then] to follow it and to direct the people upon it. The obligation upon the third type is to make ittibaa’ (lit. follow) of the Sharee’ah evidences that they are aware of, from the statements of the scholars. And whoever has the ability to perform ijtihaad, then taqleed and ittibaa’ of others is not lawful to him, except in cases of necessity ... Whoever has the ability to perform ittibaa’ then taqleed and ijtihaad are not lawful for him. Whoever does not have the ability to perform ijtihaad nor ittibaa’ then taqleed is obligatory upon him. The proof for this is that the basic principle (asl ) upon everyone is to make ittibaa’ of the Book and the Sunnah , if they have the ability; just as Allaah, the Most Perfect, said:

So if the Muslim does not have the ability to understand the Book and the Sunnah and to deduce rulings from them, then he descends to the level of ittibaa’. If he does not have the ability for this, then he descends to the lowest level; which is taqleed. And this is when he enters into Allaah, the Exalted’s, saying:

In summary: