Fanaticism for Madhhabs
Fanaticism for Madhhabs
Fanaticism for madh-habs has become such that in a single village you can find four judges and four muftis, a pair for the Shafi’is and a pair for the Malikis and a pair for the Hanifis and a pair for the Hanbalis. This has been the misfortune of the Muslim world. Each has his own Imam whom he follows in matters of fiqh and aqeeda. And in every town you will find four judges, each judging according to his madhhab. And in the mosque you will find four Imams, each leading the prayer for the followers of his madhhab.
The Muslims have begun to regard their madhhabs as kinds of political parties, denouncing followers of rival ones before all else. And blind following has taken a geographical form, in other words, tell me where you are from, I can tell you your madh-hab.
If someone is from Morocco, then he is certainly a Maliki and if someone is from India, then he will be a Hanafi. It is impossible to imagine a Pakistani Maliki or a Hanbali Moroccan. If Imam al-Shafi’i were to be brought back to witness the fanaticism that people have entered upon in his name, he would surely denounce them all.
