Should I Follow My Teacher When He Is Leaving the Relied-upon Position?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi 

Question

I was wondering, when studying Fiqh as a layman, should one always follow the mu’tamad position or follow one’s teachers, even if they do not follow the official view of the Madhab?

Answer

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

It is obligatory to follow the Fatwa position of one’s school, even if one’s teacher doesn’t follow it. This is especially true if one is a layman simply seeking for  sound practice.  [Ibn Abidin, Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti]

Ibn Abidin (may Allah be pleased with him) quotes Ibn Qutlubugha (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the foremost authorities in the Hanafi school, saying the following:

“I have seen people pretending to follow the school of our teachers (May Allah be pleased with them), following their whims and desires to the point that I heard from some judges (qadi): “Is it even problematic to do so?”. I answered: “Of course it is. Following one’s whims is forbidden (haram), and a weaker juridic position is akin to nothingness when confronted with the relied-upon position.” [ibid]

Allah, Most High, says: “Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them?” [25.43]

As for a layman not studying Fiqh per se and only looking for religious answers regarding his own religious life, he simply has to look for a trustworthy scholar and follow his verdicts.

Please see: Is it Obligatory to Follow a Fatwa?

Allah, Most High, says: “So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know.” [16:43]

Reality vs Theory

Nonetheless, it is important to realize that the above is only the theory, and its application to reality can sometimes be very tricky.

First, it must be understood that Fiqh is not a dead science sealed in books, immune to the changes in our society.

There are many legitimate reasons for a Mufti to leave the relied-upon position of his school. Local customs, necessities, needs, and new challenges are all valid reasons to leave the relied-upon position stated in classical books. The following verse is the basis of many of these considerations:

Allah, Most High, says: “Allah intends (to provide) ease for you and does not intend (to create) hardship for you.” [2: 185]

At that point, it can become impermissible to follow the relied-upon position found in books, and one is bound to follow the position of the living scholars of our time.

There are rules to this endeavor, and only trained Mufti are allowed to undertake it.

Allah, Most High, says: “O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Then, if you quarrel about something, revert it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is good, and the best at the end.” [4:59]

Now, ask yourself the following question as a layman studying Fiqh. What if my teacher is simply relating to me the most appropriate position in our time instead of making a mistake?

We have to understand and accept that we cannot rely in books alone and that we have to take knowledge from the inheritors of the Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon them), our living scholars (May Allah protect them).

Having said that, it is not rare to have the Imam of one’s mosque making mistakes during his class. If one can check the correct position by asking senior scholars after noticing this problematic statement through one’s personal studies, one should do so. Nonetheless, this process should not lead you to criticize your teacher for this mistake, especially publicly. You could try to inform him about his mistake privately, without insisting, and that’s it. Most God-fearing scholars will be thankful to you for your remark. But if your teacher disagrees with you, the discussion has to end here and there, and this simple misstep should not lead you to cultivate contempt towards him or prevent you from continuing to benefit from him.

The Messenger of Allah (Blessings and Peace be upon him) has said: “All the sons of Adam make mistakes, and the best of them are those who repent.” [Tirmidhi]

Imam Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) used to say: “Everyone makes mistakes except the person laying in that grave”, pointing to the Prophet’s grave (Blessings and Peace be upon him).

Please see: The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge

And Allah knows best.

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.

Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.

He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.