Why do we need an Imam ?? Isn't Taqleed = Blind Following ?? Please explain the statements of Mujtahid Imams.

Why
do we need an
Imam ?? Isn't
Taqleed = Blind
Following ??
Please explain
the
statements of
Mujtahid
Imams.

Answer)
Extracting Law
and Taqleed:
There are certain
commandments in the
Quran and Sunnah
which a lay person
can understand. For
example:
"Do not back
bite" (Surah al-
Hujaraat: 12)
There are some
statements which
seem to contradict
other verses of the
Quran or a
Hadith. For example,
the Prophet S.A.W
said in a Hadith:
"Whoever has an
Imam, then the
Imam's recitation is
his recitation."
This seems to
indicate while the
Imam is reciting in
Salaat, the follower
should remain
silent.
However, another
Hadith says:
"There is no salaat
for he who does not
recite Surah Al-
Fatiha."
This seems to
indicate that
everyone should
recite Surah
Fatiha. The question
arises whether the
first Hadith should be
taken as the primary
sourch referring to
the Imam or the one
who offers salaat
individually and the
second Hadith
explained as a
corrobborating
evidence; or should
we make the second
hadith the base and
the first Hadith
refers to the Imam's
recitation after he
recites Surah Fatiha.
Needless to say from
the above examples,
the process of
extrapolating rules
from the Quran and
Sunnah can be
complicated. One
soultion is that we
exercise our
understanding and
insight in such issues
in order to make our
judgments and
rulings. Another
solution could be
that instead of
making independent
rulings ourselves, we
look into what the
predecessors ruled
concering these
issues.
Visit this link for
more details on this:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/legal/8-9.htm


The concept of
Taqleed in the
Quran:

"O you who believe!
Follow Allah' follow
the Messenger and
those of authority
(Amr) amongst you."
"And when there
comes to them a
matter concerning
(public) safety or
fear, they relay
it. If they had only
referred it to the
Messenger and to
those of authority
(Amr), those who can
investigate and
extract (information)
among them would
know (the rumor's
validity)..."
Visit this link for
more details on this:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/legal/14-15.htm


Blind
Following:

Ibn Hamam and Ibn
Nujaim, both define
Taqleed thus:
"Taqleed is to follow
the opinion of a
person - whose
opinion is not a
proof in Islamic law -
without asking for
his [the person
followed] proof."
This statement has
clarified the fact
that a person who
practices Taqleed
(the Muqallid) does
not hold the opinion
of the one whom he
follows (the Mujtahid)
as a source of Islamic
law because the
source for Islamic law
are confined to the
Quran and Sunnah
(both Ijma and Qiyas
[analogy] are derived
from the Quran and
Sunnah). The only
reason why a
Muqallid follows an
Imam is because of
the conviction that
the Mujtahid has
inisights into the
Quran and Sunnah
(which he, the
follower, does not
posses) by which the
Mujtahid is able to
understand their
meanings, in this
regard the follower
has relied upon the
Imams'
opinion. Perceived in
this perspective
Taqleed cannot in all
fairness, perceived
be equaled with shirk
nor blind following.
Visit this link for
more details on this:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/legal/12-13.htm


The
Statements of
Mujtahid
Imams
themselves:

Contentions that the
Imams themselves
have prohibited the
following of their
opinions until they
have discovered the
proofs and that if
their opinions conflict
with any Hadith,
they should smite
their opinions against
the wall and practice
the Hadith, are of
course true.
However, to do
justice to such
statements, one
would have to
conclude that they
are NOT addressed
to people who do
not possess the
faculty of
Ijtihad. Rather, they
were appealing to
those scholars who
were capable of
Ijtihad. Shah
Waliyyullah of Delhi
has summarized such
statements thus:
"These statements
can be assessed
against those who
have some ability to
exercise Ijtihad......."
Visit this link for
more details on this:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/legal/94-95.htm


Imam Abu
Hanifa RUA:

Imam Abu Hanifa RUA
was a Tabi, who met
4 Sahaba RAU. He
was born in one of
the Best
generations. His time
was very close to
Prophet SAW.
Opinions of MODERN
DAY scholars hold NO
weight against the
rulings of the people
of "Khair ul
Quroon" (the best 3
generations).

Following an
Imam:

Everyone has to do
the Taqleed of
someone. There is
not a single person
who doesn't do the
Taqleed. As of those
who deny the
Taqleed of four
Imams, they do the
Taqleed of Ibn
Tamiya. We always
need someone to
guide us.
The way of "Ahle-
Sunnah Wal Jamaat"
is that we follow the
opinions and
practices of the Best
of the Generations.
Sahaba RAU directly
learned from Prophet
S.A.W and understood
the meaning far
better than anyone
can understand now.


Conclusion:

I once began to
believe that it was
not necessary to
follow an
Imam. However, I
only held this view
until I learned the
other side. After
reading the books of
both Ahle-Hadees
and Ahle-Sunnah I,
personally, came to
the conclusion that
Ahle-sunnah wal
Jamaat is the way.
Therefore, I can only
invite and ask
brothers and sisters
to do thorough
research on this
subject. Read the
books that support
and explain why we
should do Taqleed of
one of the Imams
and answer all the
questions raised by
Ahle-Hadees.
Well, at least look at
both sides. This link
contains books that
explain the
importance of
Taqleed:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/fiqh.htm


SOURCE:
http://www.cometoislam.com/fiqh/question2.htm