Benefits & Rulings:

➊ This issue is also addressed in the Qur’an in the following words: ﴿مَّن يُّطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّـهَ﴾ (An-Nisa: 80) “He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.” The reason for this is that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) conveyed the rulings of the Sharī‘ah not based on personal opinion or desire, but through revelation from Allah. As Allah says: ﴿وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ، إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ﴾ (An-Najm: 3–4) “He does not speak of his own desire. It is only a revelation revealed (to him).” That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself would act upon these commands just as other believers were expected to—rather, he set a far higher example in piety and righteous deeds than all others.

➋ The Qur’an, sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and statements of the Companions and Followers all make adherence to the Sunnah obligatory. Some related quotes are as follows:

(a) Sayyiduna ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O people! Beware of the people of opinion (those who rely solely on reason), for they are enemies of the Sunnah. When they failed to memorize the sayings of the Prophet, they began issuing verdicts based on personal opinions. Thus, they went astray and misled others.” (Source: Miftāḥ al-Jannah fī al-Iḥtijāj bi al-Sunnah, p. 47)

(b) Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) once saw Tāwūs (may Allah have mercy on him) praying two rak‘ahs after ‘Asr and said, “Do not pray them.” Tāwūs replied, “I will continue.” Ibn ‘Abbās said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited offering voluntary prayers after ‘Asr. I fear that you will be punished rather than rewarded for these two rak‘ahs. Allah says: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّـهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ﴾ (Al-Aḥzāb: 36) “It is not for a believing man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should have any choice in their decision.” (Source: Sunan al-Dārimī, Introduction, Hadith 438)

(c) Ayyūb As-Sakhtiyānī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If you teach someone the Sunnah and he says: ‘Leave the Sunnah, teach me from the Qur’an,’ then know that such a person is misguided.” (Source: Miftāḥ al-Jannah, p. 35)

(d) Imam Ibn Sīrīn (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that he told someone a prophetic hadith. The man responded, “But so-and-so says such-and-such.” Imam Ibn Sīrīn replied, “I’m telling you the saying of the Prophet, and you're quoting me people’s opinions? I will not speak with you again.” (Source: Īqāẓ al-Himmah, p. 123) This behavior of the early scholars shows that blind following (taqlīd) of individuals and personal opinions is not correct.

➌ Imam Mullā ‘Alī Qārī (may Allah have mercy on him), a Hanafi scholar, defines taqlīd (blind following) as: “Accepting someone’s statement without evidence is taqlīd. It is as if the follower has placed a necklace around his neck in submission.” (Source: Sharḥ Qaṣīdat Amālī, p. 34)

➍ The formal practice of taqlīd began in the fourth century Hijri, after the best generations (Khair al-Qurūn). Before this, blind following did not exist. The Companions, their successors, and their students all viewed the Qur’an and Sunnah as the only binding authority. Shah Waliyyullāh (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote: “Know that before the fourth century Hijri, people were not unanimous on blindly following any one specific madhhab.” (Source: Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah, p. 157)

➎ Several statements from the Companions and early scholars reject taqlīd:

(a) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “By the One in whose hand is ‘Umar’s soul! Allah did not take the soul of His Prophet nor severed His revelation until He made the Ummah independent of people’s opinions.” (Source: Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, p. 75)

(b) Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Are you not afraid that Allah might afflict you with punishment or sink you into the earth? You say: ‘The Prophet said this,’ and then ‘So-and-so says that’—placing someone's opinion above the Prophet’s words is inviting the wrath of Allah.” (Source: Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, p. 76)

(c) ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “None of you should imitate anyone in matters of religion. If the person he imitates is a believer, he too will be one. But if that person turns disbeliever, then he will follow him in disbelief.” Indeed, taqlīd in this regard is misguidance. (Īqāẓ al-Himam li Ulī al-Absār)

(d) ‘Abdullah ibn Mu‘tamir said: “There is no difference between a blindly-following person and a beast being led.” (Source: Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, p. 78)

(e) Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Do not follow me blindly, nor Mālik, nor anyone else. Take your rulings from the source they took them from: the Qur’an and Sunnah.” Also, he said: “It is not permissible for anyone to issue a fatwa based on my opinion unless he knows my evidence.” (Source: Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, pp. 88–90)

(f) Imām Mālik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Every person’s opinion can be accepted or rejected—except the Prophet’s (peace be upon him), whose words must always be followed.”

(g) Imām Shāfi‘ī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If you find my opinion in conflict with a hadith of the Prophet, then act upon the hadith and discard my opinion.” Also, he said: “If the hadith is authentic, then that is my madhhab.” (Source: ‘Iqd al-Jīd & Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah, 1/157)

(h) Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “No one has the right to speak when Allah and His Messenger have spoken.” (In other words, personal opinion has no weight when Qur’an and Sunnah are present.)

(i) Imām Ṭaḥāwī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Only the disobedient perform taqlīd (blind following).”

(j) Allāmah Jārullāh Ḥanafī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If misguidance had a mother, it would be taqlīd.” (Source: Ḥaqīqat al-Fiqh, pp. 51, 58)

The statements of the pious predecessors make it clear that the root of misguidance is taqlīd (blind following). May Allah grant us the ability to follow the Sunnah and save us from blind following. Āmīn.