Ahle hadeeth movement What and Why?

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Taqleed-i-Shakhsi

The term Taqleed (اَلتَّقْلِيْدُ) owes its origin to Qaladah (القَلاَدَةُ) . The meaning of that is ‘necktie’. The dictionary meaning of Taqleed is, tying a rope to the neck. The terminological meaning is قُبُوْلُ قَوْلِ  الْغَيْرِ مِنْ غَيْرِ دَلِيْلٍ ‘To accept the decision of anyone without document in the matter of Shari‘ah’. On the other hand, the dictionary meaning of Ittiba‘ (اَلْإِتِّبَاعُ) is ‘to follow the foot prints’. The terminological meaning is قُُبُوْلُ قَوْلِ الْغَيْرِ مَعَ دَلِيْلٍ ‘To accept the decision of anyone with document in the matter of Shari‘ah’. Taqleed is the following of Rai and Itteba‘ is the following of document. This is to mention that to accept any verdict of an Alim (scholar) based on authenticdocuments is not a Taqleed, but it is Itteba‘. Similarly, when any authentic document will be available against the opinion of an Alim, then to follow the document against that personal opinion is called Itteba‘. There was no trace of Taqleed in the days of honoured Sahabis and Tabe‘iis. But to follow their opinions, based on documents are misrepresented by some as Taqleed. Whereas the basic difference between Ahle hadeeth movement and other Islamic movements is Taqleed-i-Shakhsi i.e. blind worshipping of a person.

The Taqleed in vogue came into existence after the 2nd century hijra. Thereafter in the 4th century hijra, different Taqleedi Mazhabs, in the name of different Imams were introduced. Shah Waliullah Dehlavi (1114-1176 A.H./1703-1762 A.D.) says: إِعْلَمْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ كَانُوْا قَبْلَ الْمِائَةِ الرَّابِعَةِ غَيْرَ مُجْمَعِيْنَ عَلَى التَّقْلِيْدِ الْخَالِصِ لِمَذْهَبٍ وَّاحِدٍ بِعَيْنِهِ ، ‘You know that the Muslims before the 4th century hijra, were  not gathered on Taqleed exclusively of any Mazhab of a particular scholar’... Whenever faced any problem, they would have to take solution from any Alim and in doing so it would have not been verified ones own Mazhab.[1]

To describe the condition in the last part of the 3rd century hijra, Hafez Shamsuddeen Zahabi (673-748 A.H.) says, ‘At this time so many leading Ulama of Ahlur Rai (Hanafi) and Mutazila, Shi‘ah and the scholars of Kalam (logician) who were regarded as the pillars, were present, who used to lead their lives on logical arguments and keep away the way of Salaf-i-Saleheen, who would strongly hold the Hadeeth of the Prophet (sm). At this stage Taqleed among the Faqeehs took its birth and deterioration of Ijtihad began.[2]

Imam Ghazzali (450-505 A.H.) says, after the end of Khulafa-i-Rashedeen, the Islamic Khilafat went under the control of such people who were totally inexperienced in the laws of Shari‘ah. As a result they became dependant on the Faqeehs for all matters and they were being called into different posts of the Government office. So, people began to learn Ilm then as a means to attain honour and power. Some of the Muslim scholars began to write books on Kalam (logic). Many subtle arguments were initiated there. At this time the rulers became interested in holding debates for establishing superiority of each other of Hanafee and Shafe‘ii. As a result, the scholars joined in the competition for and against to prove the greatness of controversial matters of those two Mazhabs and made much debates and wrote so many books and booklets. In this way, they consider it a basic object to find out the microscopic significance of their respective Mazhab. This is still in existence. We do not know what is there in our fate in future (Abridged).[3]  

Thereafter Shah Waliullah Dehlavi says, ‘(Oh reader) at the present time you would find Muslims of almost all areas of the world that they follow the school of thought of a particular Mujtahid scholar of the past. They think that, if they diverge the scholar even from a single matter (Mas’ala), it is likely that they may be ousted from the Muslim millat. It seems that the scholar is as if a Prophet, who has been sent to him (كَأَنَّهُ نَبِىٌّ بُعِثَ إِلَيْهِ) and to follow him has been made compulsory for him. Nevertheless, the Muslims before the 4th century hijra, had never been the followers of a particular Mazhab.[4]

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