Q. Is Taqleed necessary? Some people argue that the Math-habs did not exist in the time of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.
A. Taqleed of only one of the four math-habs (Hanafi, Shaafi, Maaliki or Hambali) in all its rulings is necessary. Common-sense is sufficient to convince a person that Taqleed is Waajib. The era of Ijtihaad has ended long ago. We do not possess the ability to deduce Masaail directly from the Qur’aan and Hadeeth nor do we even have the knowledge for such a dangerous act.
If everyone has to resort to the Qur’aan and Hadeeth for Masaail, and everyone has to pretend to be a Mujtahid, then there wont be a need for people to refer to Ulama at all. There won’t be a need for people to refer to Ulama because stupid people will be pretending to be Mujtahids whereas almost all of them don’t even know simple Istinjaa Masaail. Majority of the ignoramuses who disapprove Taqleed do not even know one Usool (principle) of Ifta, but they act too big for their boots by elevating themselves higher than even the Mujtahideen by flaunting stupidity and ignorance and believing it to be ‘ijtihaad’! By abandoning Taqleed, we won’t have then only four Math-habs, but a thousand Math-habs as everyone will be giving his ‘opinion’ on issues in which he is totally unqualified.
Furthermore, since the Salafi morons do not make Taqleed, they should ONLY AND ONLY quote Qur’aan and Hadeeth. And they should not quote from Saheeh Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, etc. because Bukhari, Muslim, etc. did not exist in the time of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. Almost everyone whom the stupid Salafis quote, did not exist in the time of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam. They frown on those who follow the four great Imaams of Fiqh who were all part of the Salafus Saaliheen (pious predecessors), yet like dogs holding on to a bone, they cling to Ibn Taimiyyah who appeared six centuries after Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.
Nevertheless, Taqleed was practised even by the Sahaabah Radhiyallahu Anhum. And Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam explicitly commanded the Sahaabah to follow Hadhrat Abu Bakr Radhiyallahu Anhu and Hazrat Umar Radhiyallahu Anhu after his demise. If Taqleed is Bid’ah as stupidly and baselessly claimed by the stupid Ghair-Muqallideen, then it would mean that the entire Ummat was in error for thirteen centuries whereas Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam clearly stated that his Ummat will never unite on error. The Fuqaha have enacted Ijmaa’ on the necessity of following one of the four Math-habs.
Just like how the Sahaabah did not speak about Imaam Bukhari, etc. they did not speak about the Hanafi Math-hab for example. However, all four Math-habs did exist during the era of Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam just like how the Ahaadeeth existed during that era even though the Ahaadeeth and Fiqhi Masaail were not yet codified in book form during the era on Nabi Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam.
When even great Ulama and great Muhadditheen, Fuqaha and even Mujtahideen adopted Taqleed and followed one of the four Math-habs, then we do not see the need to pay any attention to the ramblings of the Salafi morons and the guthaa (rubbish) disgorged by the anti-Taqleed ignoramuses.