Sahaba - The Blessed

Islamically accepted) Madhhabs cannot claim that the Muslims of
the other (three) Madhhabs are in the wrong way or that their
ijtihâd, (which makes their Madhhab different from his own,) is a
wrong way. As is seen, every mujtahid has to act upon his own
ijtihâd. The ultimate divine causes and the ulterior benefits
underlying this divine rule are elucidated in a hadîth-i-sherîf,
which reads as follows: “My Ummat’s (Muslims’) reaching
different conclusions in their ijtihâd ensues from Allâhu ta’âlâ’s
extensive compassion,” which points to a vast area of
conveniences that Muslims can utilize without having to overstep
the bounds of Islam. For instance, if a person in the Hanafî
Madhhab has a bleeding that he cannot stop, it will be difficult for
him to renew his ablution, which will be continually broken on
account of the continual bleeding. He can overcome the difficulty
by transferring himself to, or by only imitating, the Shâfi’î
Madhhab, (which is based on the ijtihâd, in this respect, that
bleeding will not break one’s ablution). By the same token, if a
person in the Hanafî Madhhab has his teeth filled or crowned
without any darûrat to do so, his ghusl [1] will not be accepted in his
Madhhab. This person will absolve himself from the state of
canonical uncleanliness (janâbat) by adapting himself, (in matters
pertaining to ghusl, ablution and other acts of worship whose
acceptability is dependent on ghusl and ablution,) to the Shâfi’î
Madhhab, (whose ijtihâd says that washing inside the mouth is not
one of the precepts of ghusl). On the other hand, the difficulties
encountered in the Shâfi’î Madhhab in matters such as nikâh, [2]
talâq, and zakât [3]
are surmounted by adapting yourself to the
Hanafî Madhhab. Likewise, the dilemmas faced in matters
pertaining to water [4]
by people in the Hanafî and Shâfi’î
Madhhabs are resolved by adopting the conveniences offered in
the Mâlikî Madhhab. There are many other examples for the
[1] Please see the fourth chapter of the fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss for
detailed information about ghusl for a better understanding of the
subject and of such terms as darûrat and haraj.
[2] ‘Nikâh’ means a marriage contract performed in a manner prescribed
by Islam. ‘Talâq’ means ‘breaking of marriage’. Please see Endless
Bliss, twelfth chapter of the fifth fascicle.
[3] Two and half percent of one’s property dispensed to poor Muslims.
Please see Endless Bliss, first chapter of the fifth fascicle for details.
[4] Please see Endless Bliss, seventh chapter of the fourth fascicle for
detailed information on water and kinds of water.
– 42 –