Re: Having a hard time understanding madhabs
So this is something that's been bothering me for a while. I grew up not knowing there were so many different sects. I was taught that anyone I meet in Masjid or else where that states they are a Muslim is just that... A Muslim. I had no idea there were different definitions of what "type" of Muslim they were.
I found out when I was 16 that there are different sects and was only exposed to a couple different sects during my most recent trip to Pakistan a few months ago. Mainly because no one acts what sect anyone belongs to here. Which would explain why it was never discussed, even in Masjid/ Qur'an academy.
So my question, do I absolutely have to identify to a specific sect? Can't I just say I'm Muslim and follow the teachings of the Qur'an & The Prophet (saw)? :S
yes...you have to follow one of the madhabs.....and follow it exclusively.....as per the 'traditionalists' as i would call them....
What you have to do is research enough to be able to make an informed decision ... Find out about what they are teaching and why they are different and what makes them different ... If you feel afterwards that you want to gravitate towards a particular group then Alhumdulillah if you would like to continue not being associated to any particular group ... Then that is a lot harder to do, but also good as you have made an informed decision ... It is harder because you will constantly be agreeing with some people sometimes and disagreeing with another until you find two opinions that both make sense from the Sunnah and then you are forced to decide ... But this can only happen if you know about Islam and the groups enough to make that decision ... If you were unaware of the various schools of fiqh then it suggests the depth of Islam that you have been subjected to ... Following Qur'an and Hadith is simply not there until you know the arguments for and against the decisions of various groups for surety ALL of them take their rulings from the same sources ... But their perceptions govern which way the decisions are made rather than everything being clear cut in Hadith ...
Some people say you have to follow a madhab ... Technically that is not true because in order to be In the fold we look to aqeedah and not fiqh ... But it is ill advised not to follow a madhab since an untrained mind who has not been schooled in the various sciences of Hadith may get caught up in a very dangerous ocean of knowledge and metaphorically drown ... Many people have shunned hadith, and belittled various people who we are supposed to revere because they picked up a Hadith book and read it without preparation and no understanding.
Actually many new sects have formed from this very intent to either unify all groups or to abandon groups ... They become groups of their own ...
Salafis started off being anti-group and have now become a group of people who disagree with groups ...
The Nadwi school is an attempt to unify Hanafis in the subcontinent ... They are now a third group other than Barelwis and Deobandis ...
So you see avoiding group formation is almost impossible ... The moment you decide to take a different path then you have yourself instigated a seed for a new group.
Look at the term Muslim ... For instance ... It means to submit ... So what better Muslim is there than one who follows and submits rather than questions and objects? It is better for us to accept the various groups in whatever good they show and limit identifying problems and issues to ourselves, people of such groups are inclusive and not exclusive ...
