In order to find out what it is and how many madhhabs are in Islam, it is necessary to give a clear definition of this term. It is also worth finding out the roots of its occurrence and development paths.
What is this?
The term "madhhab" is translated from Arabic as "direction". Some give this term the meaning of "path". A madhhab in Islam is a specific doctrine founded by a faqih (that is, a legal scholar) who has a degree in ijtihad. Moreover, all such movements are based on the norms of the Koran.
Thus, the madhhab in Islam is a legal school, which is not the work of one founding scholar, since the followers of the imam also contribute to its development, while observing the most important principles and foundations laid down by the teacher.
A bit of history
The founder of the very first teaching is Abu Hanif al-Numan ibn Sabbit al-imam al-azam. It arose in the 8th century, and it is Abu Hanif who is considered the founder of the method of using rational principles of judgment and preference in resolving legal issues. He proved that it is possible to apply the fundamental norms of custom assource of law (Quran and Sunnah).
Varieties of madhhab
Madhab in Islam is an integral and rather important part of Muslim culture. It includes a system of knowledge passed down from teacher to student, from generation to generation.
So, how many madhhabs are there in Islam? There are six in total. However, in our time, only 4 madhhabs in Islam are widely used and used. These include:
- Hanafi;
- Maliki;
- Shafi'i;
- Hanbali.
Another legal school, the Zahirite, has now completely disappeared, and the Jafari school is spread only among the Shiites.
All of them have a common and very important feature - they are based on the Koran, which is revealed through the Sunnah, logic and dogmas. Otherwise, they have significant differences.
Hanafi Madhhab
Currently, on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan, Islam recognizes the Hanafi madhhab as the main one. It is he who is used in religious ceremonies and worship. Despite the fact that officially there are 4 madhhabs in Islam, it is the Hanafi that is recognized as the most suitable for modern conditions. At present, it has not lost its relevance at all and continues to lay the foundation for a tolerant attitude towards other existing religions.
The teaching under consideration is based on sources such as the Koran, Sunnah, qiyas (that is, this is a solution to a legal problem by analogy with what is already written in Revelation),istihan, ijma (or the general opinion of theologians), as well as traditionally held opinions.
One of the methods of making legal decisions in this doctrine is a strict hierarchy of verdicts of the authorities of the school (such as the founder of the school, Abu Hanif). When a question arises, priority is always given to the majority opinion or the most compelling prescription.
The efforts of the students of the founder of the said school of law, Abu Hanifa, led to the fact that the said teaching was able to solve almost all problems of fiqh.
Malikit Madhhab
The creator of this Muslim school is Malik ibn Anas. Naturally, he put the Qur'an as the basis for issuing legal prescriptions. Malik ibn Anas believed that the Sunnah is the deeds and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad and “the deeds of the Medinans.”
The Maliki madhhab states that if a certain problem is not clear in Revelation, the most preferred solution to the problem should be applied, regardless of whether an analogy can be drawn or not.
A distinctive feature of the Maliki legal school is that, in addition to established traditions, methods of judgment are also applied. This teaching was widely spread in the Muslim part of Spain and North Africa.
Shafi'i Madhhab
All four madhhabs in Islam are not just the conclusions of the imam, to which he came in the process of studying the sacred texts, but the interpretation and interpretation of the Koran. In this regard, adhering to a certainteachings, it is not at all necessary to follow the specific conclusions of the imam. Adhering to the madhhab means agreeing with the understanding of the sacred texts in the interpretation given by the imam.
The founder of this legal school is Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i. His methods were based on the explicit and clear meaning of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, with some restrictions on the use of rational methods.
Al-Shafi'i's method was based on the denial of the allegory of the Holy Scriptures. That is, the provisions of Revelation should never have been subjected to allegory, and all other scriptures should have been brought into line with the position of the Koran and the Sunnah.
Currently, the Shafi'i legal school is widespread among Muslims in the Middle East, as well as believers in Southeast Asia.
Hanbali Madhhab
The founder of this legal method is Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who built his teaching on the following sources:
- Quran and Sunnah;
- opinions of the companions (in the presence of any disagreement in opinions, the instructions closest to the norms of the Koran were preferred);
- qiyas, that is, comparing problems with those that have already been solved taking into account the arguments of Revelation;
- ijma – conclusions of several generations of jurists.
This school offers research on all religious legal issues, with no exceptions.
How are madhhabs different?
Mazhabs in Islam have differences, the main of whichis the following: from the moment of its foundation to the present day, the Hanabalite categorically does not recognize the closure of the “gates of ijtihad”. It should be noted that this expression refers to the activities of theologians aimed at studying and solving the problems of the theological complex, as well as the system of principles, methods, arguments used in the process by the theologian himself.
All other legal schools at a certain period of time came to the conclusion that the “gates of ijtihad” must be closed in those issues of fiqh that had previously been studied in detail and analyzed directly by the founders of madhhabs and their followers. At the same time, this rule did not apply to newly emerging issues, and they were subject to mandatory legal assessment.
It should be noted that all of the above teachings were not based and developed in isolation from each other. Rather, in the process of development, these legal schools interacted and complemented each other. The most important confirmation of this fact is that the founders of these teachings at one time were students and followers of each other. In this regard, the main meaning and legal foundations of all schools are almost the same.
Meaning
Madhab in Islam is essential. Thus, a believer who says that he does not follow the norms of any legal school can quickly fall into error and, even worse, mislead other believers. Madh-habs in Islam are the main guidelines, thanks to which the believercan independently determine the level of authenticity of hadiths.
It is they who give the believer the opportunity to decide on their moral convictions and choose the path that is closest and, in the subjective opinion of the believer, the right one.
What you need to know about madhhabs
Having de alt with what madhhabs are in Islam, it is worth paying attention to the fact that all of them, without exception, are not religious movements, but "styles" of everyday life. The believer is guided by them in modern life. It is impossible to call, for example, the Sunni madhhabs of Islam true or false. In any of the teachings, each believer will be able to find both positive and negative points for himself.
They have no fundamental differences from each other. Their significance lies in the fact that they are a certain guideline in the life of Muslims, which can be guided in making decisions in situations not covered by the norms of Holy Scripture.
However, if a person does not adhere to the foundations of any legal school, this does not mean that he does not have faith, and certainly this circumstance cannot be characterized as a “sin”.
Madhab is not a norm that must be observed, but what a believer is guided by when making decisions in everyday life, what helps him make the right decision in a particular life situation.
Thus, in the Muslim religion, there are many beliefs that are not questioned and notneed interpretation. Such dogmas include belief in the existence of Allah, belief in the prophets, Hajj and others.
For other issues where certain disagreements arise, there are so-called legal schools based on wisdom, experience, understanding and respect for the opinions of others.
Orthodox teachings do not dictate the rules of life for believers, but only help to make the right decisions in difficult situations and difficult life issues.
