Title: A Ghair Muqallid has asked me a question that you Hanafis say that all the four Imams are haq ,then at the same time you say that the proof of Hanafis is more accurate

Question: A Ghair Muqallid has asked me a question that you Hanafis say that all the four Imams are haq ,then at the same time you say that the proof of Hanafis is more accurate. How are you correct?

Answer ID: 36391Posted on: Sep 1, 2020

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim !

(Fatwa: 198/L=113/TL=1433) There is no contradiction being four Imams right and Hanafi Madhhab more accurate. The detail is that in each matter, a command is fixed by Allah which we are ordered to look for. The imams have tried to find out such commandments with their ijtihad. The ijtihad of a mujtahid that found the truth he shall be regarded mujtahid museeb (who discovered exact truth) and whose ijtihad went wrong he shall be considered mistaken. However, it is only the special grace of Almighty Allah that He grants reward to the mistake of a Mujtahidin as well. We being Hanafi can say that our maslak is more accurate, though we cannot say decisively that only we found the truth in every matter. This is the meaning of the said saying that four Imams are on right path. However, who is on right path and who is on wrong it will be known only in the hereafter; hence if any one does taqleed of any Imam out of the four Imams though the Mujtahid is on wrong side, then also that Mujtahid and his followers shall get reward: وفيها إذا سئلنا عن مذهبنا ومذهب مخالفنا قلنا وجوباً: مذهبنا صوات يحتمل الخطأ ومذهب مخالفنا خطاً يحتمل الصواب (درمختار) وفى الشامى لانك لو قطعت القول لما صح قولنا: إن المجتهد يخطئ و يصيب أى فلا يجزم بأن مذهبنا صواب البتة، ولا بأن مذهب مخالفنا خطأ البتة ، بناء عل المختار من أن حكم الله فى كل مسئلة واحد معين وجب طلبه فمن أصابه فهو المصيب ومن لا فهو المخطئ . ونقل عن الأئمة الأربعة . ثم المختار : أن المخطئ ماجور كما فى التحرير وشرحه (شامي: 1/139)