AHYA Multi-Media - QSEP

“When a person switches from one Madhhab to another Madhhab,
he shall be inflicted with Ta’zeer.” (Durrul Mukhtar) Ta’zeer refers
to punishment meted out by an Islamic court. Such punishment
may either be flogging or imprisonment.” 620
In light of this punishment, differences between the Madhhabs are
a source of hardship and not mercy, as the Deobandis claim based
on the fabricated narration, “The disagreement among my Ummah
is a mercy.’
(5) Comparing the differences of the Madhhabs to the
Differences amongst the Prophets
A Muslim as part of his faith (Eemaan) is supposed to believe in all
the Prophets, whilst only following the Sharee’ah of Prophet
Muhammad . The Deobandis compare this to their present day
concept of Taqleed of the Madhhabs, whereby the follower of one
Madhhab considers all the Madhhab or Sufi Tareeqah to be the
Truth, whilst following strictly his own Madhhab or Tareeqah.
Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi says in his Tafseer of, “And who
believe in which has been sent down to you (O Muhammad )
and that which was sent down before you”, “...from this verse it
will be inferred by Qiyas that one should have faith in all the
Shaikhs, as one would have belief in one’s own Shaikh. However,
the following (Ittiba) is (only) for one’s own Shaikh, and this is
similar to the case of the Messengers (i.e. we believe in all the
Messengers and consider their followers as Ahl al-Kitab, but are to
follow our own Messenger).” 621
The error in this Tafseer (explanation) by Moulana Ashraf Ali is
obvious and apparent. The difference in the Sharee’ahs of the
Prophets is because Allah, the Most Merciful, revealed them in
620 Kitabul-Imaan p.73.
621 Ashraf Ali Thanvi mentions this under the heading, “Masaail as-
Salook” [The Rulings regarding the Path (of Soofism)], the Tafseer of
Soorah al-Baqarah (2), verse 4, p.3, Tafseer Bayaan al-Qur’aan.
221