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Can one reject Imam al-Nawawi’s positions?    

Answered as per Shafi'i Fiqh by Qibla.com

Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed

Can a student of knowledge who has a firm grasp of the knowledge of Shafi`i fiqh go against the view of Imam Nawawi and other Imams? When is he allowed to do so?

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

If the questioner means that one not follow the position of Imam al-Nawawi, but follow the position of another scholar of our school or other schools, then this is permissible, with the condition that he be careful to take into account the considerations of that [scholar] school in the particular issue that he is following, so that he does not fall into prohibited talfiq (invalid mixing of legal positions).

However, if he means that one not follow the saying of Imam al-Nawawi and give a fatwa that is different, such that he is giving fatwas in the Shafi`i school, then this is not permissible. This is because of what our later imams have decided; that whatever Imam al-Nawawi redacts in the school of our imam, Imam al-Shafi`i, may Allah be well pleased with him and have mercy on him, is the position depended on for fatwas, unless the late scholars unanimously concur that he fell into forgetfulness or error, as they defined.

Ibn Hajar said, “And why so? It is permissible for a mufti to guide a questioner to a strong position, other than the position of Imam al-Nawawi, if it is easier for him, and that he tell him that it is not the relied-upon position in the school, but is permissible to act upon it because of its strength. This is permissible whether he guides him to it for a need or not, as I clarified in the previous answer.

And Allah alone gives success.

Amjad Rasheed.

السؤال: هل يجوز لطالب العِلم المُلِم في المذهب الشافعي أن لا يأخذَ بقول الإمام النووي وغيره من العلماء ؟ وفي أيِّ الأحوال يجوزُ ذلك ؟

الجواب : إذا كان مقصودُ السائل بترك الأخذ بقول النووي هو تقليدُ غيره من علماء مذهبنا أو غيرهم فهذا جائزٌ بشرط مراعاة معتبرات ذلك المذهب في المسألة التي يأخذ بها لئلا يقع في التلفيق الممنوع .
أما إن كان مرادُه ترك قول النووي والفتوى بغيره على اعتبار أنه يفتي بمذهب الشافعية فهذا غير جائز ؛ لأن الذي استقرَّ عليه عملُ أئمتنا المتأخرين أن ما يحررُه الإمام النووي في مذهب إمامنا الشافعي رضي الله عنه ورحمه هو المعوَّل عليه في الفتوى ، إلا إن أجمع المتأخرون على أنه وقع في سهو أو غلط كما قالوه ، قال ابن حجر : وأَنَّى به . نعم يجوز للمفتي أن يرشدَ السائل إلى قول قوي غير قول النووي إن كان أسهلَ عليه ، ويبين له أنه غير المعتمد في المذهب لكن يجوز العمل به لقوته ، وسواء وقع هذا الإرشاد لحاجة أو لغير حاجة كما بينته في جواب سابق .

This answer was indexed from Qibla.com, which used to have a repository of Islamic Q&A answered by various scholars. The website is no longer in existence. It has now been transformed into a learning portal with paid Islamic course offering under the brand of Kiflayn.

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