It is unanimously agreed all 4 Imams are correct, if an individual decides to follow Imam Abu Hanifa in one ruling and Imam Malik in another what is the issue if all 4 Imams are correct? Yes, you may be following desires but all 4 Imams verdicts are accepted as correct. Surely the most important thing is to follow Quran/Hadith and following all 4 Imams as opposed to 1 Imam is surely a greater resource of knowledge. The Arab world it seems follow all 4 Imams, where as in the Indian Sub Continent we tend to advise only follow 1 Imam. 2) I had a dream whereby I saw a man walking on a tightrope from one end to another. I was with people on the ground and we were informed this man is none other than our beloved Prophet (SAWS), I did not see a face, however I noticed a beard. Please can you explain this dream? 3) If I make dua after every salah (after sunnah) is this bidah?, although i dont class the dua as compulsory after salah. Please can you clarify the status of making loud dua and silent dua after salah. 4) When should I recite Subanallah x33, Alhamdulillah x33 & Allahu Akbar x34? after the fard? or after complete prayer? 5) Praying behind Imam, should I start salam after he has given both salams or after he has given first salam? Wa’Salaam
1. Each Imaam has based his Madhab on certain principles and on the basis of these principles were the rulings issued. By picking and choosing from these rulings, one would inevitably end up contradicting himself in the principles. An example to illustrate it to you in our daily lives would be, American pronounce the last letter of the alphabet as ‘zee’, while the British pronounce it as ‘Zead’. This is a principle and pronounciation of words is based on this principle, this zebra is pronounced ‘Zeebra’ by Americans and Zebra by the British. If a person pronounced the letter as Zead but Zebra as Zeebra, it would be pointed out to him that what you are doing is unacceptable. Similar is the case with regard to picking and choosing between Madhabs. Secondly, while all the Imaam are right, if you pick rulings, your desires will lead you astray by causing you to pick those rulings that suit your whims and fancies and no sooner does a person do that, than he goes astray.
2.
3. Making du’aa after every Salaat without thinking it to be necessary is permissible. Loud du’aa is permissible, however, sile du’aa is preferred. If loud du’aa is taken by the people to be necessary, then it should be left out to rectify this wrong belief.
4. After the Sunnah and Nafl Salaats.
5. After he has started his first salaam, you should start yours.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai