What we have to realise is that Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) did not just do things in one way otherwise there would only be one madhab which follows one way which Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) did everything, but Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) did things in different ways and that is why the imaams differed in fiqhi rulings.
The statement you keep making that "This opinion is more valid than that opinion" is very flawed because each imaam has their own proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah for which Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) did certain things. Samway he did not just pray in one way but in slightly different ways hence way there is a slight difference in the postures of the different imaams. There is no such thing is there being ONE opinion on every fiqhi ruling which is valid and the others are incorrect. Madhabs are a blessing for mankind for they provide us with the correct fiqhi rulings from the Qur'an and Sunnah in different angles.
The work of madhabs did not stop after the imaams died but have continued to develop ever since, since they are dynamic and will be valid until the end of time. Each of the imaams who were of superior knowledge were entitled to their opinions each based on the Qur'an and Sunnah. Each scholar of today will also differ on what they believe to be the most correct opinion because they will only follow the ruling they are inclined towards according to their understanding of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. So none of us can say which ruling is more correct or valid than another because they imaams did not just dream up those rulings for they were the words and actions of Rasulallah (Sallallahu Alaihi wasallam) and came from their understanding of the Qur'an and Sunnah which have been accepted for 1400 years by the greatest scholars so who are you or me to say which opinion is correct or incorrect?
To say that "blind following" is wrong is another erroneous statement for whether you like it or not you also blindly follow the scholars simply because you do not have sufficient knowledge to be able to interpret rulings for yourself from the Qur'an and Sunnah and you will never be able to establish by proofs which opinion is "more valid or correct" simply because there is no such thing because all of the fiqhi opinions of the imaams are valid and different scholars are inclined towards accepting conflicting rulings according to their own understanding of Qur'an and hadith.
You will also follow those scholars that you are inclined towards who you believe to have a correct understanding of the Qur'an and Sunnah but you will not be able to differentiate using knowledge but only emotion simply because you are not at a level of understanding where you can do so.
If i gave you the opinion of two great scholars and both opinions are proven by the Qur'an and Sunnah then which opinion will you follow? You can say whichever one is closest to the sunnah but both are proven by the sunnah. So making such statements is simply parroting what others have said on this matter without knowing for yourself what is the correct understanding of madhabs and why as lay people we should follow one in order to avoid following our desires.
If you were faced with a question on a fiqhi matter then how will you find the answer? Obviously by reading scholarly fatwas of those scholars you personally follow or trust. Isnt that blind following? Why disregard other scholars and only follow certain scholars? Sameway we as lay people follow one madhab because we do not have sufficient understanding of Qur'an and Sunnah to be able to differentiate between different rulings and matters pertaining to fiqh. We follow the madhab we are inclined towards just as the scholars we follow also follow the madhab and rulings they are inclined towards. There is no such thing as one opinion more correct or valid than the other for that will depend upon which sholars you follow. All scholarly opinions are valid and we as lay people will not be accountable for following scholars we trust and are inclined towards.
And Allah knows best in all matters
The 2 comments that you suggested I made were erroneous are not. Because I said I want to follow the madhab of the Prophet (saw) and his companions. There is nothing wrong with that? We all do. And secondly I said blind following is wrong, in the sense that when you find sufficient proof that goes against something then you must go with that proof. I totally understand what you saying though about the blind following issue, and it is very well said I must say, and I agree fully. But I will repeat to emphasize, by blind following I mean when your imaam makes a mistake and the truth is presented to you, you MUST go with the truth. And what you simply wrote in that long essay there is very very erroneous if I understood correctly. But before I have a go at you I am going to ask you a question, Are you implying these Imaams do not make mistakes? Are they not human?
Akhi whether you were offended by the holes I presented in the madhabs or not, whether I was right about them being wrong or not. Whether the opinions I pointed out were wrong or not. The point I was simply trying to portray is that EVERYONE makes mistakes, no one is perfect exept The Prophet Mohammad (saw). You saying their opinions are valid because they thought it was valid doesn't make it so. Sure without a shadow of a doubt they wouldn''t have given a fatwa on something if they didn't think it was right now would they?? In their opinion they are right, but it doesn't mean that single thing they say is right and set in stone. Thats all I am saying. What if you are a hanafi, and you find a "possible mistake" (I won't give an example now, I might get shot down again, lol) then are you saying that you are not allowed to take a hanbali opinion on something? I agree the Prophet Mohammad (saw) did certain things differently, thats why there are certain minor differences, but some differences are like total 180 degrees differences, like the total oposite opinions. So you cannot say He (saw) did both, so he (saw) must have done one. And tbh akhi I have explained this in my first or second post on how and why the differences occurred, and how the imaams themselves changed their opinions (imaam shaafi) and how the very best students of imaam abu hanifah changed their prayer style after they moved to a different country. I am not going to repeat myself (even though I kind of did there, please be kind enough to read what I have already said).
And I do not blind follow a scholar to an extreme extent where whatever he says I believe it is set in 10000000% stone, and it cannot change. To combat this I follow and learn and read books of many many credible scholars. But like I said I do not blindly follow one or a group... For example one of the most credible muhadith of recent times Sheikh Al Albani, I respect his opinions and is one of the ones I can truly trust. But there are some fatwa or opinions that I do not agree with because I have found or learnt of a better and stronger proof for the contrary. E.g. He said that if alcohol is in a drink such as coke, and that the alcohol amount is very very minute so much so that if it was drank on a larger scale and you do not get drunk of it then that is permissable and not haram. I do not agree with this even though my sheikh said so. He also emphasized the fact that we MUST call ourselves salafi (to differentiate from deviancy because everyone calls themselves ahlul sunnah even the hardcore sufis), but again I do not agree with this even though my sheikh said so. He also said that you move your finger while sitting in prayer, and even though his point is valid (saheeh proof) I go with the opinion that you keep the finger up but do not move it (saheeh hadith in Muslim).
I am a humble student of knowledge so you can ignore me as much as you want but heres something I found online:
"The Sayings of the Four Imams on Taqlid
Abu Haneefah (rahimahullaah)
The first of them is Abu Haneefah Nu'maan ibn Thaabit, whose companions have narrated from him various sayings and diverse warnings, all of them leading to one thing: the obligation to accept the Hadeeth, and to give up following the opinions of the imaams which contradict it:
1. "When a hadeeth is found to be saheeh, then that is my madhhab."[20]
2. "It is not permitted[21] for anyone to accept our views if they do not know from where we got them."[22]
Another narration adds, "... for we are mortals: we say one thing one day, and take it back the next day."
In another narration, "Woe to you, O Ya'qub[25]! Do not write down everything you hear from me, for it happens that I hold one opinion today and reject it tomorrow, or hold one opinion tomorrow and reject it the day after tomorrow."[26]
3. "When I say something contradicting the Book of Allaah the Exalted or what is narrated from the Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), then ignore my saying."[27]
Maalik ibn Anas (rahimahullaah)
As for Imaam Maalik ibn Anas, he said:
1. "Truly I am only a mortal: I make mistakes (sometimes) and I am correct (sometimes). Therefore, look into my opinions: all that agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, accept it; and all that does not agree with the Book and the Sunnah, ignore it."[28]
2. "Everyone after the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) will have his sayings accepted and rejected - not so the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)."[29]
3. Ibn Wahb said: "I heard Maalik being asked about cleaning between the toes during ablution. He said, `The people do not have to do that.' I did not approach him until the crowd had lessened, when I said to him, `We know of a sunnah about that.' He said, `What is that ?' I said, `Laith ibn Sa'd, Ibn Lahee'ah and `Amr ibn al-Haarith narrated to us from Yazeed ibn `Amr al-Ma'aafiri from Abu `Abdur-Rahman al-Hubuli from Mustawrid ibn Shaddaad al-Qurashi who said, `I saw the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) rubbing between his toes with his little finger.' He said, `This hadeeth is sound; I had not heard of it at all until now.' Afterwards, I heard him being asked about the same thing, on which he ordered cleaning between the toes."[30]
Shaafi'i (rahimahullaah)
As for Imaam Shaafi'i, the quotations from him are most numerous and beautiful[31], and his followers were the best in sticking to them:
1. "The sunnahs of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) reach, as well as escape from, every one of us. So whenever I voice my opinion, or formulate a principle, where something contrary to my view exists on the authority of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), then the correct view is what the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) has said, and it is my view."[32]
2. "The Muslims are unanimously agreed that if a sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) is made clear to someone, it is not permitted[33] for him to leave it for the saying of anyone else."[34]
3. "If you find in my writings something different to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), then speak on the basis of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), and leave what I have said."
In one narration: "... then follow it (the Sunnah), and do not look sideways at anyone else's saying."[35]
4. "When a hadeeth is found to be saheeh, then that is my madhhab."[36]
5. "You[37] are more knowledgeable about Hadeeth than I, so when a hadeeth is saheeh, inform me of it, whether it is from Kufah, Basrah or Syria, so that I may take the view of the hadeeth, as long as it is saheeh."[38]
6. "In every issue where the people of narration find a report from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) to be saheeh which is contrary to what I have said, then I take my saying back, whether during my life or after my death."[39]
7. "If you see me saying something, and contrary to it is authentically-reported from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), then know that my intelligence has departed."[40]
8. "For everything I say, if there is something authentic from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) contrary to my saying, then the hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) comes first, so do not follow my opinion."[41]
9. "Every statement on the authority of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) is also my view, even if you do not hear it from me."[42]
Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah)
Imaam Ahmad was the foremost among the Imaams in collecting the Sunnah and sticking to it, so much so that he even "disliked that a book consisting of deductions and opinions be written."[43] Because of this he said:
1. "Do not follow my opinion; neither follow the opinion of Maalik, nor Shaafi'i, nor Awzaa'i, nor Thawri, but take from where they took."[44]
In one narration: "Do not copy your Deen from anyone of these, but whatever comes from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and his Companions, take it; next are their Successors, where a man has a choice."
Once he said: "Following[45] means that a man follows what comes from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and his Companions; after the Successors, he has a choice."[46]
2. "The opinion of Awzaa'i, the opinion of Maalik, the opinion of Abu Haneefah: all of it is opinion, and it is all equal in my eyes. However, the proof is in the narrations (from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and his Companions)."[47]
3. "Whoever rejects a statement of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) is on the brink of destruction."[48]
FOOT NOTES
20 Ibn `Aabideen in al-Haashiyah (1/63), and in his essay Rasm al-Mufti (1/4 from the Compilation of the Essays of Ibn `Aabideen), Shaikh Saalih al-Fulaani in Eeqaaz al-Himam (p. 62) & others. Ibn `Aabideen quoted from Sharh al-Hidaayah by Ibn al-Shahnah al-Kabeer, the teacher of Ibn al-Humaam, as follows:
"When a hadeeth contrary to the Madhhab is found to be saheeh, one should act on the hadeeth, and make that his madhhab. Acting on the hadeeth will not invalidate the follower's being a Hanafi, for it is authentically reported that Abu Haneefah said, `When a hadeeth is found to be saheeh, then that is my madhhab', and this has been related by Imaam Ibn `Abdul Barr from Abu Haneefah and from other imaams."
This is part of the completeness of the knowledge and piety of the Imaams, for they indicated by saying this that they were not versed in the whole of the Sunnah, and Imaam Shaafi'i has elucidated this thoroughly (see later). It would happen that they would contradict a sunnah because they were unaware of it, so they commanded us to stick to the Sunnah and regard it as part of their Madhhab. May Allaah shower His mercy on them all.
21Ar.: halaal
22 Ibn `Abdul Barr in Al-Intiqaa' fi Fadaa'il ath-Thalaathah al- A'immah al-Fuqahaa' (p. 145), Ibn al-Qayyim in I'laam al- Mooqi'een (2/309), Ibn `Aabideen in his Footnotes on Al-Bahr ar-Raa'iq (6/293) and in Rasm al-Mufti (pp. 29,32) & Sha'raani in Al-Meezaan (1/55) with the second narration. The last narration was collected by `Abbaas ad-Dawri in At- Taareekh by Ibn Ma'een (6/77/1) with a saheeh sanad on the authority of Zafar, the student of Imaam Abu Haneefah. Similar narrations exist on the authority of Abu Haneefah's companions Zafar, Abu Yoosuf and `Aafiyah ibn Yazeed; cf. Eeqaaz (p. 52). Ibn al-Qayyim firmly certified its authenticity on the authority of Abu Yoosuf in I'laam al-Mooqi'een (2/344). The addition to the second narration is referenced by the editor of Eeqaaz (p. 65) to Ibn `Abdul Barr, Ibn al-Qayyim and others.
If this is what they say of someone who does not know their evidence, what would be their response to one who knows that the evidence contradicts their saying, but still gives verdicts opposed to the evidence?! Therefore, reflect on this saying, for it alone is enough to smash blind following of opinion; that is why one of the muqallid shaikhs, when I criticised his giving a verdict using Abu Haneefah's words without knowing the evidence, refused to believe that it was a saying of Abu Haneefah!
23 Ar.:haraam
24 Ar.: fatwaa
25 i.e. Imaam Abu Haneefah's illustrious student, Abu Yoosuf (rahimahullaah). 26 This was because the Imaam would often base his view on Qiyaas (Analogy), after which a more potent analogy would occur to him, or a hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) would reach him, so he would accept that and ignore his previous view. Sha'raani's words in Al-Meezaan (1/62) are summarised as:
"Our belief, as well as that of every researcher into Imaam Abu Haneefah (radi Allaahu `anhu), is that, had he lived until the recording of the Sharee'ah, and the journeys of the Preservers of Hadeeth to the various cities and frontiers in order to collect and acquire it, he would have accepted it and ignored all the analogies he had employed. The amount of qiyaas in his Madhhab would have been just as little as that in other Madhhabs, but since the evidences of the Sharee'ah had been scattered with the Successors and their successors, and had not been collected in his lifetime, it was necessary that there be a lot of qiyaas in his Madhhab compared to that of other imaams. The later scholars then made their journeys to find and collect ahaadeeth from the various cities and towns and wrote them down; hence, some ahaadeeth of the Sharee'ah explained others. This is the reason behind the large amount of qiyaas in his Madhhab, whereas there was little of it in other Madhhabs."
Abul-Hasanaat Al-Lucknowi quoted his words in full in An- Naafi' al-Kabeer (p. 135), endorsing and expanding on it in his footnotes, so whoever wishes to consult it should do so there.
Since this is the justification for why Abu Haneefah has sometimes unintentionally contradicted the authentic ahaadeeth - and it is a perfectly acceptable reason, for Allaah does not burden a soul with more than it can bear - it is not permissible to insult him for it, as some ignorant people have done. In fact, it is obligatory to respect him, for he is one of the imaams of the Muslims through whom this Deen has been preserved and handed down to us, in all its branches; also, for he is rewarded under any circumstance: whether he is correct or wrong. Nor is it permissible for his devotees to continue sticking to those of his statements which contradict the authentic ahaadeeth, for those statements are effectively not part of his Madhhab, as the above sayings show. Hence, these are two extremes, and the truth lies in between. "Our Lord! Forgive us, and our brethren who came before us into the Faith; and leave not, in our hearts, any rancour against those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful." (Al-Hashr 59:10)
27 Al-Fulaani in Eeqaaz al-Himam (p. 50), tracing it to Imaam Muhammad and then saying, "This does not apply to the mujtahid, for he is not bound to their views anyway, but it applies to the muqallid."
Sha'raani expanded on that in Al-Meezaan (1/26):
"If it is said: `What should I do with the ahaadeeth which my Imaam did not use, and which were found to be authentic after his death?' The answer which is fitting for you is: `That you act on them, for had your Imaam come across them and found them to be authentic, he would have instructed you to act on them, because all the Imaams were captives in the hand of the Sharee'ah.' He who does so will have gathered all the good with both his hands, but he who says, `I will not act according to a hadeeth unless my Imaam did so', he will miss a great amount of benefit, as is the case with many followers of the Imaams of the Madhhabs. It would be better for them to act on every hadeeth found to be authentic after the Imaam's time, hence implementing the will of the Imaams; for it is our firm belief about the Imaams that had they lived longer and come to know of those ahaadeeth which were found authentic after their time, they would have definitely accepted and acted according to them, ignoring any analogies they may have previously made, and any views they may have previously held."
28 Ibn `Abdul Barr in Jaami' Bayaan al-'Ilm (2/32), Ibn Hazm, quoting from the former in Usool al-Ahkaam (6/149), & similarly Al-Fulaani (p. 72)
29 This iswell known among the later scholars to be a saying of Maalik. Ibn `Abdul Haadi declared it saheeh in Irshaad as- Saalik (227/1); Ibn `Abdul Barr in Jaami' Bayaan al-'Ilm (2/91) & Ibn Hazm in Usool al-Ahkaam (6/145, 179) had narrated it as a saying of Al-Hakam ibn `Utaibah and Mujaahid; Taqi ad- Deen as-Subki gave it, delighted with its beauty, in al- Fataawaa (1/148) as a saying of Ibn `Abbaas, and then said: "These words were originally those of Ibn `Abbaas and Mujaahid, from whom Maalik (radi Allaahu `anhu) took them, and he became famous for them." It seems that Imaam Ahmad then took this saying from them, as Abu Daawood has said in Masaa'il of Imaam Ahmad (p. 276): "I heard Ahmad say, `Everyone is accepted and rejected in his opinions, with the exception of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam)'."
30 From the Introduction to Al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel of Ibn Abi Haatim, pp. 31-2.
31 Ibn Hazm says in Usool al-Ahkaam (6/118):
"Indeed, all the fuqahaa' whose opinions are followed were opposed to taqleed, and they forbade their companions from following their opinion blindly. The sternest among them in this regard was Shaafi'i (rahimahullaah), for he repeatedly emphasised, more than anyone else, following the authentic narrations and accepting whatever the proof dictated; he also made himself innocent of being followed totally, and announced this to those around him. May this benefit him in front of Allaah, and may his reward be of the highest, for he was the cause of great good."
32 Related by Haakim with a continuous sanad up to Shaafi'i, as in Taareekh Dimashq of Ibn `Asaakir (15/1/3), I'laam al- Mooqi'een (2/363, 364) & Eeqaaz (p. 100).
33 Ar.: halaal
34 Ibn al-Qayyim (2/361) & Fulaani (p. 68) 35 Harawi in Dhamm al-Kalaam (3/47/1), Khateeb in Al-Ihtijaaj bi ash-Shaafi'i (8/2), Ibn `Asaakir (15/9/10), Nawawi in Al- Majmoo' (1/63), Ibn al-Qayyim (2/361) & Fulaani (p. 100); the second narration is from Hilyah al-Awliyaa' of Abu Nu'aim. 36 Nawawi in Al-Majmoo' (1/63), Sha'raani (1/57), giving its sources as Haakim and Baihaqi, & Fulaani (p. 107). Sha'raani said, "Ibn Hazm said, `That is, ... found to be saheeh by him or by any other Imaam'." His saying given next confirms this understanding.
Nawawi says: "Our companions acted according to this in the matter of tathweeb (calling to prayer in addition to the adhaan), the conditions on coming out of ihraam due to illness, and other issues well-known in the books of the Madhhab. Among those of our companions who are reported to have passed judgment on the basis of the hadeeth (i.e. rather than the saying of Shaafi'i) are Abu Ya'qoob al-Buweeti and Abu l-Qaasim ad-Daariki. Of our companions from the muhadditheen, Imaam Abu Bakr Al-Baihaqi and others employed this approach. Many of our earliest companions, if they faced an issue for which there was a hadeeth, and the madhhab of Shaafi'i was contrary to it, would act according to the hadeeth and give verdicts based on it, saying, `The madhhab of Shaafi'i is whatever agrees with the hadeeth.' Shaikh Abu `Amr (Ibn as-Salaah) says, `Whoever among the Shaafi'is found a hadeeth contradicting his Madhhab, he would consider whether he fulfilled the conditions of ijtihaad generally, or in that particular topic or issue, in which case he would be free to act on the hadeeth; if not, but nevertheless he found it hard to contradict the hadeeth after further analysis, he would not be able to find a convincing justification for opposing the hadeeth. Hence, it would be left for him to act according to the hadeeth if an independent imaam other than Shaafi'i had acted on it, and this would be justification for his leaving the Madhhab of his Imaam in that issue.' What he (Abu `Amr) has said is correct and established. Allaah knows best."
There is another possibility which Ibn as-Salaah forgot to mention: what would one do if he did not find anyone else who acted according to the hadeeth? This has been answered by Taqi ad-Deen as-Subki in his article, The Meaning of Shaafi'i's saying, "When a hadeeth is found to be saheeh, then that is my madhhab" (p. 102, vol. 3): "For me, the best thing is to follow the hadeeth. A person should imagine himself in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam), just having heard it from him: would there be leeway for him to delay acting on it? No, by Allaah ... and everyone bears a responsibility according to his understanding."
The rest of this discussion is given and analysed in I'laam al- Muwaqqi'een (2/302, 370) and in the book of al-Fulaane, (full title Eeqaaz Himam ulu l-Absaar, lil-Iqtidaa' bi Sayyid al- Muhaajireen wal-Ansaar, wa Tahdheeruhum `an al-Ibtidaa' ash- Shaa'i' fi l-Quraa wal-Amsaar, min Taqleed al-Madhaahib ma'a l- Hamiyyah wal-'Asabiyyah bain al-Fuqahaa' al-A'saar (Awakening the Minds of those who have Perception, towards following the Leader of the Emigrants and Helpers, and Warning them against the Innovation Widespread among Contemporary Jurists in the Towns and Cities, of following Madhhabs with Zeal and Party- Spirit). The latter is a unique book in its field, which every desirer of truth should study with understanding and reflection. 37 addressing Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullaah).
38 Related by Ibn Abi Haatim in Aadaab ash-Shaafi'i (pp. 94-5), Abu Nu'aim in Hulyah al-Awliyaa' (9/106), al-Khateeb in Al- Ihtijaaj bish-Shaafi'i (8/1), and from him Ibn `Asaakir (15/9/1), Ibn `Abdul Barr in al-Intiqaa' (p. 75), Ibn al-Jawzi in Manaaqib al-Imaam Ahmad (p. 499) & Harawi (2/47/2) with three routes from `Abdullaah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal from his father that Shaafi'i said to him: ...etc; thus, it is authentic on the authority of Shaafi'i. This is why Ibn al- Qayyim attributed it definitely to him in I'laam (2/325), as did Fulaani in Eeqaaz (p. 152) and then said: "Baihaqi said, `This is why he - i.e. Shaafi'i - used hadeeth so much, because he gathered knowledge from the people of Hijaaz, Syria, Yemen and `Iraq, and so accepted all that he found to be authentic, without leaning towards or looking at what he had considered out of the Madhhab of the people of his land when the truth was clear to him elsewhere. Some of those before him would limit themselves to what they found in the Madhhab of the people of their land, without attempting to ascertain the authenticity of what opposed it. May Allaah forgive all of us'."
39 Abu Nu'aim (9/107), Harawi (47/1), Ibn al-Qayyim in I'laam al-Muwaqqi'een (2/363) & Fulaani (p. 104).
40 Ibn Abi Haatim in al-Aadaab (p. 93), Abul Qaasim Samarqandi in al-Amaali, as in the selection from it by Abu Hafs al- Mu'addab (234/1), Abu Nu'aim (9/106) & Ibn `Asaakir (15/10/1) with a saheeh sanad.
41 Ibn Abi Haatim, Abu Nu'aim & Ibn `Asaakir (15/9/2).
42 Ibn Abi Haatim (pp. 93-4).
43 Ibn al-Jawzi in al-Manaaqib (p. 192)
44 Fulaani (p. 113) & Ibn al-Qayyim in I'laam (2/302).
45 Ar.: ittibaa'
46 Abu Daawood in Masaa'il of Imaam Ahmad (pp. 276-7)
47 Ibn `Abdul Barr in Jaami' Bayaan al-'Ilm (2/149).
48 Ibn al-Jawzi (p. 182)2) "
I'll be under that big grey one over there if anyone needs me . . . . 
The maaliki followers pray with their hands on the side, that is blatantly wrong, so do you follow that opinion because you picked that madhab? Imaam Abu Hanifah's school of thought tells you bleeding breaks the wudhu, but Umar (ra) carried on praying even though he was bleeding very heavily (many other sahabas did this too) so that proves that opinion wrong. The hanbali school of thought believes that the Prophet (saw) saw Allah with his eyes, when many saheeh hadith proves he never saw Allah with his eyes. The hanbali school of thought also believe that not praying out of laziness takes you out of the fold of islam, while the other 3 do not agree with this. 
