When is a Muslim a follower and when is he a imitator? And what is the difference between them?

The questioner : When is a Muslim a follower and when is he a imitator? And what is the difference between following and imitation?

The Shaykh : The difference between following and imitation is that the original state for every Muslim is to be as Allah the Exalted said: , . There is no doubt or ambiguity among all scholars, and even those below them, that imitation is not knowledge in the first place. Second, the imitator is not on clear understanding of his religion. Therefore, we must know that there is a great difference between this imitation and following, which is following in accordance with evidence. Imitation makes its constant habit to imitate and walk without clear understanding, meaning: to walk in blindness. This is not of Islam in any way. Therefore, we say: it is not permissible for a Muslim—and I do not mean scholars or students of knowledge here, I mean the general Muslims, even the illiterate among them—it is not permissible for a Muslim absolutely to practice religion by imitation, to make imitation a religion by which he draws near to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He). As some authors from the later generations said—regrettably—he said: "And the obligation of imitation is from the scholars." Obligation meaning: making the imitation of an imam from the imams of the Muslims an obligatory matter, meaning: making it a religion. We say regarding imitation what Imam al-Shafi'i said regarding analogical reasoning. He said: "Analogical reasoning is a dire necessity that is not resorted to except when evidence is lost from the Book and the Sunnah or the scholarly consensus of the Ummah." Likewise, we say that imitation is not permissible to be taken as a religion, but it is a dire necessity. So, if one from the general Muslims or students of knowledge is unable to know the issue with its evidence from the Book and the Sunnah to be a follower, and to be on clear understanding of his religion; then here it is said: "Necessities permit the prohibited." Here, imitation of one who is more knowledgeable than him is obligatory. As for making imitation a religion, it diverts him first from the rank of following, which is knowing the issue with its evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, let alone the rank of independent legal reasoning, which is the highest rank of clear understanding in religion. So, making imitation a religion diverts him from being on clear understanding, and from knowing the evidence of issues in the Shari'ah. This is not permissible in the religion of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
So the difference between imitation and following is like the difference between the seeing and the blind. And are the seeing and the blind equal? No, they are not equal, for example!