Explaining the Ruling on Taqlid (Following a Scholar Without Knowing His Evidence) and Imitating the Disbelievers

The Shaykh : ... - Mighty and Majestic - This is a matter in which there is no disagreement, and ... in matters like that, I do not wish to speak about it now. Rather, I intended to speak about what concerns taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence) in social interactions, customs, and traditions. It is established in the philosophy of sociology, as they say today, that nations are defined by their languages, history, and customs. And if any nation forgets these principles and rules, it means that it has begun to dig its own grave with its own hands, losing its identity, becoming weak, and mixing with others until it becomes a forgotten remnant. Therefore, we find that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) paid attention to the aspect of imitating enemies and disbelievers, so he prohibited it with the strongest prohibition; whether that was from the major sins or the minor sins, or in other words: whether that was something the Shari'ah considers great or small. For you all know that violations include major and minor ones. Therefore, he came with the principle of prohibiting following and imitating the disbelievers. One of the most famous hadiths that came regarding this is his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . This hadith is in "Sahih al-Bukhari," in a narration in al-Tirmidhi and others.
= -- Will you not sit, Professor? I am sorry for stopping you. May Allah give you al-Kawthar -- =
In the narration of al-Tirmidhi, added to the previous narration in "Sahih al-Bukhari": , and glory be to Allah!! And there is no wonder, for he only speaks from revelation, ; so we see that this report applies to the Muslims, who walk in following others, imitating the blind. In this hadith, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited the Muslims from imitating others; because these others, in their starting points in their lives, are nothing but in clear misguidance = -- and may Allah have mercy on you -- = So the other hadith came to confirm this warning, which came in the form of a general statement: , and it is not hidden from all the attendees that this report means prohibition. And without a doubt, those who will refrain are those who love the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); and that is a proof of love from Allah for him, as He said - the Exalted - : . It came to confirm this warning within this previously mentioned authentic report in another hadith; namely his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . At the end of this hadith, the Messenger (peace be upon him) prohibits the Muslims from imitating their disbelieving enemies, and he says: whoever does that is one of them.
Of course, the hadith does not mean, as some superficial people in their understanding of their religion might imagine, that they thereby become disbelievers. Rather, the Messenger (peace be upon him) means in such a hadith, like his saying in the famous hadith: ; so it does not mean - peace and blessings be upon him - in this or that that he apostatized from his religion, but rather that he did the action of the disbelievers, as He said - for example - : . So if the Muslims, or some of them, become sects , it does not mean that they left the religion as a hair comes out of dough, but rather that they opposed the Shari'ah of Islam that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. So their Lord, the Lord of the worlds, warned them in this verse by saying: , meaning: in action, following, and imitation, What? - and in a narration: "they separated from their religion" - . So his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the previous hadith: means in action, not apostasy.