The Position Toward the Followers of the Four Imams' Schools of Jurisprudence

The question: What do you mean, may Allah preserve you, when you say that a student of knowledge must exert independent legal reasoning? Is everyone among us prepared for that? And what is our position regarding the schools of jurisprudence of the four Imams, which have spread throughout the lands and among the people, and which many have followed in every place and time?

Answer: A student of knowledge must exert independent legal reasoning according to his capacity: the beginner exerts effort in continuing to seek knowledge, and strives to be qualified to determine the stronger position in matters of scholarly disagreement. And the qualified student of knowledge, whom Allah has granted knowledge, who has graduated from advanced studies, who has examined the books, and who knows the opinions of the people, must exert independent legal reasoning to determine the stronger position and to refute the false one with the evidence of the Shari'ah, patience, and reading.
Knowledge is not easy; knowledge requires patience, perseverance, and reviewing the hadiths related to the subject of research. One may spend many days without finding the hadith one wants, or without being able to form an opinion on it regarding its authenticity or weakness. Likewise, reviewing the words of the scholars and determining the stronger position requires patience and examining the evidence.
Independent legal reasoning means exerting effort in acquiring knowledge and advancing in it until one becomes one of its qualified experts, knowing the rulings of the Shari'ah and the positions of the scholars in matters of scholarly disagreement. One must stand in this regard as an advisor and a lover of them, one who is pleased with them, who knows their worth and the efforts they exert in acquiring knowledge and spreading it among people, and who benefits from their words and sciences. One must not insult them or hate them, or display criticism in a way that belittles them, or fail to benefit from them, or do similar things.
The student of knowledge knows the worth of those who came before him, what they authored and compiled, and their sincere advice to Allah and His servants, and he benefits from their words. This does not mean that he follows them in truth and falsehood, but rather that he knows the truth by its evidence. Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "None of us is free from being wrong and having his opinion rejected, except the occupant of this grave, meaning the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)."
And al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "People have agreed that if the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) becomes clear to a person, he has no right to leave it for the saying of any person." And he said (may Allah have mercy on him): "If I say something that contradicts the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), throw my saying against the wall." Ahmad and Abu Hanifah said the same meaning as what Malik and al-Shafi'i said, may Allah have mercy on them all. And so did other Imams; they all advised people and instructed them to follow the evidence of the Shari'ah from the Book and the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Salaf of the Ummah, and not to prioritize the saying of any person over the saying of Allah and His Messenger. Rather, it is obligatory to prioritize the saying of Allah and the saying of His Messenger, and what the Salaf of the Ummah agreed upon, over anyone who contradicts that. This is the position of the recognized scholars, and this is the position of the student of knowledge toward them, so that he grows up with their character in prioritizing the saying of Allah and the saying of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), determining the stronger position by evidence, respecting the scholars, knowing their worth, being pleased with them, and sending blessings upon them.
As for the bad scholars from the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and their like, these are people whom it is obligatory to detest and hate for the sake of Allah, and people must be warned of their evil, their ugly deeds, and their false beliefs; as sincere advice to Allah and His servants, and in fulfillment of the obligatory duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil. And success is from Allah.