The Ruling on Adhering to One of the Schools of Jurisprudence

This is a message received by the program from the listener al-Hafiz Hamma from Mauritania, who works in the Libyan Jamahiriya. He says in his message, and at its beginning:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions.
And after that: To our distinguished and noble scholars of the program "Light on the Path," I convey my greetings. I have listened to your good and beneficial program for all Muslims in every corner of the earth, and I have benefited greatly from it. I hope you will provide me with information regarding my question, which is that I am from a Maliki family, and I went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where I learned tajwid (the rules of Qur'anic recitation) from a Saudi teacher, and my recitation changed from Warsh to Hafs. I also took some fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) through the book "Fiqh al-Sunnah" by Sayyid Sabiq. When I returned to my country, some of my brothers criticized me for many things: first, the placing of the hands in prayer, and the two taslims (closing salams) after prayer to the right and left, and many of the sunnahs (recommended practices) which he elaborates on, saying that Imam Malik did not order them and did not mention them. I will not lengthen this for you. The whole question is: I follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Is it permissible for me to follow one of the four Imams, or should I remain with what I am on, the Maliki school, and that is the Sunnah and nothing else? Please inform us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: I ask Allah for success and guidance for us and for you to what is in the interest of religion and worldly affairs. Know, my brother, that it is obligatory for all Muslims in every corner of the earth to follow what the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic and the Sunnah of His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) indicate. It is not obligatory for them to adhere to the school of Malik, or Abu Hanifa, or al-Shafi'i, or Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them all), or the Zahiris! No, it is upon the scholars to research and care for the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and what he and his Companions were upon. So, whatever becomes clear to them that it is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), it is obligatory for them to take it, adhere to it, and call to it; because Allah the Exalted and Majestic says in His great Book: [Al-Hashr: 7] And He says: : [Al-Nisa: 59] And returning to Allah is returning to His great Book, the Qur'an, and returning to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is returning to him in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), and then to his Sunnah after his death (peace and blessings be upon him and his family and his Companions). And He says, Exalted is He: [Al-Shura: 10] And He says, Exalted is He: [Al-Nisa: 80] So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) passed away, and this was established from him in Sahih al-Bukhari from the hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): And it was also established in the Sunan from the hadith of Wa'il ibn Hujr (may Allah be pleased with him) : , and other hadiths came that support this. This is the Sunnah, and even if Malik did not adopt it, the Sunnah is more deserving of being followed and takes precedence over Malik and over anyone other than Malik. So Malik (may Allah have mercy on him) is one of the scholars, and so is Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), and so is al-Shafi'i, and so is Ahmad, and so is al-Thawri, and al-Awza'i, and Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, and so are the others from the people of knowledge from the Companions and those after them. All of their sayings, actions, and the issues of their schools are all subjected to the Book and the Sunnah. This is what is obligatory upon the people of knowledge whom Allah has given breadth in knowledge and insight. And if Allah guides him to something of the Sunnah, let him hold fast to it. And so with the two taslims, it was established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he used to give the salam twice, and what is prescribed for us is to give the salam twice. Some of the people of knowledge held that they are obligatory, and some held that they are a pillar, and the majority are on one salam, but the stronger view is to give the salam twice in accordance with the established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And we ask Allah for success for us and for you.
We advise you to remain steadfast upon what you know of the Sunnah. We advise you, O brother, to remain steadfast upon what you know of the Sunnah, and to advise your brothers in Mauritania and elsewhere to take care of the Sunnah. It is not permissible for there to be anything in their hearts greater than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) after Allah . It is not permissible for a believer to have anything in his heart greater than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) after Allah. He is our model, he is the leader, and he is the master who is followed, (peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, it is not permissible for a scholar or a non-scholar to have anything in his heart greater than the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) after Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah is the One who is exalted, (Exalted and Majestic is He), above everyone. But after Him, (Glorified and Exalted is He), the greatest of people, and the most deserving of being followed and of being exalted, is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). What is permissible by the Shari'ah is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for he is the leader who is followed, (peace and blessings be upon him). Yes.