Please tell me the names of ulama ul haqq of the past and present who made fatwa regarding the compulsory of taqleed.

What is Taqlid or Ittiba ?%0D%0ATaqlid or Ittiba? is Wajib (compulsory) upon Muslims%0D%0ATaqlid or Ittiba? is W%E2jib (compulsory) upon Muslims. Yet there are many Muslims in the present age who have hardly heard of the words Taqlid or Ittiba?. Others who may have heard about it, do not fully comprehend its meaning. This has led to people even rejecting Taqlid ? thereby rejecting a W%E2jib. As a general rule, man is suspicious and afraid of that which he does not know. Therefore a proper understanding of the issue of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 would dispel the ignorance surrounding it, Insh%E2 Allah.%0D%0ATaqlid is a part of everyday life%0D%0ATaql%EEd or Ittib%E2 in essence, simply refers to the practice of an unqualified, lay person (in a specific field of specialisation) submitting to and accepting the authority of an expert in that field, without demanding proof and justification for every view, opinion or verdict expressed by such an expert authority. This is a natural state of human existence, practised by millions of people worldwide in every facet of life. The simplest and most tangible example of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 is that of a child learning his basic alphabets at school. Every child learning his alphabets is unconsciously practising Taql%EEd. A learner driver taking instructions from a driving instructor is practising Taql%EEd. People going to a specialist doctor for medical treatment and following his instructions is another glaring example of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2. A lay person soliciting a legal opinion from an advocate or following the advice of a tax consultant is another common case of Taql%EEd. A client at an engineering firm, asking for the engineer?s advice on complex engineering calculations is yet another instance of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 in action. The millions of ?facts? in the myriad of sciences such as astronomy, archaeology, etc. are all distinct examples of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 Who ever questions the ?fact? or asks for proof that the sun is really 93 million miles away from the earth! It is taken for granted that this is the findings of the ?experts? in these fields and everyone simply accepts it as such. School teachers teach these to their pupils as ?gospel truth? and children learn and memorise these ?facts? with the hope of succeeding in their exams. There are countless such examples of Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 in everyday existence. It is quite clear from the above, that Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 is a natural way of life, and is not specific to Islam or Islamic Fiqh alone.%0D%0ATaqlid is the easy option for ordinary people%0D%0AIn the context of Islamic Fiqh or Law, Taql%EEd or Ittib%E2 simply refers to accepting and following the verdicts of expert scholars of Islamic Fiqh in their exposition and interpretation of Islamic Law, without demanding from them an in-depth explanation of the intricate processes required in arriving at such a verdict, called Ijtihad. It simply means that ordinary folk do not have to do Ijtih%E2d, i.e. the intricate and complicated procedures involved in deriving Islamic rulings that scholars exercise when issuing a Fatw%E2 (legal verdict). The duty of ordinary people is to trustingly accept the authority of the learned scholars in this matter and act upon their verdicts.%0D%0AIn this sense, Taql%EEd is a great blessing for common people, for it is beyond their capacity to understand the extremely complex and complicated mechanics of Ijtih%E2d. The ability to do Ijtih%E2d requires many long years of study and erudition and a great deal of exertion (Ijtih%E2d means to exert one self) in acquiring a mastery of various Islamic sciences, among other varying requirements.%0D%0AMisunderstandings regarding Taqlid%0D%0ARecently, misunderstandings have arisen regarding the issue of Taql%EEd. It has become a theme of major debate in many parts of the world among Muslims. This debate has naturally resulted in arguments being promulgated by both the protagonists and the antagonists of Taql%EEd.%0D%0AThe best way of removing such misunderstanding is to view the original sources of Islam ? the Qur%E2n and Had%EEth and the teachings of the learned elders of Islam on this subject. After a study of this subject, the correct interpretation and understanding of Taql%EEd and Ittib%E2 would emerge. This would lead to a better understanding and analysis of the arguments and counter-arguments of protagonists and antagonists. (Elsewhere in this issue, check the article on Taql%EEd and Ittib%E2 in the light of Qur?an and Hadith)%0D%0A%0D%0AAnd Allah Ta`ala Knows Best %0D%0A%0D%0AWas salaam%0D%0A