Fatwa #1196122 June 2004United States of America
What should be the madhab of newly converted muslim.
Question
We are a diverse mulsim community with people from all four madahibs and some are slafis. Alhamdullilah we are living together and don?t enforce our hanafi teachings on them and they don?t enforce their?s on us. They don?t ask why don?t we do rafa-e-yadaain or say aamin loudly and we don?t ask them why they make masah on their socks. If we start these things I am 100% sure that we will become a divided community and there will be more than one masjids in this small community (3-400 muslims). My real question is sometime with the grace of Allah some people accept Islam. We teach them basic beliefs but when we move from basic to other daily things differences arises and causes problems. So which madhab this person should follow or he should follow none and do just like salfis. Everybody has their references and hadiths
Answer
The most appropriate mazhab for a person to choose would be the one which would be the most suitable and convenient for him. This could be judged by a number of factors:%0D%0A%0D%0A1. The Ulama of that mazhab are easily accessible to him, in order to learn it.%0D%0A%0D%0A2. The community generally follows that mazhab.%0D%0A%0D%0A3. If finds himself more inclined towards it.%0D%0A%0D%0A4. He has confidence in the scholars of that Mazhab.%0D%0A%0D%0A5. The mazhab is more suitable for his situation on account of the masaail pertaining to his environment having been suitably discussed by the Jurists.%0D%0A%0D%0AThus the choice would be of the individual and he should decide according to these factors.%0D%0A%0D%0AIt should be noted that this applies to the four Mazhabs which are on the truth. As for the Wahabis%2F Salafis, they are misguided both in their beliefs and in their approach to Fiqh and are classified as out of the fold of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa'ah. The stance your community has adopted to them is acceptable, as unity is very important. Your community is extremely fortunate to have been saved from the disunity prevalent elsewhere and may Allah keep it unified. Amin%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMufti Ebrahim Desai