The four Madhabs and the madhab of Rasoolullah ( part 2) - Sheikh Mumtaz ul Haq

Allah has commanded us not only ,"Obey Allah, and his messenger" but also the "ulul Amr", the people of authority. These are people of political authority and religious authority.
Especially in controversial , ambiguous and undefined issues to refer to those who can make "Istinbaat" (ijtehad).

Rasoolullah sallallaho alaihe wasallam similarly encouraged and "approved" those from amongst his companions with potential to make ijtehad. When he sent Mu'aadh ibn Jabal r.a to Yemen, he asked him, "How will you decide when presented with an issue ?" Mu'aadh r.a replied , "I will decide according to the book of Allah." At which the prophet said, "If you don't find it in the book of Allah ?" Mu'aadh r.a replied, "I will then decide according to the sunnah of the messenger of Allah." The prophet sallallaho alaihe wasallam then asked, "If you don't find it in the book of Allah nor the sunnah of his messenger ?" Mu'aadh r.a then replied, "I will make ijtehad according to my opinion and try to do the best." The prophet sallallaho alaihe wasallam then patted his chest and said, "All praise is for Allah who enabled the messenger of the messenger of Allah with what pleases his messenger." 

This hadeeth has been reported and authenticated as saheeh by a number of muhaddithoon and is regarded as the base for the importance of ijtehad. It is also clear from this incident that the beloved messenger of Allah was happy with his companions to make ijtehad in matters which needed so. Not only Mu'aadh ibn Jabal r.a but other sahaabah at different times decided matters with their ijtehaads and when the matters were presented to the prophet sallallaho alaihe wasallam he did not reject but rather upheld their decisions inspite of the fact that there were differences amongst them.

An incident reported in Sahih Bukhari about when the prophet sent a group of sahaabah to Banu Quraidhah and said ,"No one should pray (asr salaah) except upon reaching Banu Quraidhah". The prophet had wanted them to leave early in order to reach the settlement of Banu Quraidhah in time for Asr but the companions became delayed and as the time for Asr was being delayed some of the companions prayed enroute while others prayed after reaching their destination. When the matter was presented to the prophet, he approved both practices. The differences in the four madhaahibs are mostly traceable to the practice of the sahaabah with each of the imams making their own ijtehaad as well where necessary. 

Doing away with the various madhaahibs and adopting a "madhab of Rasoolullah" means doing away with the variation in practices of the various companions accepted and approved by the prophet himself thus leading to a difference between the prophet and his companions. This is exactly and precisely the doctrine and basis of "Shiaism". Ahlussunnah wal jamaa'ah accept and regard the practices of sahaabah to be acceptable and all part of guidance while shias reject them to be misguided. So calling for " A madhhab of Rasoolullah" which will bypass and overlook the understanding and practice of the companions might seem glosssy and appealing but is infact, an ideology infested and infected with germs from Shiaism.