The Four Imams - The Four Madhabs in Islam
Teachers help us master different subjects and skills, coaches help us train in sports we love, and all of them deserve our appreciation. Of all the people we look up to, there is one particular group that we owe a huge amount to, but we may not even realise why.
These people dedicated their lives to learning and teaching, and we benefit from their efforts every day. Who are they?
These are the scholars of Islam. Scholars spent their lives studying, researching, and leaving behind their work for us to understand our life’s purpose. But who exactly were these dedicated individuals who worked endlessly to preserve the knowledge of Islam, so we can receive it today?"
These four imams were humans like you and me, they had their own personalities, backgrounds, family histories, personal interests, customs, and cultures.
They all went through completely unique and drastically different life events too. What unites all the scholars however is that their life mission was to uphold and protect the authentic teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and benefit all of humanity through these precious gifts.
These scholars studied deeply and extensively to give us access to the complete, balanced, and authentic Sunnah. They learnt to comprehend the big questions around life, death, and the universe, as well as routine matters of day-to-day life such as the etiquettes of eating, drinking, and sleeping.
Because all knowledge was treated as important and precious; these four imams enable us to understand Islam in a deep, enriching, and holistic way.
Each of the Imams were unique, individual characters too.
Imam al-Shafi’i had a strong love for language and immersed himself in the endless ocean of Arabic and its many fields.
Imam Abu Hanifa redefined what our attitude to wealth and conducting ourselves in business should look like.
Imam Malik was firmly rooted in the scholarship and traditional learning of Madinah, heartland of the Companions.
Imam Ahmad stood bravely and defiantly against decades of oppression, political upheaval and the entire country, as he knew it, thrown into turmoil.
Each of them harnessed their skills to meet the challenges of their day in the most appropriate, effective and exemplary way. The differences in their character show us that each of us have unique gifts and every one of our God-given attributes are gifted to us with a set purpose. It is only up to us to tap into it and use it for the betterment of our own souls and the people around us.
The Four Imams all experienced extreme struggles and great victories. Some struggled through severe poverty and hardship, whilst others explored new and exciting worlds as they travelled as wide as the world is vast.
As you read through the stories, you will have noticed particular themes reoccur and these are the aspects of human nature that will always remain consistent among us. All the Imams cautioned heavily against seeking fame and loving to hear yourself being praised. They all went to great lengths to preserve their sincerity and keep Allah’s pleasure as their only goal.
They all focused on learning the manners of being a student of knowledge before beginning formal study of the religion. This is because they understood that without a good character, anything they learnt would be futile.
Teachers with bad character would drive students away from their knowledge and not be able to guard themselves from feeling proud, smug or arrogant because of what they knew. The Imams were also closely involved with the affairs of their people.
They dealt directly with their community daily and had a strong grasp of what the issues within their society were. The knowledge they were acquiring was not meant to be preserved in elite, ivory towers but practically applied to improve the lives of the people around them - whether that was a drunk neighbour or an elderly, paralysed woman.
The different schools of thought that each Imam created are a source of strength to our intellectual tradition.
They are never meant to be treated as rivals to one another or different 'brands' of Islam to follow.
The spirit and practice of the four imams demonstrates this strongly as they always behaved as allies, friends and helpers to one another for the sake of Allah. The madhabs aid unity and not division."
Paperback - 9780860379485
Ali Hammuda & Adapted by Zimarina Sarwar
