Changing one’s Madhab

Question:-

A friend has enquired if she can change her Madhab from being a Shafi’ee to becoming a Hanafi?

Her mother is Shafi’ee and her father is Hanafi. All her life she has followed the Shafi’ee Madhab as this is what her mother would teach her at home. However, she does know most of the rulings of the Hanafi Madhab as well as this was taught to her in the school that she attended. She is willing to learn whatever she needs to before ‘changing’.

Answer:-

It is not permissible for any person to move over from one Madhab to another as this is considered as following one’s wishes and desire. There is great Fasaad in doing so. [Fataawa Mahmoodiyya Pg.626 Vol.2 – Farooqiyyah] Yes, if a Mujtahid was following a particular Imaam of Fiqh due to having reliance on him, but due to his vast knowledge and foresight, no longer has reliance on that particular Imaam, then such a Mujtahid is permitted to fully move over to another Madhab. [Fataawa Mahmoodiyya Pg.625 Vol.2 – Farooqiyyah]

In conclusion, there is no need for your friend to change her Madhab, hence she should stick to the original Madhab that she had been following.

ولو ان رجلا بريء من مذهبه باجتهاد وضح له كان محمودا ماجورا (كتاب الشهادات ص80 ج 4 سعيد)

ان الاجماع علي منع اطلاق التخيير اي بان يختار ويشتهي مهما اراد من الاقوال في اي وقت شاء  (شرح عقود رسم المفتي ص101)

قال ابن الهمام حكم المقلد في المسئلة الاجتهادية كالمجتهد فانه اذا كان له رايين في مسئلة وعمل باحدهما يتعين ما عمل به وامضاه بالعمل  فلا يرجع عنه الي غيره الا بترجيح ذلك الغير الخ , فالمقلد اذا عمل بحكم من مذهب لا يرجع الي اخر من مذاهب اٰخر (خلاصة التحقيق 5) 

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 14 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1444 / 11 October 2022