Al-La Madhabiyya

In the last century, a movement has appeared calling for the abandonment of the traditional Islamic Madhhabs. This misleading call falsely presented as ‘following the Qur’an and Sunnah’ has caused confusion amongst the Muslim masses. The people of knowledge have termed this movement’s call and its supporters ‘la madhhabiyya’.

One of the sources for the spread of this innovation was a book written by Muhammad Sultan al-Ma‘sumi al-Khajnadi al-Makki which was translated and distributed in English as ‘Should a Muslim Follow a Particular Madhhab?’ and ‘The Blind Following of Madhhabs.’ It was in response to this book, taught and revered by prominent ‘la madhhabi’ scholars, that Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Sa‘id Ramadan al-Buti first wrote his groundbreaking work.

Later editions of this book, the translation of which we have before us, included the aftermath of various debates Shaykh al-Buti was subsequently challenged to by his opponents and also incorporated counter-replies to the likes of the late Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani, Muhammad ‘Id `Abbasi, Mahmud Mahdi al-Istanbuli and Khayruddin Wanli.

This book is a decisive refutation of those who call to the misguidance of ‘Abandoning the Madhhabs’ for it is, indeed, The Most Dangerous Bid`ah Threatening the Islamic Shari`ah.

Shaykh Muhammad Sa?id Ramadan al-Buti was born in 1929CE near the village of  Jilka, B??an (Turkish Kurdistan). In 1933CE he migrated to Damascus (Syria) together with his  father, Mulla Ramadan. In Damascus the Shaykh followed in his father’s footsteps as he became one of the city’s leading scholars of theology, philosophy, law and jurisprudence.

He completed his secondary studies at the Institute of Islamic Guidance, after which he joined the Faculty of Religion at al-Azhar University, receiving his degree in 1955CE. The following year, Shaykh al-Buti joined the Faculty of Arabic at al-Azhar. He was appointed as Dean in the Faculty of Religion at Damascus University in 1960, and deputed to al-Azhar University for his doctorate in u??l al-fiqh.  In 1965 he was appointed as an instructor in the College of Law at Damascus University. Later, he was appointed as its Dean, then as the Chief of the Department of Tenets and Religions, and finally as the Head  of the Beliefs and Religions Department at the Faculty of Islamic Law.

Shaykh al-Buti has been an active participant in many conferences and symposia. He wasa member of the Royal Society of Islamic Civilisation Research in Amman, as well as the High Council of the Oxford Academy. He lectured regularly in the mosques of Damascus and other Syrian cities. Thousands attended his lectures, in addition to the millions that watched his weekly lectures on television.  He wrote in several newspapers and journals,  and offered religious guidance, advice and rulings to the population.

Shaykh al-Buti has written over forty books on numerous topics within his expertise. He was murdered on the 21st of  March 2013CE, along with numerous others, when a bomb exploded at the Im?n mosque in Damascus during his weekly lecture.