Thus, the imams of the religion follow the path of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all. The Companions were united and harmonious, even when they disputed certain subsidiary rulings of the Sharia concerning purification, prayer, Hajj, divorce, inheritance, or other matters. Their consensus is conclusive proof.

Whoever is partisan toward one particular imam to the exclusion of the others is like someone who is partisan toward one particular Companion to the exclusion of the rest: like the Rāfidī who champions ‘Alī to the exclusion of the three caliphs and the majority of the Companions, or the Khārijite who disparages ‘Uthmān and ‘Alī, may Allah be pleased with them both. These are the ways of the people of innovation and desires, whom the Quran, the Sunnah, and consensus establish as blameworthy and as departing from the law and path with which Allah sent His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Whoever is partisan toward one particular imam bears some resemblance to these people, whether his partisanship is for Mālik, al-Shāfi‘ī, Abū Hanīfah, Ahmad, or anyone else. At best, someone who is partisan toward one of them is ignorant of that imam’s standing in knowledge and religion and of the standing of the others. He is therefore both ignorant and unjust. Allah commands knowledge and justice and forbids ignorance and injustice.

He Most High said:

“But man undertook it; indeed, he was unjust and ignorant,”

“so that Allah may punish the hypocritical men and hypocritical women,”

and so on to the end of the surah.

Now Abū Yūsuf and Muhammad were the most devoted followers of Abū Hanīfah and the most knowledgeable about his views