EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA — The Vice Chairperson of the Council for Religious Opinion and Reform of Muhammadiyah Central Board, Nur Fajri Romadhon, explained that Muhammadiyah does not reject the classical schools of Islamic jurisprudence. Instead, it values the rich intellectual heritage of all major legal schools while choosing not to affiliate itself exclusively with any one of them.
That was the central message delivered during the Stand Up Kajian program broadcast on Muhammadiyah Channel on Thursday (2/7).
He began by tracing the historical meaning of the term madhhab (school of law). According to him, its definition has evolved throughout the history of Islamic scholarship.
Linguistically, the Arabic word madhhab derives from zahaba, meaning “go to.” Originally, it referred to the methodological path an Islamic jurist followed in deriving legal rulings.
“When we speak of the Shafi’i school, we are referring not only to Imam al-Shafi’i’s legal opinions. More than that, we are also referring to the methodology he used to arrive at those conclusions,” Nur Fajri said.
He emphasized that renowned scholars such as Imam al-Shafi’i are widely never issued legal opinions arbitrarily. Every ruling rested on a rigorous scholarly framework.
Imam Shafi’i is widely recognized as the first scholar to systematically codify the principles of Islamic legal theory (usul al-fiqh) in his landmark work Al-risalah. He wrote the book at the request of the prominent hadith scholar Imam Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi, who sought structured methodology for interpreting scriptural evidence, particularly prophetic traditions.
However, Nur Fajri noted that this codification did not mark the beginning of legal methodology in Islam. Earlier generations, including the Prophet Muhammad’s companions, the tabi’in, and the tabi’al tabi;in, had already employed sophisticated methods for interpreting the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Their approaches simply had not yet been compiled into formal texts.
Schools of Law Continue to Evolve
Over time, the meaning of madhhab expanded beyond the opinions of a single jurist. It came to encompass the collective scholarship of successive generations who followed the methodological principles established by a founding imam.
As a result, legal schools have never been static. Later scholars continually reassessed earlier opinions and, when warranted, revised them while remaining faithful to the school’s foundational methodology.
Nur Fajri cited Imam al-Nawawi and Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami as notable examples. Although both belonged to the Shafi’i tradition, they occasionally reconsidered positions that had long been regarded as authoritative within the school.
“A legal school is not frozen in time,” he said. “It develops through scholarly evaluation conducted within the methodological framework established by its founding imam.”
Muhammadiyah’s Response toward Madhhab
He then addressed a common misconception about Muhammadiyah’s position toward the classical schools of law.
Many people assume the organization rejects the concept of madhhab altogether. According to Nur Fajri, that assumption is inaccurate.
Muhammadiyah’s Manhaj Tarjih, or methodology for legal reasoning, outlines five guiding perspectives. One of them states that the organization does not affiliate itself with a single school of law. This principle, he stressed, should not be interpreted as a rejection of the classical legal tradition.
“It simply means that Muhammadiyah does not bind itself exclusively to one particular school,” he said.
Historically, Islamic civilization produced far more than the four schools that remain dominant today. Other schools—including those associated with Al-Awza’i, Al-Thawri, Al-Layth ibn Sa’d, Ishaq ibn Rahuyah, Al-Tabari, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, and the Zahiri tradition—also flourished during earlier periods.
Nevertheless, the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, and Hanbali schools ultimately endured with the most complete and continuous scholarly traditions.
Returning to the Qur’an and the Sunnah
Muhammadiyah regards the intellectual legacy of all these traditions as valuable sources of scholarship worthy of objective study.
Nur Fajri referenced Muhammadiyah leader KH Mas Mansur. The Muhammadiyah figure, in The Twelve Steps of Muhammadiyah, encouraged Muslims to broaden their understanding of Islam rather than restrict themselves to a single legal school.
“In practice today, it is actually very difficult to find someone who never departs from a single school at all,” he said.
Even leading Shafi’i scholars such as Imam al-Nawawi and Imam al-Ghazali occasionally adopted opinions that differed from the dominant position within their own school when they believed stronger textual evidence supported another view.
Reasonings behind Muhammadiyah’s Decision
Nur Fajri outlined principal reasons behind Muhammadiyah’s decision not to commit itself to one madhhab.
First is scriptural evidence. The Qur’an instructs believers to consult those with knowledge when they lack understanding and directs Muslims to refer disagreements back to God and His Messenger. It does not require believers to follow one jurist or one legal school in every matter. Consequently, Muhammadiyah considers conformity with the Qur’an and the Sunnah to be the primary criterion for evaluating legal opinions.
Second is scholarly objectivity. Restricting oneself to a single school from the outset make it more difficult to evaluate other traditions fairly. By examining the entire spectrum of classical scholarship, Muhammadiyah believes jurists can assess competing opinions more impartially and determine which arguments are supported by the strongest evidence.
Finally, Nur Fajri pointed to practical realities. Modern Muslims frequently encounter complex issues that are more effectively addressed by considering perspectives from multiple madhhab.
He cited the example of whether physical contact with a member of opposite sex invalidates ritual ablution during the pilgrimage. The Shafi’i school generally considers such contact to nullify ablution. It means pilgrims must perform it again before continuing the circumambulation of the Kaaba. However, some Shafi’i scholars have allowed pilgrims facing practical hardship to follow the opinion of other schools. As a result, it is decided that such contact does not invalidate ablution.
Nevertheless, Nur Fajri cautioned that adopting opinions from different schools (talfiq) must never become a means of simply selecting the easiest ruling.
Islamic scholars have long debated the permissibility of talfiq. Muhammadiyah maintains that drawing upon different schools is acceptable only when supported by stronger textual evidence rather than personal convenience.
“So Muhammadiyah’s consistency lies not in adhering to one particular school of law, but in remaining faithful to the Qur’an and the Sunnah.”
