Allah mentioned eleven differences between the religion of Islam and the Madhabs innovated by the people of innovation.
1. Legislation
The Deen of Islam was legislated by Allah. Allah said: ‘He has prescribed for you Believers the same religion which He enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you [O Prophet] and that which We enjoined upon Ibrahim, Musa, and Isa.’ [42:13]
Whereas every Madhab was legislated by the people of the Madhabs. Allah said: ‘Or do they have partners who have prescribed for them a religion that is not approved by Allah?’ [42:21]
Every Madhab can claim to be based upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but no Madhab claims to be the religion of Islam! So they differentiate themselves from Islam in the first place; hence do not be deceived by their claims of following the Qur’an and the Sunnah. And every follower of a Madhab believes he is upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah until he is asked: ‘What was the Madhab of the Prophet and his Companions during the Prophet’s lifetime?’ Then they will present excuses to mention why knowledge of Islam can only be acquired through the Madhabs, resulting in them legislating practices based on their Madhabs, instead of conveying the religion of Islam which the Prophet and his Companions were upon!
2. Acceptability
The Deen acceptable in Allah’s sight is Islam. Allah said: ‘The true religion with Allah is Islam.’ [3:19]
Whereas the Deen acceptable in the sight of the follower of any Madhab is their Madhab. Allah said: ‘When it is said to them, ‘Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger,’ they say, ‘What we have found our forefathers upon is sufficient for us.’ [5:104]
The similarity between the forefathers and the Madhabs is the act of being followed despite the presence of the Book and the Sunnah. As for the Polytheists, they followed their forefathers despite the presence of the Book and the Sunnah. As for the followers of a Madhab, they followed their Madhabs despite the presence of the Book and the Sunnah.
And no Madhab can claim that what they are upon is what is acceptable in Allah’s sight, because they will never claim that Allah approved of their Madhabs!
3. Oneness
The Deen of Islam is one Deen. Allah said: ‘Anyone who seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him.’ [3:85]
Whereas the Madhabs have more than one Deen. Allah said: ‘Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them.’ [6:159]
4. Purity
The Deen of Islam is a pure Deen, and Allah does not accept anything besides it. Allah said: ‘Indeed, the sincere religion is for Allah alone.’ [39:3]
Whereas the Madhabs do not restrict themselves to the pure Deen and mix up falsehood in it. Allah said: ‘O People of the Book, why do you mix the truth with falsehood!?’ [3:71]
The word ‘truth’ is a noun used for every kind of guidance, and the word ‘falsehood’ is a noun used for every kind of misguidance. Allah said: ‘What is beyond the truth except falsehood?’ [10:32]
The People of the Book used to deceive the people by mixing revelation with opinion, and mixing the concept of blind-following personalities with the concept of following revelation. So they mixed the Scripture of Allah with the scriptures of the scholars, and they would say to the people: ‘The scripture of the scholars is in fact the scripture of Allah!’ Allah said: ‘So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, and then say, ‘This is from Allah!’ [2:79]
And they mixed the speech of the scholars with the speech of Allah, and they would say to the people: ‘The scholars only speak about that which has come to them from Allah!’ Allah said: ‘And there are some among them who alter the Scripture with their tongues so that you may think it is part of the Scripture, while it is not part of the Scripture; and they say, ‘It is from Allah,’ while it is not from Allah.’ [3:78]
And this is the burrow of the lizard in which the followers of the Madhabs will enter. There is no doubt that these people–in the books of their Madhabs–mixed opinions with revelation and the concept of blind-following scholars with the concept of following revelation.
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you hand span by hand span, cubit by cubit, to the extent that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will enter it too.’ We said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you mean the Jews and the Christians?’ He said: ‘Who else?’ [Muslim 4822]
5. Being protected
The Deen of Islam has a seal of protection from misguidance for as long as it will remain on earth. Allah said: ‘So whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray nor fall into misery.’ [20:123]
Whereas the Madhabs do not have a seal of protection from misguidance. Allah said: ‘If you obey most of those on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but assumptions and they do nothing but lie.’ [6:116]
So do not–under any circumstance–be deceived by the majority, lest it makes you stray away from the truth! For the majority of preachers, scholars, and Imams are the ones who misguide others from the Deen of Allah! Allah said: ‘O you who believe, there are many scholars and ascetics who consume people’s wealth unlawfully and prevent people from Allah’s way.’ [9:34]
And Awf bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘I swear by the One Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! My nation will split into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two in Hell.’ [Ibn Majah 3992; Hasan]
And the majority of people stray away from the truth, either because they have no knowledge of it, as Allah said: ‘Yet most of them do not know the truth.’ [21:24]
Or because they dislike it, as Allah said: ‘But most of them are averse to the truth.’ [23:70]
Or because they turn away from it, as Allah said: ‘Yet most of them turn away.’ [41:4]
6. Unity
The Deen of Islam unites the Muslims. Allah said: ‘And hold fast to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided.’ [3:103]
The rope of Allah refers the Deen of Allah, and Allah made a rope to stick to this Deen, and this rope prevents and protects the Muslims from differing and splitting. Allah said: ‘You should uphold the religion and make no divisions therein.’ [42:13]
And the Prophet said: ‘I am leaving behind for you that which will never misguide you after I’m gone, on condition that you hold fast to it; the Book of Allah.’ [Muslim 1218a]
Whereas the Madhabs disunite the Muslims. Allah said: ‘Do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them; and for them there will be a great punishment.’ [3:105]
7. Brotherhood
The Deen of Islam establishes brotherhood with all the Muslims. Allah said: ‘The Believers are only brothers (of one another).’ [49:10]
And Allah said: ‘Remember the favor of Allah upon you when you were enemies, then He reconciled your hearts, making you brethren by His grace.’ [3:103]
Whereas the Madhabs do not establish brotherhood except with those who follow their Madhab. So whoever isn’t a part of their Madhab is not a brother for them, even though he is a Muslim! Allah said: ‘He has companions inviting him.’ [6:71]
8. Aqidah
The Deen of Islam unifies the Aqidah and actions of the Muslims all around the world. Allah said: ‘You should uphold the religion and make no divisions therein.’ [42:13]
This is why the Deen of the Muslims is one, and that is Islam. Allah said: ‘Anyone who seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him.’ [3:85]
And the deity who is worshipped by the Muslims is One, and that is Allah alone. Allah said: ‘Even though they were commanded to worship only One God; none has the right to be worshiped except Him.’ [9:31]
And Allah said: ‘And none has the right to be worshiped except Allah.’ [38:65]
And Allah said: ‘Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him.’ [2:255]
And the Book of the Muslims is one, and that is the Qur’an. Allah said: ‘This [Qur’an] is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it.’ [6:155]
And the Imam of the Muslims is one, and that is the Messenger of Allah. Allah said: ‘Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets.’ [33:40]
And the Aqidah and actions of the Muslims are one, and that is to believe and act upon what Allah commanded them with. Allah said: ‘Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.’ [59:7]
Whereas the Madhabs split the Aqidah and actions of the Muslims. Allah said: ‘Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah alone; He will inform them of what they used to do.’ [6:159]
This is why every person from a Madhab has an Aqidah and action which goes against the Aqidah and actions of another Madhab! Allah said: ‘Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah alone; He will inform them of what they used to do.’ [23:53]
9. Path
The Deen of Islam only has one path, and this path is extended for all the Muslims. Allah said: ‘This is My straight path; so follow it.’ [6:153]
Whereas the Madhabs have a different path for every single Madhab, and this path is only extended for the follower of that particular Madhab or the people of this path. Allah said: ‘And do not follow other ways, lest they lead you away from His way.’ [6:153]
10. Inclusivity
The Deen of Islam only has one path to unite the Muslims in their Aqidah and actions. Allah said: ‘Indeed, this religion of yours is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me alone.’ [21:92]
Whereas the Madhabs have an exclusive path of Aqidah and actions for the followers of every single Madhab. Allah said: ‘Those who split up their religion and became sects, each party rejoicing in what it has.’ [30:32]
11. Recognizability
The Deen of Islam will be recognized by you in every time and place due to the statement: ‘Allah said, and His Messenger said.’ Allah said:
‘This [Qur’an] is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it.’ [6:155]
And Allah said: ‘Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.’ [59:7]
And the Deen of Islam will be recognized by you due to its Imam, the one who Allah commanded us to follow.’ Allah said: ‘So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him.’ [7:158]
Whereas the Madhabs will be recognized by you in every time and place due to the statement: ‘The Imam said.’
And the Madhabs will be recognized by you due to its Imam, the one who was made an Imam by the followers of that Madhab.
So the creation of the Islamic Madhabs and deeming this creation permissible in the realm of the Deen of Islam is the reason why divisions occurred in the Deen of the Muslims and their communities.
And all Madhabs are equal in causing this division, be it the Jurisprudence-based Madhabs, the Foundation-based Madhabs, the Manner-based Madhabs, the linguistic based-Madhabs, or the Hadith-based Madhabs. But the worst and most dangerous Madhabs are the political-based Madhabs and Aqidah-based Madhabs. Allah said: ‘Those who have made divisions in their religion and turned into factions, you have nothing to do with them. Their case rests with Allah alone; He will inform them of what they used to do.’ [6:159]