In Defence of the Four Imams

Why did the distinguished jurists, including notably the Four Imams of early Muslim history, hold differing viewpoints? ■ Why do some of their perspectives seemingly conflict with authentic scriptural texts? ■ Furthermore, why do their adherents tend to favor their opinions even in the face of apparent contradictions with sound prophetic traditions? In this exceptional work by Ibn Taymiyah, his primary objective is to provide coherent explanations for these inquiries while maintaining a respectful acknowledgment of his predecessors. He commences his discourse by outlining three reasons why the aforementioned Four Imams occasionally deviated from the essence of sound prophetic traditions. Subsequently, he elucidates ten factors that influenced their inclination towards adopting one of the three aforementioned rationales.