Ahlus Sunnah are the Ones That Truly Follow the Four Imams

Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin Al-Abbād, may Allāh preserve him, said:

"That Ahlus-Sunnah - those who follow the texts of the Book and the Sunnah - are happier than others in following the Four Imāms, because they are the ones who implement their advices.

Ibn al-Qayyim said in Kitāb ar-Rūh (pp. 395–396):

“So whoever presents the statements of the scholars against the texts, weighs them against them, and opposes from them whatever opposes the text, then he has not discarded their statements nor belittled their status. Rather, he has followed their example for they all commanded with that.

So the one who truly follows them is the one who complies with what they advised, not the one who opposes them.

Thus, opposing them in a statement that contradicts a text is easier than opposing them in the comprehensive principle that they commanded with and called to - of giving precedence to the text over their statements.

From here, the difference becomes clear between blindly following (taqlīd) the scholar in everything he said, and between seeking aid from his understanding and illuminating oneself with the light of his knowledge.

As for the first, he takes his statement without consideration of it, nor seeking the evidence for it from the Book and the Sunnah - rather, he makes it like a rope that he throws around his neck and follows blindly; and for that reason it is called taqlīd (blind following).

In contrast to the one who seeks aid from his understanding and illuminates himself with the light of his knowledge in order to reach the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), for indeed he considers them as a guide to the primary evidence. Once he reaches it, he relies on its guidance, and suffices himself with it, and does not need to use on other than it. Indeed, Whoever uses a star to determine the direction of the Qiblah, once he sees the Qiblah, there is no longer any point in relying on the star.

Imām ash-Shāfi‘ī said: ‘The people have unanimously agreed that whoever has the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) made clear to him, it is not permissible for him to abandon it for the statement of anyone.’”

كتاب الرد على الرفاعي والبوطي في كذبهما على أهل السنة ودعوتهما إلى البدع والضلال (١٢-١٣)