The Jurisprudential Verdict of Combination of Fatwas in the Four Sunni Schools

The combination is that by choosing the opinions of different schools on an issue, the individual acts in such a way that his act is not correct according to the opinion of any of the schools. The Islamic jurists have been divided into three groups regarding the verdict of combination; a group, citing consensus, Sadd Al-Zaraie (blocking the means) and the absence of a record in the early days of Islam, has absolutely ruled that it is not permissible; On the other hand, another group believe that it is absolutely permissible. In order to prove the validity of their opinion, this group refer to verses and narrations indicating the negation of constriction and duty, the act of the companions, the permission of imitation of the Mujtahid by the ordinary people and some jurisprudential rules. The third group have considered combination permissible subject to conditions and criteria such as not opposing the consensus, not leading to Tatabbo Al-Rokhas (searching the religious permissions), not opposing the rules of Sharia and the goals of the divine lawgiver. Comparing the above three viewpoints and their arguments, it can be said that the third one seems to be preferable. Because, firstly, by avoiding the absolute prohibition of combination, it does not provide the causes of hardship and constriction for the duty-bounds and is also in harmony with the spirit of easiness and leniency of the religion and on the other hand, by setting conditions and criteria, it has prevented the problems that exist in the theory of absolute permissibility of combination.