None blindly follows except a bigoted Partisan

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him), said in I’Laamul-Muwaqqi’een, (4/177):

“Let the muftee beware, the one who fears standing in front of Allaah, free is He from all imperfections, that he answers the questioner with a verdict from his madhhab of which he is a blind follower, while he knows that in this particular matter, a madhhab other than his own is stronger and is more sound in its evidence.

But leadership teaches him to embark boldly in giving a fatwaa with something about which he knows, overwhelmingly, that the truth is in opposition to it. As a result he is a deceitful and dishonest to Allaah, His Messenger and to the questioner. Allaah does not guide the plan of the deceitful and He has forbidden Paradise to the one who meets Him while he has been dishonest to Islaam and its people. And the religion is but giving sincere advice.

Dishonesty is an opposite to the religion, just like the opposition of lying to truthfulness and falsehood to truth. And when a matter arises in which we hold an opinion which opposes (our own) madhhab, then we cannot give a verdict in opposition to what we believe (to be correct), therefore we quote the strongest madhhab (in that matter) and give it preference, and we say, “This is what is correct and it is more deserving of being accepted,” and Allaah grants success.”

Imaam at-Tahaawee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “None blindly follows except an ignorant person or a bigoted partisan.“

[Reported from him by Ibn ‘Aabideen in Rasm al-Muftee (1/32)]

It is also reported from him by Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee in his biography in Al-Lisaan (1/305), that Aboo ’Ubayd ibn Jurthoomah was revising some questions with him, so he responded to one matter and Aboo ’Ubayd said,

“This is not the saying of Aboo Haneefah.” So he replied, “O Qaadee! Do I hold everything that Aboo Haneefah said?!” So he said, “I did not think that you were anything but a blind follower.” So he said, “Does anyone blindly follow except a bigoted partisan?” So he said, “Or an ignorant person.”