The scholars within the 4 Sunni and the Shia Madhab represent a diverse array of deep, systematic erudition covering wide rage of exegetical questions through an unbroken link of scholars. I feel people need to be deeply exposed to such scholarship before making haphazard and sweeping comments about scholars. They are not all the same, and even when there is Ijmaa on a particular matter, there can be valid dissenting opinions. All of that is a part of the Islamic experience of religious scholarship.
NONE of the duly qualified Madhabi scholars I've met sees him/herself or their consensus to be infallible. GOD knows best, and they never deviate from this truth in any way, shape of form. NONE of them outright reject reasonable exegetical sciences and methodologies outside the Madhabs either, out of the deference to GOD and humility that comes from real Taqwa and Iman. NONE of them practice the shirk of seeing him/herself as GOD's little helper/lawyer/soldier, and try to be diligent in battling the ego through the persistent cultivation of virtue and purification of the soul.
They don't practice Takfir and sectarianism and religious supremacy because scholarship clearly differentiates and never conflates divine/spiritual identity with cultural/political identity, and doesn't indulge the fallacy of mutual exclusivity of such a question. The divine cannot be compared to the human, and must be utilized to inspire a better humanity. I humanity where the common spiritual denominator is sought in good faith and diversity is celebrated in the process. A humanity where righteousness, ever present in every group and all groups are created by GOD Himself, is the ultimate expression of submission.
Quote:
"O people, we created you from the same male and female, and rendered you distinct peoples and tribes, that you may recognize one another. The best among you in the sight of GOD is the most righteous. GOD is Omniscient, Cognizant." (Quran 49:13)
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Quran 6:108)
"O you who believe, no people shall ridicule other people, for they may be better than they. Nor shall any women ridicule other women, for they may be better than they. Nor shall you mock one another, or call each other names. Evil indeed is the reversion to wickedness after attaining faith. Anyone who does not repent after this, these are the transgressors." (Quran 049:11)
"The servants of the Almighty are those who tread the earth gently, and when the ignorant speak to them, they only utter peace." (Quran 25:63)
"You shall not treat the people with arrogance, nor shall you roam the earth carefree. GOD does not like the arrogant showoffs." (Quran 31:18)
"Not equal is the good response and the bad response. You shall resort to the nicest possible response. Thus, the one who used to be your enemy, may become your best friend." (Quran 41:34)
"They steadfastly persevere in seeking their Lord, observe the Link (Salat), spend from our provisions to them secretly and publicly, and counter evil with good. These have deserved the best abode." (Quran 13:22)
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There is scholarship outside the Madhab systems and a some of that work have merit. Sadly, there are also many that do more harm than good with their militant, my-way-or-the-highway approach utterly devoid of Taqwa. The Quran is the criterion, period, and any work other than the Quran or specifically validated in the Quran -- Torah, Psalms and the Gospel of Jesus (PBUH) -- must be consistent with the letter and spirit of the Quran in the most intellectually honest way. The Hadith or any other work cannot be the criterion to interpret the Quran, but once consistent with the Speech of GOD, can be quite illuminating.
Sadly, we have too many folks, I've recently met another one, who misuse the decontexualize the Quran to falsely justify an ultimately sociopolitical position serving as cover to sublimate some sort of hateful, angry, indignant and intolerant pathology that GOD, our Prophet (PBUH) and great scholars urge us to fight through holistic piety. They tend to use purely external piety to propagate their own psychosomatic agenda under the guise of politicized religion. They believe in creating and imposing the compulsion GOD Himself prohibits and the Prophet (PBUH) stayed away from during his direct rule (Medina Charter).
Islamophobia in many non-Muslim majority countries, especially in Europe, and sectarianism in many Muslim majority countries, especially in South Asia, the Gulf, Yemen, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan and Libya need to be engaged in the best possible manner, and I believe ultimately duly qualified and rightly guided scholars from within the Madhab, and outside it must lead the way.