rulings and actions, has been preserved and elaborated upon by four great figures:

1.    Imām Abū Ḥanīfa

2.    Imām Mālik

3.    Imām Aḥmad b. Hanbal

4.    Imām ShāfiꜤī

While these imams had differing opinions in jurisprudential matters, their beliefs were entirely correct. They were all Sunni and sincere devotees of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

In fact, hadith even discuss their excellences. For example, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “A time shall come when people search for knowledge, yet they shall not find any more knowledgeable than the Scholar of Medina.”^[1]

This hadith refers to Imam Mālik رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه.^[2]

In another hadith, it was mentioned: “A Qurayshī scholar shall fill the Earth with Islamic knowledge.”^[3]

This refers to Imam ShāfiꜤī  رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه.^[4] 

Similarly, the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: “If knowledge was at Thurayya (a distant star), the people of Persia would attain it.”^[5]