Ibn 'Uthaymin On Taqlid.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Shaykh Ibn al 'Uthaymin (rah) writes in his book, "Al Usul min 'ilm al-Usul" in the chapter on taqlid:
"Taqlid takes place in two places; the first is that the person doing taqlid be a layman, incapable of discerning the ruling by himself, so his duty (Farduhu) is to do taqlid due to the statement of Allah (swt): "Ask the  people of Remembrance if you know not (Sura al Nahl:43)." p.68.
In his recorded lectures of this same text, Ibn 'Uthaymin adds that for the average Muslim to try to delve into the Holy Qur`an and Sunna in order to deduce rulings is like a person who has not learnt swimming trying to swim at sea. It will only lead to his destruction.
Taken from "Understanding Taqlid: Following one of the four great Imams" by Mufti Muhammad Sajaad, pg. 45.


SHAYKH MUHAMMAD IBN SAALIH AL-UTHAYMEEN was asked: When encountering a difficult issue, do you advise the student of knowledge not to stick to a madhhab, or [do you advise] to turn to a particular madhhab?
The Shaykh, hafidhahullaah, responded: If what is intended by sticking to a madhhab is that a person sticks to that madhhab, and turns away from everything else; whether the correct view lies in his madhhab or another madhhab - then this is not permissible, and is from the blameworthy and bigotted partisanship. But if a person ascribes to a particular madhhab in order to benefit from its principles and guidelines, but he refers it back to the Book and the Sunnah; [such that] if it becomes clear to him that the preferred view lies in another madhhab, he then adopts that view - then there is no problem with this. [Note: this is for a student of knowledge, not the common muslim].
Maktabatul Uthaymeen - Guidelines for Following Madhhabs

Wa Salam.