THE MAIN OBJECTIVE of this book is to provide in-depth discussions on those aspects of a Muslim's prayer which are subject to differences of opinion in the four madhhabs or "schools of Islamic law," giving special attention to the Hanafi opinion on each issue. However, since even the concept of taqlid or "following a school in Islamic law" is unfamiliar to many Muslims, a discussion on this subject is necessary at the outset.

In this regard, taqlid will be discussed under the following three headings in this chapter: (I) What is Taqlid; (2) Taqlid: Following an Imam in the Matters of Sharta; (3) Following One Particular Imam in Every Juristic Issue. This will hopefully remove any confusion regarding the issue of taqlid, and comfort those who seek clarification on the subject.