quote:

Imaam ash-Shawkaanee (rahimahullaah) said: The Seventh Study From the Studies of The Second Question His saying, "And is taqleed in the matter of al-Jarh wat-Ta'deel sound (i.e. applicable, acceptable)?" I say: It is desirable for the questioner to know  - may Allaah pardon him - that taqleed is to accept the opinion (ra'i) of someone else, as opposed to his riwaayah (narration), without requesting the proof. And the ta'deel (appraisal) of the mu'addil for a narrator is not a (mere) opinion concerning anything. Rather it is a narrative of the condition of the one whom he makes ta'deel of or makes jarh of. This is because he narrates to us whatever is known to him about the condition of the narrator. And this, without doubt, is from (the angle of) narration, and not (mere) opinion, hence taqleed has no point of entry into this matter. And some of the latecomers have actually brought (this matter) with the intent of causing doubt about those claiming Ijtihaad, claiming that they have not actually left taqleed, from this angle. And you know well that this doubt-mongering (tashkeek) is falsehood, and which has arisen from the absence of distinction between ra'i (opinion) and riwaayah (narration)." In a small treatise called "al-'Adhb an-Nameer Fee Jawaab Masaa'il 'Aalim Bilaad 'Aseer", found within al-Fath ar-Rabbaanee of ash-Shawkaanee (1/218-219).