Tell me the schools of Junayd Al-Baghdaadi, Maalik Ibn Deenaar, Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalaani and Imaam Al-Ghazaali.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Junayd Ibn Mohammad Ibn Al-Junayd An-Naahawandi Al-Baghdaadi in his early development used to seek religious knowledge with the people of Hadeeth School like Abu 'Ubayd and Abu Thawr and he did not follow or restrict himself to a particular school.

Abu Nu'aym Al-Asbahaani stated in his book Hilyat Al-Awliyaa', that Junayd Al-Baghdaadi said: "Our knowledge is bound to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Whoever did not memorize the Quran and record the Hadeeth and did not seek religious knowledge is not to be imitated."

In his first stages he used to seek knowledge with the people of Hadeeth like Abu 'Ubayd and Abu Thawr so he mastered the principles: i.e. the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . Afterwards, he secluded himself and endeavoured to perform acts of worship.

Imaam Ath-Thahabi said (about him): "He mastered the religious knowledge and then he took care of himself, worshipping and uttering the words of wisdom."

Maalik Ibn Deenaar used to be likewise. He did not restrict himself to a specific School. Indeed, he was born before the 'Four Schools' were established. He was born during the time of Ibn 'Abbaas and heard (the Ahadeeth of the Prophet ) from Maalik Ibn Anas . So he reported

Ahadeeth from him and from Sa'eed Ibn Jubayr and Al-Hassan Al-Basri and other Taabi'is (the generation that followed that of the Companions).

Concerning Al-Haafith Ibn Hajar Al-'Asqalaani, and Imaam Abu Haamed Al-Ghazaali they followed Ash-Shaafi'i School of jurisprudence but they used to follow the evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah is cases in which these were different in evidence from the School of Ash-Shaafi'i .

For more benefit about the ruling of following the Fiqh Schools, and details about the date of their establishment, please refer to Fataawa 82358, 87424, 82570, 82778 and 84248.

Allaah Knows best.