Is it permissible to adopt the fatwas of the the Maliki school of thought to facilitate matters of purity (tahara), taking into consideration being afflicted with scrupulosity (waswas)?

When the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, becomes clear, it becomes obligatory to adhere to it, and it is not permissible to abandon it for the saying of anyone, for the Sunnah is ease, with no hardship in it. In matters of ijtihad, it is permissible for a layperson to follow one of the four well-known madhhabs, and he is not obligated to adhere to a specific madhhab in all matters, especially if his choice is for a valid religious and legal purpose, and not merely out of caprice.

It is permissible to switch from one madhhab to another if it is for a religious reason, such as the clarification of the preponderance of one opinion over another, in which case the doer will be rewarded. The intention to correct worship, remove hardship and difficulty, and repel whispers are all valid legal objectives. Following the madhhab of Imam Malik in matters of purification is preferred for two reasons:

1. It is the madhhab of the general populace and the scholars of the land, and this is what people are accustomed to and what they grew up with. 2. The ease and breadth found in Malik's madhhab, for it is closer to the tolerant Hanifiyya, especially in the chapter of purification, which removes excessive hardship and whispers.

No one is obligated to imitate a specific person in all that he commands except the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. It is permissible to imitate in a matter that a person deems more beneficial for his religion or that the opinion in it is more preponderant, by agreement of the majority of scholars. And whoever wishes to adopt a specific madhhab must confirm the madhhab's opinion in the specific matter from its knowledgeable scholars who are familiar with it.