Political considerations in the 'Abbaside period compelled people to follow a particular Madhhab, which would serve their political goals and interests. As a result of the rivalries, conflicts and confrontations that took place, and strengthened the existing tendencies to exclusiveness the gate to Ijtihad was practically closed in the fourth century of Hijrah calendar.

The post of judgeship, which was once a position of political significance in the Islamic governments, has played a significant role in bringing this change. The chaos in Sunni schools of Fiqh, following the use of Qiyas, Istihsan, and Masalih al-Mursalah, was one of the main causes of the fatwa forbidding the practice of Ijtihad. It is because the fuqaha' (scholars of Fiqh) feared that incompetent persons may pass ill-considered decrees and create a legal chaos. Accordingly, they called for an end to Ijtihad. 29

Since the seventh century of Hijrah onwards, the task of Sunni scholars of Fiqh was only to ascertain strong opinions distinguishing them from the weak ones in their respective Madhhab. In this regard some of them made an attempt to write concise works on which others wrote elaborate glosses, on which some others wrote further glosses and annotations.

Exclusiveness in the field of jurisprudence, stagnation and the trend of imitation (Taqlid) lead to a great many harmful consequences for Islam and the Muslims. Among these were confrontations between the followers of different Madhahib, which occasionally went to such extremities as massacre of people and the use of the material, intellectual and academic resources of Muslims to establish the supremacy of a particular Madhhab. It created, with passing of time, deep-rooted differences and feelings of animosity within the Muslim 'ummah, (nation) the fire of which still consumes the Muslim world and claims victims.