Do we have to follow a madhab?

So madhhabs are there to provide a principled approach when we're deriving and looking at specific rulings. If you don't have a madhhab, it's not a problem. Allah says in the Quran, فَسَلُوا أَهْلَ ذِكْرِ إِن كُنْتُمْ لَتَعْلَمُونَ Ask somebody of knowledge, whoever that person may be, that you trust, who studied and is able to give you a specific ruling. So you don't have to follow a madhhab if you don't have one. All we need to do is follow a scholar, whoever the scholar is that you trust, and ask them for their particular view. And that's all that Allah asks us to do.