[#[SoftAzerZx]]

I have grown up following the hanafi school and have always loved Abu Hanifa, his school and our contemporary Deoband Ulama. I am finding however, that as time passes my heart is gradually turning more and more towards the hanbali school. but of course I respect all the imams and schools.

I am considering switching but am worried about the consequences. I would class myself currently as Athari in aqida, hanafi in fiqh and I also have a deobandi shaykh in tasawuf.

please can hanafi and any hanbali brothers advice me and help me with the following issues;
hanafis
-my local masjid occasionally asks me to lead the salah in the absence of the imam. would me switching to the hanbali school create unnecessary fitna in the masjid as it is mainly hanafi?
-I do not want to lose my connection with the deoband ulama whose scholarship I love and respect. how would me following the hanbali school affect this relationship?
hanbalis
-I am concerned that a lack of hanbali scholars in the UK and not being able to speak arabic would cause me a lot of difficulty in learning the madhab.
-would me having a shaykh in tasawuf be problematic amongst the hanabilah? i.e would they consider it to be a bid'a?
-so far I have found www.ibnfarooq.com. and am aware of a few hanbalis in the west such as abu easa, musa furber. please advise how/where i could learn the basics of the madhab.