Following the 4 mathhabs

salaam. I am worried about an increasing view that one should not follow the 4 immams. The argument stems from the fact that they came after nabi(saw) and that the sahaabah(r.a) followed only nabi(saw). For example:there are many different ways of performing salaah according to the which madhab one follows. This means that nabi(saw) read salaah in all these different ways.Now which method of salaah did the sahaabah(r.a) employ when in congregation where nabi(saw) was not present? And how is it that for one madhab eg.prawns are makrooh but for another it is halaal? shukran