This is the deen of islaam in truth and its fundamental
and its basis is the Book and the Sunnah. So they are the points of reference in
every dispute that the Muslims fall into and he who refers back to other than
them is not a believer! As Allah the most Most high says:
"But no,by your Lord,they can have no
faith,until they make you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) judge in all disputes between them
and find in the,selves no resistance against your decisions and accept (them)
with full submission.[1]
Not one of the scholars
said, 'follow me in my opinion' rather they said, 'take from where
we have taken,' besides, much has been added to these madhabs
from the understanding of their later generations[2]. They contain
many errors and matters of conjecture,which if the Imaams to whom they
are attributed were to see them, then they would absolve themselves
of them and from those who said them.
All of the people of knowledge from the Pious
predecessors clung to the manifest texts of the Book and thew Sunnah and
encouraged the people to stick to them and act accordingly. This is established
from the Imaams from amongst them. Abu Haneefah, Maalik, Ahmad,ash-Shafiee, the two Sufyaans,
ath-Tahwree and Ibn Uyaiynah, al-Hasan al-Basree, Abu Yousuf Yaqoob-the Qadee, Muhammad
ibn al-Hasan ash-Shaybaanee, Abdur Rahmaan al-Awzaee,
Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, al-Bukharee, Muslim and the
rest (ra). All of them
warned against innovations in the Deen
and against blind following of anyone except the infallible Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) .
As for other than him, then he is fallible
whoever he may be, his saying which is in accordance wiht the Book
and the Sunnah is accepted and that which goes against them is to
be rejected. As Imaam Maalik (ra) said, "The saying of everyone
may be taken or rejected except for the companion of this grave" and
he pointed to the grave of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) [3]
The scholars,the four Imaams and the others, all
followed this
way,all of them warned against blind following! Since Allaah, the Most High,
condemned the blind followers in more than one place
in His book. Most of the earlier and later people became disbelievers due
to their blind following of their priests, rabbis, old people and
forefathers. It is established from Imaams Abu Haneefah (ra),
Maailik,ash-Shafiee, Ahmad and others (ra) -that
they said:
"It is not permissible for any one to give judgement with our saying unless
they know the source from which we took it" [4]
"If the hadeeth is found to be authentic then it is my madhab" [5]
"If I say something then compare it to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah
of His Messenger and if it agrees to them,then accept it and that which
goes against them,then reject it and throw my saying against the wall".[6]
These are
the sayings of these prominent Imaams, may allaah enter them into the Home
of Peace.Unfortunately, the later blind followers and authors who wrote the
books, whom the people think to be scholars and infallible mujtahids, have made
it obligatory for the people to blindly follow one of the four
Imaams and their well known madhaabs. After declaring this to be obligatory, they forbade
taking or acting upon anyone else's saying,it is as if
they have made him (ie the Imaam) Prophet to be obeyed. It would have been
better had they acted upon the sayings of the Imaams.However, most of
them know nothing of the Imaam whom they claim to follow,except his
name. Further,some of the latter followers invented questions, created new
madhabs and ascribed them to the original Imaams. So those who
came after them think that it is the saying of the Imaaam or his students
and in reality it goes against what the Imaam said and approved;he is
free from what they ascribe to him, such as the saying of many of
the later Hanafees that it is forbidden to point the forefinger in the
tashshuud in prayer [6] or that what is meant by Allah's hand id His
power,or that He is present by His Dhaat (self) in every place and not
above the Arsh because of this and its like the unity of the Muslims has
been destroyed their community has seperated, the splits increased and the
horizons filled with hypocrisy and disunity!Each of them declaring those
who differ from them in the slightest matter to be upon misguidance ,to
the extent that some of them declare the others to be disbelievers and
some striking the necks of the others to be disbelievers and some
striking the necks of the others and have become fitting for what the
truthful and trustworthy Messenger, the most noble of us ,Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) said,
"My Ummah will split into seventy -three
sects,all of them in the fire except one" It was said, 'Who are they O
Messenger of Allaah? He said, "That which I and my Companions are
upon" [7]
FOOT NOTES
[1]
Sooratun-Nisaa(4):65
[2] The following of madhabs has not only led the
blind followers to prefer the sayings and opinions of men to the clear
texts of the Quran and Sunnah,it has further taken them even to forget the
authentic sayings of their own Imaams(ra)-preferring the sayings of the later followers,thinkinbg
that they are the madhabs of the scholars, without
discrimination or research and that is due only to
the severity of their blind following.It is known that the scholars wrote down
their positions in books and left what they regarded to be
correct according to their own ijtihaad.Imaam Maalik(ra) -left his position in al-Muwatta and Imaam
ash-Shafiee left his position in al-Umm. If we wish
to know the madhab of any of those scholars we have to refer
back to his book.It is not fitting as being the saying of Imaam Maalik, Imaam
Ash-Shafiee and Imaam Abu Haneefah (ra) -which they never said or did.
For example, the Maalikees leave their arms at their
side, during the Slaah and read Qunoot in fajr,whereas we find Maailik-(ra)
quotes in al-Muwatta: "Chapter: placing the two hands,
one upon the other in Prayer."He reported narrations therein,from them: That
Abdul Kareem ibn Abil Makhaariq al-basaree said, "From the
sayings of prophethood is: If you feel shame, then do as you wish;
placing the hands one upon the other in prayer;being early in
breaking the fast;and delaying taking the predawn meal (suhoor)"
But the later Maalikees use
as evidence that Maalik used to pray with his hands hanging at his side,this
is ignorance with regard to the madhab which they follow.Since Jafar ibn
Sulayman, the governor of al-Madeenah lashed the Imaam in the
year 146H and streched out his arms until his hands became dislocated and so
he was not able to place his hands one over the other in Prayer.(See
al-Intiqaa, p.44). He wrote al-Muwatta two years after this happened.
Imaam Maalik (ra) also reports in the chapter of the
Qunoot in Fajr prayer (1/159) that, "Ibn Umar(ra) did not read the
Qunoot in any of his prayers".
As for Imaam ash-Shafiee
(ra) then it is ignorantly attributed to him that he holds
the salaat upon the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) to be a sunnah whereas he says in al-Umm
(1/117) that it is obligatory:"Allaah, the Most high, made
obligatory the salaat upon His Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) saying:
"Allah and the angels send salaat upon the
Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) : O you who believe send salaat upon him and greet him with
respect.(
Sooratul-Ahzaab (33):56)
There is no place
which has more right for that be obligatory therein than within the Prayer.We
find proof from Allahs Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) of what I have said,that
salaat upon His Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) is obligatory in prayer and Allaah,
the Most high, knows best.
As for the books of later Hanafees, such
as al-Khulaash of al-Kaidanee,they quote that amongst those things which
are prohibited in prayer is making a sign with your
forefinger, like Ahlul-Hadeeth. In the book of Prayer of al-Masoodee,
he states that pointing with the forefinger was a Sunnah with
the older generations, then was practiced by the Sheeah and Raffidees
and so the later scholars of Ahlus-Sunnah left it and so became
abrogated.Whereas we find in fath-ulQadeer of ibn ul-Hammaam and he is
one of the greatest of them, that the pointing is Sunnah and that
he who says other than that then he has gone against what is related, rather
Muhhamad ibn al-Hasan ash- Shaybaanee, the student of Abu
Haneefah reported in his Muwatta that it is Sunnah. Is there not in
these examples a clear proof that blind following of madhabs is a
calamity that has taken the Muslims away from the following the way of
the beset of generations?!
[3] This excellent saying,overflowing with great
wisdom,was said by the learned man of this Ummah, Abdullaah
ibn Abbas (ra) as quoted by Taqiyyuddeen as-Subkee in his Fatawaa(1/148) being
amazed by its beauty. It was taken from
Ibn Abbaas (rta) by Mujaahid, as occurs in Jaami Bayaan ul-ilm
wa Fadlihee (1/91) and al-Ihkaam fee Usool il-Ahkaam (1/145). Maalik
took it from Mujaahid and it is ascribed to Maalik and became
well known from him. It was taken from them by Imaam Ahmad (ra) Abu
Daawood says in Masaa-il-ul-Imaam Ahmad (p.276) "I heard Ahmad say: There
is no one except that his opinion may be taken or left,except fpr the
prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) .
[4]
From the sayings of Imaam Abu Haneefahan-Nauman (ra) and it is
established from him by a number of narrations.See al-Intiqaa of Ibn
'Abdul-Barr(p.145) and Alaam ul-Muwaqqieen of Ibn ul-Qayyim(2/309).
[5] The two
Imaams Abu Haneefah and ash-Shaafiee (ra) stated that. See Rasm
ul-Muftee from the collected Rasaa'il of ibn 'Abideen (1/4) and Eeqaz
ul-Hamam of al-Fulaanee (p.62 and 107).Imaam ash-Shafiee (ra)-said
to Imaam Ahmad (ra) "You know better about hadeeth than us, so if an
authentic hadeeth comes to you,then inform me of it,that I may according
to it,whether its source is the Hijaaz or Koofa or Egypt" (See al-Intiqaa
of Ibn Abdul-Barr,p.75).
[6] This
is a saying of ash-Shafiee(ra). See al-Majmoo of an-Nawawee(1/63)
and Alaam ul-Muwaqqieen of Ibn ul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (2/361)
[7]
You should know,O brother in Islaam,may Allaah grant you success by
His obedience and guide you to the truth by his permission,that the truth
about the matters which the author mentioned from the later Hanafees is
as follows:
(i) As regards the pointing with the forefinger
in Tashahhud:
The author mentioned that the
later hanafees reject pointing with the forefinger in more than one
place in his treatise and that they go against the 'verfiers' within their
own madhab. (Amongst them) Imaam at-Tahawee said in his book
Sharh Maaniyy ul-Aathaar" In it is a proof that it was at the
end of prayer" and ash-Shaykh Abul Hasan as-Sindee says in his footnotes to
the Sunan of an-Nasaee(2/236), "The hadeeth about pointing has preceded and
the majority of our scholars and others have accepted that,as for rejection
of that by some of our scholars,than that deserves no attention".The sunnah
with regards to pointing ,is to move the forefinger throughout the
tashahhud,in accordance with the hadeeth of Wail ibn Hujr(ra) -which
is reported by Ahmad(4/138), Abu Daawood(no.727), an-Nasaaee(2/236), ad-Daarimee
(1/314-315),I bn
ul-Jaarood(no.208) and Ibn Khuzaimah (no.714) with Saheeh isnaad and
there occurs in it,
"...then he closed his fingers and made a ring,then he raised his finger and I saw him moving it and making duaa with it, then I came in a time
and when it was cold and so I saw the people with cloaks upon them moving
their hands beneath their clothes due to the cold".
As for the hadeeth of Abdullah ibn az-Zubair (ra)- where in is
mentioned that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) used to point with his finger
when he made duaa and not move it.It is reported by Abu Dawood(no.989), its
isnaad is not authentic since it contains Muhammad ibn 'Ajalah,about whom
adh-Dhabee says, "of average memory," The ahadeeth of the
like of him are not acceptable if they contradict anyone who is more
reliable than him and his narration becomes shaadh and therefore Muslim does
not report from him except to endorse something. Even if this
hadeeth were established,then it is a denial and the
hadeeth of Waail ibn Hujr is affirming. That which affirms is taken over
that which denies, since the one who affirms something has
an increase in knowledge and what he knows is a proof against he who
does not. This sunnah is also from the sayings of Imaam Maalik (ra)-as
occurs in the book ar-Risaalah of Abdullah ibn Abee Zaid al-Qairwanee
al-Maalikee (p.27) and the book al-Fiqh alal madhaahib il-Arbaah (no.98).Imaam
Ahmad was asked,Should a man point his finger in the
Prayer? So he said,"Yes strongly." See Masaail ul-Imaam Ahmad,the narration
of Ibn Haani (1/80).
ii) Denying thgat Allaah is above the heavens:
Perhaps the clearest
proof that destroys the faslehood of those blind followers is that
which occurs in al-Fiqh ul-Akbar (p.19 of the Egyptian printing) which is
famous amongst the Hanafees and attributed to Abu haneefah: That Abu
haneefah was asked about someone who says, 'I do not know
if my lord is in the heavens or the earth?' So he said, 'He has
disbelieved since Allaah ,the Most High says:
The Most Merciful ascended above the throne(Arsh) (Soorah Taaha) (20):5)
And His Arsh is above the heavens."So I said,if he says,'I say he is
above the Arsh ,but I do not know if the Arsh is in the heavens or the
earth? he said,"If he denies that He is above the sky,then he has
disbelieved"
Imaam
at-Tahawee al-Hanafee,says in his Aqeedah,"That Allaah the Most High
is above the Arsh and whatever is below it, encompassing everything
and above it".
Like
wise,Ibn Abil 'Izz al-Hanafee says in his Sharh al-Aqeedatut-Tahaawiyyah
(p.323 of the Maktab al-Islaamee printing),
commenting upon those later blind followers and the like, "No notice is
to be taken of those who ascribe themselves to the madhab if Abu haneefah,
since groups of Mutazilah and others ascribe themselves to him, who go
against him in many of his beliefs."
This explanation and its like establish that Abu haneefah and his early
companions and the verifiers of the later scholars are with the (rest of
the ) Salaf in believing that Allaah is above His creation and that he
is above the heavens.(This belief) is shown clearly by the authentic
ahaadeeth such as the hadeeth of the slave girl and it is stated in the
clear aayaahs such as His,the Glorious and Most High's saying:
"Do you feel secure that He is above the
sky,will not cause you to be swalloed up by the earth when it shakes (as in the
earh quake)?
(Sooratul
Mulk)(67:16)
[7] Saheeh: Reported
by Abu Daawood,at-Tirmidhee ,Ahmad,Ibn Maajah and al-Haakim
and others from Abu Hurairah (rta) from the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wasallam) .
It is reported by
Abu Daawodd (2/503-504), ad-Daarimee (2/241), Ahmad and al-Haakim (1/128),
who declared it Saheeh and adh-Dhahabee agreed from the hadeeth
of Muaawiyaah ibn Abee Sufyaan (ra) in marfoo' form.
It is reported
by Ibn Maajah (2/1322) from Awf ibn Maailik (ra) in marfoo form.
It
is declared Saheeh by our shaykh in Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth us-Saheehah (3/480)
and declared Saheeh by a number of the scholars,such as ash-Shatibee
in al-Istisaam (2/189-190) and muhammad ibn al-Wazeer in ar-Rawd-ul-Baasim
(2/115) and our Shaykh in Silsilatul-Ahaadeeth us-Saheehah
(no.203 and 204) and Ibn katheer in his tafseer of the sublime
Quraan (1/390) that it was strong and al-Haafidh Ib hajr declares it
hasan in Takhreej ul-Kashhaaf (p.63) saying, "And its isnaad is hasan".
The narration which al-Masoomee (ra) mentioned is
reported by at-Tirmidhee
(5/25) by way of Abd ur-Rahmaan ibn Ziyaad al-Ifreeqee,
the judge of Africa,who is weak on account of his
memory, as al-Haafidh says in at-Taqreeb. However it has a supporting narration
which brings it to the level of Hasan, which is reported
by al-'Uqailee in ad-Duafaa and at-Tabaranee in as-Sagheer (no.150) by way
of Abdullah ibn Sufyaan al-Madanee, from Yahya ibn Saeed
al-Ansaree from Anas (ra) in marfoo form. Therefore al-Haafidh
al-Iraqee indicates Hasan in al-Mughnee an Hamlil-Asfaar (3/199)
and it is declared Hasan by our Shaykh al-Albanee
(ha) in Saheeh ul-Jaami(5/80).
The Basis of Islaam is to Act upon the Book and the Sunnah