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Because of Prevailing Issues in the Islamic Community At-Large, the Editorial Staff (ES) of Shahadah sees the need for these issues to be addressed through the U.S. National Amirate of Amir Abdallah Yasin, Amir of The National Amirate of Masjid Baytul-Khaliq. In each issue of Shahadah the ES intends to present a particular Prevailing Issue. Inshaa’Allah. “ALL I NEED IS THE QUR’AAN AND THE SUNNAH!!!!!”
Otherwise intelligent people have been led, due to their trust, down a dark corridor of ignorance. All too often we hear some people, specifically from among those following or aligning themselves with the so-called “salifiyya” sect, foolishly demeaning the Classical Imams (Imams Hanifa, Maalik, Sha`fee’ and Hambal, the true Salifiyya) and those who have elected to follow these men, whom Allah has blessed to be guides for the generality of the Muslims. Their foolish “unlearned” reasoning is that all they need is the Qur’aan and the Sunnah! Such people ignorantly attempt to cheapen the “High Science” of Ijtihad and destroy the exactness & correctness of the Deen of Islam by acting as their own mujtihids (one who is capable of deriving the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith) and promoting such nonsense to their fellow unlearned! Also: Those so-called Muslim leaders who claim to have developed their own Schools of Islamic Thought, and those who follow them, are playing with the HellFire.
Quoting from an article on Ijtihad, by renown Islamic Scholar, Muzammil H. Siddiqi (one of my former teachers), which was published as the “cover story” of the 2005 Jan/Feb issue of Islamic Horizons, he says: Ijtihad requires pristine sincerity, extensive expertise, and freedom for scholars. He also says: “Since the nature of the Law is religious, the mujtahid is supposed to be a person of piety (taqwa). They should also have good knowledge of:
*Arabic: Language, grammar, syntax and rhetoric
*Qur’aan: Qur’aanic principles and themes, the Makkan and Madini Surahs, asbab al-nuzul (occasions of revelation), nasikh wa mansukh (repealing and repealed rules), etc.
*Sunnah: Prophet’s traditions from authentic sources of Hadith, knowledge of isnad (chain of narration) and matn (content of text), and the critical method of authentication.
*Ijma`: Consensus of the Sahabah and earlier scholars
*Basic objective of the Shari`ah (maqaasid): Protection of religion, life, property, mind and family
*Context: Situation of the time and place (waqi`), and understanding of changing economic, political and social conditions
*Customs and cultures of the people
*Aptitude to make ijtihad: Gifted with an analytical, legal mind and trained to do this type of work
In light of the above, we present below, in its entirety, an article published in IQR’A, Vol. 11, dated May 21st, 1999. IQR’A is a highly informative monthly publication of the Connecticut Council of Masajid; 624 George St.; New Haven, CT 06511 (Tel: 203-777-8004 & 203-562-2040) Chief Editor: Dr. Abdul Hamid.
“TAQLEED AND THE MADHAAHIB IN ISLAM”
Introduction: Very often the following question is posed to many people: "Do you follow the deen [way of life] of Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah ''alayhi) or the deen of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)?" "Obviously the deen of Rasulullah {Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)" comes the instant reply. The second question is then posed: "Why then do you call yourself a hanafi?” The person not well versed is perplexed by this question. Doubts are then created in his mind. He soon starts gradually drifting towards the abandoning of taqleed, ie. following one of the four illustrious Imaams viz. Imaam Abu Hanifa, Imaam Malik, Imaam Shafi'ee and Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal (Rahmatullah 'alayhim).
By means of the type of questions that have been mentioned above, a deliberate attempt is made to create a misconception in the minds of the unwary- that if you are a Hanafi, you are following the deen of Imaaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah alayhi), not the deen of Muhammad (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). This is an absolute fallacy. Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi'), and the other Imaams did not invent any deen of their own. They strictly followed the one and only deen- the deen of Islam brought by Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). Their followers are hence also following the same deen- the deen of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
Why follow any Imaam? The question that arises here is that why then should one follow any of the four Imaams? This can be answered by posing a counter-question: "Do you know all the various laws of deen? Are you capable of extracting and deriving the laws pertaining to wudhu (ablution), salaah (prayer),
zakaah (compulsory charity), nikah (marriage), bai 'a (business) etc., directly from. the Quran and Hadith? Do you know which Hadith has abrogated another? Do you have the ability to reconcile between the various Ahaadith which apparently contradict each other? Do you know which verses of the Qur'an are general in their application and which verses are qualified by other texts? etc., etc., etc." If one does not have the knowledge of these aspects, then one definitely does not have the ability to derive the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith. In that case the following aayah applies directly to us: "Ask those of knowledge if you do not know." (43:7) Hence, when we do not have the enormous amount of knowledge and expertise that is necessary to derive the laws directly from the-Qur'an and Hadith, we have opted to follow one of those great people who had attained that distinguished mastery in this field, among whom is Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi). Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) is a taabi'ee (one who has seen a Sahabi (companion)). He attained the knowledge of Hadith from approximately 4000 asatidha (teachers). . His piety was such that for 40 years he performed fajr with the wudhu of 'esha salaah (i.e. he did not sleep the entire night) [Tareekhul Baghdaad}. His knowledge, brilliance and righteousness was such that all the great scholars of his time attested to his mastery. Thus one can be well assured that such a person is absolutely capable of deriving the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith.
Another reason for adopting one of the Imaams as a guide is the following aayah of the Quran: Allah Ta'aala says: "And follow the path of those who turn to me." (31:15) In order to "turn" to Allah Ta'aala, two aspects are basic requisites- knowledge and practice according to that knowledge. In this regard the four Imaams were on an extremely high category. Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) was regarded by various 'ulama of his time as being the most knowledgeable of the people of that era [Footnotes ofTahzeebut-Tahzeeb, vol. 1, pg. 451]. Makki bin Ibrahim, who was one of the renowned ustaads of Imaam Bukhari (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) was a student of Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi). Imaam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) compiled a book of Hadith titled "Kitaabul-Aathaar" from among 40,000 ahaadith. Thus those who follow such a guide can be satisfied that they are strictly following the commands of Allah Ta'aala and His Rasul (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
Difference of Opinion: At this point, somebody may ask: "If all the Imaams deduced the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith, how is it possible for them to differ on various aspects?" In order to understand the reality of these differences, we will have to go back in history right up to the time of the Sahaaba (Radhiyallaahu 'anhum).
Once Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) had just returned from a battle when he ordered the Sahaaba (Radhiyallaahu ''anhum) to immediately proceed to the place of Banu Quraizah- a clan of Jews who lived on the outskirts of Madina Munawwarah. The purpose was to lay a siege upon them for having broken the pact that they had made with the Muslims. In order to impress the urgency of the matter upon the Sahaaba (Radhiyallaahu 'anhum), Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said to them: "None of you should perform your 'asr salaah except in Banu Quraizah". While the Sahaaba (Radhiyallahu' anhum) were still en-route, the time of 'asr arrived. Some Sahaaba (Radhiyallahu 'anhum) felt that they should perform their 'asr immediately.
They regarded the instruction of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) as actually being a command to proceed very swiftly to their destination. It did not imply that the 'asr salaah could not be performed en-route. They thus performed their salaah there. Another group of Sahaaba (Radhiyallaahu 'anhum) viewed the instruction literally. They therefore continued and only performed the 'asr salaah after having reached Banu Quraizah. Later when Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was informed about this, he did not rebuke either group [Sahih Bukhaari].
Thus we find that the difference arose from a point of interpretation. However, this difference of interpretation is only entertained when it comes from a person who has in-depth knowledge of deen and has attained a mastery in the Qur'an and Hadith and the other related aspects. At times a difference of opinion occurs due to the different narrations that are found with regards to a particular aspect. One Imaam gives preference to one narration on the basis of various criteria while the other Imaam, in the light of his knowledge, prefers the other narration. This is basically the manner in which these differences occur. However, just as Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) did not rebuke either of the two groups in the incident mentioned above, similarly since the Imaams have attained the status of a mujtahid (one who is capable of deriving the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith), they will not be blameworthy even, if they have erred. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) is reported to have said: "When a haakim (ruler) passes judgment, and after having exerted his utmost effort he arrives at the correct solution, he gets a double reward. And if he errs after having exerted his utmost ability, he gets one reward." [Bukhaari, vol. 2, pg. 1092] Ibnul-Munzir (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) while commenting on this Hadith writes that a ruler will only get this reward if he has thorough knowledge and in the light of his knowledge he passed judgment. [See footnotes of Sahih Bukhaari.] The four Imaams had the ability and necessary knowledge to practice ijtihaad. Thus they fall under the ambit of this Hadith.
Why follow One Imaam Only? Another point that often comes up is the following: Why is it necessary to follow one Imaam only? Why can one not follow a certain Imaam in one aspect and another Imaam in another aspect? The simple answer to this is: On what basis will one pick and choose, especially since one does not have the knowledge required to derive the laws? Thus one will not be in a position to evaluate the deductions of each Imaam. Hence it will obviously be on the basis of what suits one. This is nothing but following one's desires- regarding which Allah Ta'aala has issued severe warnings in the Qur'an. Following one's desires sometimes even leads a person to kufr. Thus great jurists of latter times, among them Shah Waliullah (Rahmatullah 'alayhi) have reaffirmed that it is waajib for the masses to follow one Imaam only.
Authenticity of Hadith: Here one more point needs clarification with regards to the authenticity of Ahaadith. The general masses are made to believe that a Hadith is only authentic if it is related in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. This is a misconception. The authenticity of the Hadith is based on its chain of narrators, irrespective of whether it appears in any one of the Sihah Sitta (the famous six authentic compilations of Hadith) or in any other compilation besides these. Imaam Muslim has written in his Muqaddama (Introduction to Sahih Muslim) that he has not recorded every authentic Hadith in his Sahih. Actually, according to Imaam Bukhaari and Imaam Muslim, there are more authentic Ahaadith which are not recorded in the Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim than the number of narrations contained in these two books. The Hanafi Madh-hab is derived directly from the Quran and Hadith, like all the other madh-habs. However, to truly appreciate the conformity of the Hanafi madh-hab [or any of the other three] with the Hadith, one will have to undertake a thorough study of all the books of Hadith: including the following: (1) Sharah Ma 'anil-Aathaar (2) Al-jawhar-an-Naqi (3) Nasbur-Raayah (4) Ie 'la-us-Sunan (5) Bazlul-Majhood (6) Fathuh-Mulhim (7) Awjazul-Masaalik (8) Aathaarus-Sunan, etc.
Purpose Of This Article: It has already been explained above that the differences between the Imaams are based on the different narrations or the difference of interpretation. However, all the Imaams have their proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah. Thus it is the duty of every person, while strictly following his Imaam, to respect and honor the other Imaams and their followers. Nevertheless, in this belated age there are many people who have cast aside the following of any of the four Imaams completely. Instead, while claiming to follow the Qur'an and Hadith directly, they in reality have begun to follow the interpretations of (i.e. make taqleed of) some modern day ghair muqallid (one who has abandoned taqleed). However, coupled with this they often will be found denigrating the followers of an Imaam and classifying them as people following the deen of Imaam Abu Hanifa and others- not the deen of Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam). \ They make themselves out as being the only ones who follow Hadith while all others are regarded as being contradictory to the Hadith. Many people have become entrapped in this propaganda. Thus, this [article] sets out to explain proofs of specifically those aspects regarding which the Hanafis [and other madhaahib] are generally made a target of abuse. The purpose is to simply bring to the attention of the unwary person that he is following the deen of Rasuhillah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)- not some other deen. This [article] is not intended to create a climate of debate and argument. As already explained, all the Imaams have their proofs. It is hoped that by the means of this [article] the baseless propaganda against those who follow one of the four illustrious Imaams (Rahmatullah 'alayhim) will be halted in its tracks.
Editor's Note: This article has been reproduced from the introduction to the book Authentic Ahaadith Establishing the Hanafi Method of Salaah (Madrasah Taaleem-ud-deen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa).
As noted in this article, taqleed is not a new concept or an accretion to Islam but rather a command and obligation of Islam. It is the way of the Sahaaba (Radhiyallaahu 'anhum), the way that they handed down to the Fuqahaa (Juristic scholars of Islam), the way which was then transmitted authoritatively and authentically from generation to generation until it reached us. And, in this way will it be transmitted to the Day of Qiyaamah. About such scholars Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) has said: "A single Faqeeh (juristic scholar) is harder on Shaitaan than a thousand 'Aabids (pious worshippers who are aware of the necessary rules of worship and daily life)" and "The 'Ulamaa are the Heirs of the Ambiyaa (prophets)."
In such non-Islamic environments as the U.S.A., where so many sects claim to carry the banner of Islam, the average Muslim, convert or otherwise, is often led towards the path of rejecting and even denouncing the established madhaahib in favor of following the teachings of "modern 'mujtahids'.
Who are we to shun the madhaahib and the work done by our pious predecessors, the A 'immah-e-Mujtahideen, who underwent so many trials and tribulations; who devoted their entire lives to the study of the deen and to the practice of the sunnah of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), often at the expense of lashings, torture and imprisonment; who memorized hundreds of thousands of ahaadeeth and derived rulings from them.
It is hoped that this article will guide the sincere Muslim, who has been blessed with the ni'mat of Islam, to study and practice Islam under the guidance of one of the four schools of thought among the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa 'ah (the group on the Path of the Messenger of Allah, Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). If it is difficult to learn from a Darul-Uloom or from an 'Aalim in person, there are many authentic books by the scholars of each madh-hab that can help one to understand the basics of Islam according to any one of them. Allah has also blessed us with many Muslims who may not be "alim " but know how to follow a particular Imaam. We need to take advantage of their presence in our communities.
May Allah Ta 'aala establish us all on the sunnah of His beloved Messenger and Last Prophet, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafaa (Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). Ameen. Ameen. Ameen.
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