Recitation of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah in Funeral Prayer and the Invalidity of Abrogation Claims

A narration from the companion of the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyida Umm Shareek (RA):

امرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ان نقرأ على الجنازة بفاتحة الكتاب .

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded us to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.

Allama Busiri has classified the chain of this hadith as Hasan.

Hazrat Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Deobandi (1394 AH) also accepted its chain as Hasan.

This hadith has been mentioned by Imam Tirmidhi, Imam Ibn Majah, Hafiz Ibn Al-Jawzi, Hafiz Nawawi, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on them) and others regarding the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. However, some scholars have expressed some doubts about the authenticity of this hadith. We will now analyze it in detail:

Due to the following two narrators, some eminent hadith scholars have discussed this hadith:
➊ Hamad bin Jaafar and ➋ Shahr bin Hawshab
Let us examine the detailed conditions of both:

✔Authentication of Hamad bin Jaafar

About Hamad bin Jaafar:
✿ Imam Yahya bin Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him (158-233 AH), says:

حماد بن جعفر بصري ثقة .

“Hamad bin Jaafar is a resident of Basra and a trustworthy narrator.”

✿ Imam Ibn Shaheen, may Allah have mercy on him (297-385 AH), also declared him trustworthy.

Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him (d. 354 AH), holds the same view.

◈The reality of criticism on Hamad bin Jaafar

As for Abu al-Fath al-Azdi’s statement:

نسب إلى الضعف .

“It has been attributed to weakness.”

Firstly, this statement is to be disregarded due to lack of evidence.
Secondly, Abu al-Fath al-Azdi himself is a criticized narrator.

It is necessary for one who judges the criticism or praise of another narrator to be free from criticism himself.

◈ Abu al-Fath al-Azdi himself is criticized

Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, while narrating the criticism of Abu al-Fath al-Azdi on a narrator, says:

وقال أبو الفتح الأزدي منكر الحديث غير مرضي قلت لم يلتفت أحد إلى هذا القول بل الأزدي غير مرضي .

“Abu al-Fath al-Azdi says that (Ahmad ibn Shabib) is a denier of hadith and an undesirable personality. I (Ibn Hajar) say that no muhaddith considered (Abu al-Fath al-Azdi’s) statement worthy of attention; rather, (according to the muhaddithun) al-Azdi himself is an undesirable personality.”

The third point is that Abu al-Fath al-Azdi’s statement “his weakness has been attributed to him” is very ambiguous. It is unknown to Abu al-Fath al-Azdi which people considered him “weak.”

◈ A Doubt of Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him!

And as for the matter that Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, said about Hamad bin Jaafar:

حماد بن جعفر أظنه بصريا منكر الحديث .

“Hamad bin Jaafar, who in my opinion is Basri, is a denier of hadith.”

This is based on a suspicion. The words of Imam Ibn Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, indicate that he was not certain about which Hamad bin Jaafar he was declaring as a denier of hadith. In fact, there were two narrators named Hamad bin Jaafar. After mentioning Imam Ibn Adi’s criticism of Hamad bin Jaafar, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, says:

وفرق أبو حاتم بينه وبين حماد بن جعفر الرازي .

“Imam Abu Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him, considered Hamad bin Jaafar al-Basri and Hamad bin Jaafar al-Razi as two separate individuals.”

It is not unlikely that the one deserving of Imam Ibn Adi’s criticism was Hamad bin Jaafar al-Razi rather than Hamad bin Jaafar al-Basri. He might have confused the two, so the criticism meant for al-Razi was applied to al-Basri. The doubtful words are clear evidence of this.
Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, also mentioned two narrators named Hamad bin Jaafar. This clearly shows that the subject of Imam Ibn Adi’s criticism cannot certainly be Hamad bin Jaafar al-Basri. Moreover, the previous pages bear witness that Imam Yahya bin Ma’in and Imam Ibn Shahin, may Allah have mercy on them, declared Hamad bin Jaafar to be trustworthy without any doubt.
Now, what about those who accept this matter with certainty or those who themselves express doubt and suspicion about it?

✔Verification of Shahr bin Hawshab

Shahr bin Hawshab is considered Hasan al-Hadith by the majority of the great narrators. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal

, Imam Yahya bin Ma’in

, Imam Abu Zur’ah

, Imam Ajli

, Imam Bukhari

, Imam Abu Hatim Razi

, Imam Tirmidhi

and others, may Allah have mercy on them, have declared him trustworthy and truthful.

◈ The reality of criticism on Shahr bin Hawshab

All the criticisms against him are ineffective.
Hafiz Ibn al-Qattan al-Fasi, may Allah have mercy on him (628 AH), responding to the criticism, writes:

ولم أسمع لمضعفيه حجة وما ذكروه كله إما لا يصح وإما خارج على مخرج لا يضره .

“I have not heard any evidence from those who declared him weak. The matters they mentioned are either not proven or are such that they do not harm his reliability.”

Hafiz Nawawi, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:

وقد جرحه جماعة لكن وثقه الأكثرون وبينوا أن الجرح كان مستيدا إلى ما ليس بجارح .

“A group of hadith scholars criticized him, but most of the noble muhaddithin have declared him trustworthy and stated that the basis of criticism against (Shahr ibn Hawshab) is something that does not warrant criticism.”

Hafiz al-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy on him (748 AH), wrote “Sahih” at the beginning of his biography, which means that according to Hafiz al-Dhahabi, the criticism against him is rejected and the authentication is stronger, as Hafiz Ibn al-Mulaqqin, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:

وهو إشارة منه إلى أن العمل على توثيق ذلك الرجل .

“This (Sahih) is an indication from him (Hafiz al-Dhahabi) that the ruling will be based on the authentication of this man.”

Hafiz al-Dhahabi also wrote:

الرجل غير مدفوع من صدق علم والاحتجاج به مترجح .

“The truthfulness and knowledge of this narrator are established; his being reliable is the stronger position.”

Hafiz Busiri, may Allah have mercy on him (807 AH), says about him:

وحديثه حسن .

“His hadith is Hasan.”

He also states:

والصحيح أنهما ثقتان ولا يقدح الكلام فيهما .

“The correct view is that both (Abdul Hamid ibn Bahram and Shahr ibn Hawshab) are trustworthy; the critical remarks about them do not cause disqualification.”

Thus, this hadith is completely free from any defect in terms of its chain. Its chain is undoubtedly Hasan. The acknowledgment of the hadith being Hasan by Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi has already been mentioned in the previous pages. However, despite accepting this hadith as Hasan, Thanvi Sahib and other Deobandi scholars have also raised objections against it.
Let us analyze their objections:

➊ How can the narration of an unknown woman be accepted?

Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi (1394 AH) writes:

واختلف فى تعيينها اختلافا كثيرا كما يظهر من الإصابة وجهالة الصحابة وإن كانت لا تضر ولكن يبعد أن يخفى أمر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم لا سيما أمره فى صلاة الجنازة التى حالها أكشف للرجال من النساء على أحلة الصحابة وتعرفه هذه المجهولة إن ذلك لعجيب .

“There is a great deal of disagreement regarding her (Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her), as is clear from studying (Hafiz Ibn Hajar’s book) ‘Al-Isabah.’ Although not knowing the conditions of the Companions is not harmful, it is unlikely that the noble command of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, would remain hidden from the Companions, while this unknown female Companion would be aware of it, especially when the command relates to the funeral prayer, a matter more apparent to men than women. This is very strange.”

Analysis

● From the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, not even a single lowly Companion is proven to have omitted or prohibited the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. The narrations from the Companions regarding this matter will be presented in the second chapter, InshaAllah!
● It is established from several Companions, including Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, that they used to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer and considered it a Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as will be explained in detail in the next chapter. Is not Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, a noble Companion?
● When Maulana Thanvi Sahib accepted the chain of narration as Hasan (good), it is as if he declared that indeed Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her, heard the command from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. Even after hearing this exalted statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and accepting its chain as Hasan, raising such objections cannot be the way of a follower of the Sunnah.
May Allah grant us the courage to follow the Sunnah. Ameen!
● Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her, has narrated exactly what Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, and other Companions narrated from the teachings of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. It has been explained in detail in previous pages that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, and Sayyiduna Abu Imamah bin Suhail, may Allah be pleased with him, declared the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer as a Prophetic Sunnah. Also, Sayyiduna Ubada bin Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated the statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, that “There is no prayer without the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha.” And in this hadith, Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her, stated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded them to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.
Now we leave the decision to the fair-minded readers and ask them: Is what Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her, has narrated in agreement with or opposed to the statements of the other Companions, may Allah be pleased with them?

➋ The Principle Followers’ Lack of Principle: Following the Prophetic Command is Not Necessary!

Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Deobandi Sahib raises another objection on this hadith, stating:

وأيضا فقول الصحابي أمرنا النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بكذا قد اختلف فى دلالته على الوجوب فإن الوجوب مختص بصيغة افعل دون لفظ الأمر كما ذكره الأصوليون مفصلا .

“Then there is also the matter of whether a companion’s statement that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, commanded us in such a way is proof of obligation or not; there is a difference of opinion in this, because obligation only occurs with the word ‘Af’al’ (do), not with the word ‘Hukm’ (command), as the principle followers have explained in detail.”

Analysis

● Dear readers, observe that after the blessed command of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, has come, it is being said to escape from it that it is not obligatory. This is a very wrong approach. Does it suit any Muslim?

◈ Just imagine…

Our Deobandi brothers, for the sake of Allah, close your eyes for a moment, travel in your thoughts to Madinah, take yourself for a while to the gathering of the Prophet, where those devoted companions of the Prophet ﷺ are present who are so immersed in love and reverence for him ﷺ that they do not let a single drop of his ablution fall on the ground. They listen to the words of the Prophet ﷺ with such concentration as if birds are sitting on their heads. Their level of sacrifice is such that if the Master commands, they would jump from the mountains, dive into the seas, and sacrifice everything for him, considering that they have done nothing. In the honorable court, considering even the sacrifice of their lives as insignificant, they wish that they had thousands of lives to offer and all would be sacrificed at the feet of the Master, saying: O Master! If this humble gift is accepted, it would be your great favor and our great fortune.

Now return from the world of imagination to the world of reality and think: if someone informs these devoted ones that the Master has ordered the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, what would their reaction be? Would they say that this does not prove obligation? May Allah protect us from these “principlists” who have turned religion into a complicated puzzle! For us, the standard is the spirit of following the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, or the hair-splitting of these “principlists”?

◈ Requirement of Other Evidences

Then external evidences also indicate the obligation of this Prophetic command. For example, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “No prayer is accepted without the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha.” Similarly, the Quran commands recitation, on the basis of which the Hanafi jurists have also declared general recitation in prayer to be obligatory. A detailed explanation of this is coming in the first chapter of the fourth section.
Since the funeral prayer is also a prayer, recitation is obligatory in it as well. From this perspective, the Prophetic command referred to in the hadith narrated by Sayyida Umm Shareek (may Allah be pleased with her) means that recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha is obligatory in the funeral prayer.

➌ There is Speech in Its Chain of Transmission!

Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Deobandi Sahib, while raising the third objection, writes:

وأيضا ففي سنده كلام كما تقدم وأثر ابن عباس أقوى منه سندا وقد صرح بكون القرائة سنة فيحمل الأمر فى حديث أم شريك على الندب كي لا يعارض ما هو أقوى منه فيصير ساقط الاعتبار .

“Then, as has been stated, there is also speech in its chain of narration, whereas the narration of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما is stronger in terms of the chain. In it, he has explicitly stated that the recitation is Sunnah. Therefore, the ruling present in the hadith of Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها will be interpreted as recommended (mustahabb) so that it does not become invalid by opposing a stronger narration than itself.”

Analysis

● It is not necessary that a chain of narration containing a statement becomes weak; rather, the nature of the statement is considered to make a judgment. You have observed the nature and reality of the statement narrated by Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها. Thanaawi Sahib himself has accepted it as “Hasan,” meaning worthy of being a proof. Now, using the presence of a statement in its chain as an excuse merely to avoid acting upon this hadith is a flimsy pretext.
➋ We have discussed in detail the hadith of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما in Chapter Two, where it has been established that the muhaddithin and fuqaha have understood from this hadith the obligation of reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. Also, the intention of Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما in this hadith was to describe the blessed method of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, which he used to adopt in the funeral prayer. This statement does not negate the obligation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.
Furthermore, in Chapter Three, we have narrated the hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Imamah bin Sahl رضي الله عنه, in which he declared the takbeer, salawat, du’a, and salaam in the funeral prayer as Sunnah. If the Sunnah mentioned by Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما implies negation of obligation, then according to Sayyiduna Abu Imamah bin Sahl’s statement, none of the takbeer, salawat, du’a, or salaam in the funeral prayer would remain obligatory. In light of this hadith, what would be the composition of the funeral prayer according to the Hanafi brothers?
● Even if, for a moment, Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is accepted as Sunnah rather than obligatory, will the Hanafis be ready to act upon it? According to them, recitation in the funeral prayer is entirely prohibited, not even permissible, as Janab Anwar Khurshid Deobandi Sahib has titled:
“Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha and other Surahs as recitation in the funeral prayer is not permissible.”

It is clear that these interpretations are merely excuses to avoid acting upon the hadith.

➎ This ruling was specific to women

Janab Ameen Okadvi Deobandi Sahib writes regarding this hadith:
“It is strange that women, for whom offering funeral prayer is not obligatory, were commanded by the Prophet ﷺ to recite Al-Fatiha, but men, for whom offering funeral prayer is a communal obligation (Fard Kifayah), were never commanded even once to recite Al-Fatiha.”

Analysis

● The strange thing is that Okaraavi Sahib understood from this hadith something that no scholar or jurist from the best of generations until today has ever said. To the Deobandi brothers, it is stated that the phrase امرنا (We were commanded) means that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, commanded us Muslims. To object by making it specific to women is equivalent to rejecting the understanding of the scholars and jurists. If that were the case, then the jurists who have used this hadith as evidence would have explicitly stated that reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is obligatory for women but not for men. However, this has never been reported from anyone anywhere.
● Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrates:

أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن نعق عن الجارية شاة وعن الغلام شاتين .

The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “We were commanded to perform ‘Aqiqah with one goat for a girl and two goats for a boy.”

Some people have mocked the Islamic symbol of ‘Aqiqah and declared it disliked, but we address those who consider it Sunnah. Do they think this command is specific to women? Can they, following Okaraavi Sahib’s Sunnah, dismiss this hadith by saying: “It is strange that women, on whom earning money is not obligatory, were commanded by the Prophet, peace be upon him, to perform ‘Aqiqah”?
If in this hadith Sayyida Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, does not mean specific women but all Muslims in light of other hadiths, then why is the hadith of Sayyida Umm Shareek, may Allah be pleased with her, not also understood to mean all Muslims in light of other hadiths?

➎ Claim of Abrogation on Hadith of Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها

Janab Ameen Okaraavi, while raising another objection on this hadith, writes:
The second point is that in Sahih Bukhari it is mentioned that نهينا عن اتباع الجنائز that women were prevented not only from leading the funeral prayer but even from accompanying the funeral. Therefore, no hadith proves that at that time women used to go to the funeral place and offer the prayer. So these are the hadiths of the time when women also used to lead the funeral prayer.”

Analysis

● Janab Okaraavi Sahib has quoted only half of the hadith due to his taqlidi (imitative) necessity.

◈ Full Text of the Hadith

The full hadith is as follows:

نهينا عن اتباع الجنائز ولم يعزم علينا .

“We were prevented from going with the funeral, but no strictness was applied regarding this.”

Meaning, women were discouraged but if they did so, it was not forbidden for them. Therefore, trying to declare the hadith of Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها as abrogated based on this hadith is a very unfair thing.

◈ Leading Funeral Prayer by Women Has Not Been Abrogated

● According to the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), it is not abrogated for a woman to lead the funeral prayer. The following narration regarding Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) is sufficient evidence for this:

توفي عبد الرحمن بن أبى بكر فى منزل كان فيه فحملناه على ركابنا ستة أميال إلى مكة وعائشة غائبة فقدمت بعد ذلك فقالت أروني قبره فأروها فصلت عليه .

“Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them both) passed away in the house where he resided. We carried him on our shoulders and brought him six miles away from Mecca (to the cemetery). At that time, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was on a journey. When she returned after a few days, she said: ‘Show me his grave.’ When people showed her the grave, she (may Allah be pleased with her) performed the funeral prayer at the grave.”

If leading the funeral prayer was forbidden for women, Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) would never have committed this forbidden act.

◈ Testimony from the Hanafi scholars

● Regarding the hadith of Sayyida Umm Atiyah (may Allah be pleased with her), which Okaraavi Sahib presented to prove the absolute prohibition of women attending funeral prayers, the commentator of Bukhari, Allama Badruddin Ayni Hanafi (may Allah have mercy on him) (855 AH), writes in the explanation of the same hadith:

ولم يعزم علينا يفتضي أن يكون النهي نهي تنزيه وقد ورد فى هذا الباب أحاديث تدل على الجواز .

“The phrase ‘(and no hardship was imposed upon us in this regard)’ implies that the prohibition here is tanzeehī (i.e., it is better to avoid it, but if someone does it, it is permissible). There are many hadiths that prove that this act (women attending funerals) is permissible.”

Now, Deobandi brothers themselves can judge how correct Okaraavi Sahib’s statement is.

◈ Double standards are not good, be consistent

● For a short while, we would like to draw the attention of our Deobandi brothers to the fact that on one hand, Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Sahib did not consider the clear words of أمرنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, commanded us) as evidence for obligation, even though there is no evidence against the obligation of this Prophetic command, as we have already explained in the context of this very hadith. On the other hand, Janab Okaraavi Sahib has interpreted the words نهينا (We have been forbidden) as prohibition, or rather as abrogation, whereas according to the Muhaddithin and the scholars of the Hanafi school, its permissibility is established by many hadiths. Is this what is called fairness?

➏ The claim of abrogation regarding the recitation of Fatiha in the funeral prayer

Mr. Amin Okaraavi Sahib, while trying his last resort against the Hadith of Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها, writes:
“It is neither proven that the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم commanded reciting Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer in the last era, nor that he himself recited it. Therefore, despite these Ahadith being weak, there is a strong suspicion that they have been abrogated, and the fact that the Sahabah, Tabi‘in, and Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in did not recite Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer confirms the certainty of the abrogation of these weak narrations.”

Analysis

● Mr. Okaraavi Sahib first made an unfounded claim about the abrogation of performing funeral prayer for women, and now, without evidence, he has declared the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer for men also abrogated.

◈The Vile Habit Regarding Claims of Abrogation

Claiming abrogation is very easy; whenever there is an obstacle of taqlid (imitation) in accepting a hadith, it is declared abrogated. Commenting on this bad practice, Sheikh al-Islam Thani, the pious scholar, Allama Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) (751 AH) says:

وقد اتخذ كثير من الناس دعوى النسخ والإجماع سلما إلى إبطال كثير من السنن الثابتة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهذا ليس بهين ولا تترك لرسول الله سنة صحيحة أبدا بدعوى الإجماع ولا دعوى النسخ إلى أن يوجد ناسخ صحيح صريح متأخر نقلته الأئمة وحفظته إذ محال على الامه أن تضيع الناسخ الذى يلزمها حفظه وتحفظ المنسوخ الذى قد بطل العمل به ولم يبق من الدين وكثير من المولدة المتعصبين إذا رأوا حديثا يخالف مذهبهم يتلقونه بالتأويل وحمله على خلاف ظاهره ما وجدوا إليه سبيلا فإذا جائهم من ذلك ما يغلبهم فزعوا إلى دعوى الإجماع على خلافه فإن رأوا من الخلاف ما لا يمكنهم من دعوى الإجماع فزعوا إلى القول بأنه منسوخ وليست هذه طريق أئمة الإسلام بل أئمة الإسلام كلهم على خلاف هذا الطريق وأنهم إذا وجدوا لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سنة صحيحة صريحة لم يبطلوها بتأويل ولا دعوى إجماع ولا نسخ والشافعي وأحمد من أعظم الناس إنكارا لذلك .

“Many people have made the claim of abrogation and consensus a means to disregard many authentic proven Sunnahs of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. This matter is not trivial. The authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, will never be abandoned due to any claim of consensus or abrogation unless a later authentic and explicit abrogating hadith is found, which the Imams of the religion have transmitted and preserved. It is impossible for the Muslim Ummah to lose such an abrogating hadith, which it is responsible to protect, and to preserve the abrogated hadith, which has become invalid to act upon and has no relation to the religion. Some biased people of the modern era have the habit that whenever they see a hadith contrary to their sect, they rush to interpret it and take its meaning as far as possible against the intended meaning. If a proof comes that leaves them speechless, they hasten to claim consensus against it. If they see any difference that makes their claim of consensus impossible, they quickly declare it abrogated. This is not the method of the Imams of Islam. All the Imams of Islam adopted the opposite approach. When they came to know of the authentic and explicit Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, they did not abandon it through any interpretation, claim of consensus, or claim of abrogation. Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on them, opposed this more than anyone else.”

How true this statement written centuries ago by Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, is for some people of the present era!

◈ Claim of Abrogation is Rejected in the Presence of the Companions

● If it is proven that the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, acted upon a hadith, then claiming that it is abrogated is completely baseless, because if that hadith was abrogated, the knowledge of its abrogation would have been known first to the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.

◈ Testimony of Hanafi Jurists

No Deobandi brother should ignore this matter merely because it comes from us, because it is written in the authentic Hanafi fiqh book Hidayah:

فلا يصح دعوى النسخ والحديث مشهور عملت به الصحابة رضي الله عنهم وبمثله يزاد على الكتاب .

“In this matter, the claim of abrogation is not correct, because this hadith is well-known, and the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, acted upon it. Such actions by the Companions cannot be considered an addition to the Book of Allah.”

Also, Allama Kasani Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him (587 AH), while stating the same, writes:

يؤيد هذا ما ذكرنا من فتاوى نجباء الصحابة رضي الله عنهم فى زمان السد فيه باب الوحي مع أنهم كانوا أعرف الناس بالناسخ والمنسوخ فبطل دعوى النسخ .

“This (non-abrogation) is confirmed by the fatwas of the noble Companions. These Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, issued this fatwa at a time when revelation had ceased, and these Companions were more knowledgeable about abrogating and abrogated texts than anyone else. Therefore, the claim of abrogation is false.”

It is clear that according to Hanafi principles, if there is evidence of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, acting upon a hadith, then the claim that it has been abrogated is incorrect. In Chapter Six, you will observe that the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, acted upon the hadiths about reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. There is no evidence of any Companion forbidding this. How unjust it is that Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and him, and other Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, declared Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer as Sunnah of the Prophet and acted upon it after the blessed life of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, yet they were not aware of its abrogation, and centuries later, baseless claims of its abrogation are made!

◈ Blind Imitation and Understanding of Sharia!

It is also astonishing that those who justify, and even prove the obligation of, blind following by using the excuse of not understanding the Quran and Sunnah, have here considered abrogation, whereas neither the era of the best generations nor the later scholars, imams of religion, and jurists of the Ummah ever claimed the abrogation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.
It is also very strange that such principles of the Hanafis exist merely to protect their own blind following. Wherever they want, they add to the Quran by using unproven practices of the Companions as evidence, and wherever they want, they sacrifice even the authentic and explicit hadiths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the altar of their self-made principle of solitary report (khabar wahid), openly stating that addition to the Quran through solitary report hadith is not permissible. Who knows which Quranic verse or Prophetic hadith proves that addition to the Quran through the actions of the Companions is permissible, but addition to the Quran through solitary report Prophetic hadith is impermissible?
Their self-made principles and opportunism have been criticized even by their own scholars. For instance, Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi says:

وقد بلوتهم أنهم يسرون القواعد للنقيضين ف أى رجاء منها بعده فإذا رأى أحدهم حديثا ضعيفا وافق مذهبه يسوي له ضابطة ويقول إن الضعيف ينجبر بتعدد الطرق وإن رأى حديثا صحيحا خالف مذهبه يسوي له ضابطة أيضا ويقول إنه شاد وهكذا جربتهم فى مواضع يفعلون القواعد حسب مرادهم من الطرفين .

“I have tested the followers of taqlid (blind following), these people make mutually contradictory rules among themselves, so what expectation can be held from such rules? If a follower finds a weak hadith in accordance with his religion, he makes a rule that a weak hadith becomes strong through multiple chains of transmission, but when he finds an authentic hadith opposing his religion, he also invents a rule for it and says that it is anomalous (shadh). I have seen followers do this many times. These people make mutually contradictory rules according to their desires.”

● Regarding the narrations whose weakness Ukaṛwi Sahib is alleging, among them we only cite the narration of Sayyida Umm Shareek (may Allah be pleased with her) as evidence, and we have proven its authenticity with arguments. This is also acknowledged by Maulana Zafar Ahmad Thanvi Sahib. Now, it is unknown whether in the eyes of our Hanafi brothers Ukaṛwi Sahib is more authoritative in the science of hadith or Thanvi Sahib? And among the Deobandi brothers, is Thanvi Sahib right or Ukaṛwi Sahib?
● As for Ukaṛwi Sahib’s claim that the Companions, Tabi‘in, and Taba‘ al-Tabi‘in did not recite Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, this claim is also devoid of evidential strength. We intend, by Allah’s grace, to examine this matter in detail in the coming pages.

Dear readers have observed how the scholars of the Hanafi school have gone to great lengths to reject the command narrated by Sayyida Umm Shareek (may Allah be pleased with her) instead of accepting the Prophet’s command. One of their interpretations in this regard was that this command was given only to women and was later abrogated when women were prohibited from going to the cemetery.

◈ All Interpretations Are Rejected

Here we present another authentic chain of narration of the same hadith narrated by Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها, in which she also mentioned that the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer was the blessed practice of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Please observe:

Imam Bukhari رحمه الله عليه states:

وقال مخلد حدثنا عبد الواحد بن واصل حدثنا مرزوق أبو عبد الله الشامي عن حماد بن جعفر عن شهر عن أم شريك الأنصارية قالت كان النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم مثله.

Mukhallad narrated that Abdul Wahid bin Wasil told us. He said that Marzuq Abu Abdullah Al-Shami narrated to us from Hammad bin Jaafar. He narrated from Shahr bin Hawshab, and he narrated from Umm Shareek Al-Ansariyyah رضي الله عنها. They narrated the same practice of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم (reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer).

Hammad bin Jaafar and Shahr bin Hawshab have already been mentioned on previous pages. The other narrators in this chain, namely Marzuq Abu Abdullah Al-Shami, Abdul Wahid bin Wasil, and Mukhallad bin Malik, are also trustworthy and truthful. Therefore, the Hanafi objections raised against the hadith narrated by Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها have been completely refuted. Now there will be no excuse that this ruling was only for women. They have clearly narrated the practice of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Readers have observed that Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها narrated the blessed practice and command of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم regarding the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. The Hanafis hesitate to accept this. However, Sayyida Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها is not alone in stating this; another famous female companion, Sayyida Asma bint Yazid Al-Ansariyah رضي الله عنها, also narrates the same. Observe:

Imam Bukhari رحمه الله تعالى states:

وقال معلى حدثنا محمد بن حمران قال حدثني أبو عبد الله الشامي عن أبى جعفر عن شهر بن حوشب عن أسماء بنت يزيد عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قال اقرؤوها على الجنائز .

Mu’alla ibn Asad narrated that Muhammad ibn Humran narrated to us: Abu Abdullah Al-Shami narrated to me on the authority of Abu Ja’far, who narrated from Shahr ibn Hawshab from Asma bint Yazid رضي الله عنها, who narrated from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he said: “Recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.”

Imam Tabarani رحمه الله تعالى narrated this hadith as follows:

حدثنا على بن عبد العزيز ثنا معلى بن أسد العمي ثنا محمد بن حمران ثنا مرزوق أبو عبد الله الشامي عن أبى جعفر عن شهر بن حوشب عن أسماء بنت يزيد قالت قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا صليتم على الجنازة فاقرؤوا بفاتحة الكتاب .

Ali ibn Abdul Aziz narrated to us. He said: Mu’alla ibn Asad ‘Ami narrated to us. He said: Muhammad ibn Humran told us. He said: Marzuq Abu Abdullah Al-Shami narrated from Abu Ja’far on the authority of Shahr ibn Hawshab, who narrated from Asma bint Yazid رضي الله عنها that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “When you perform the funeral prayer, recite Surah Al-Fatiha.”

All the narrators of these two narrations are trustworthy and truthful. Abu Ja’far refers to Hammad ibn Ja’far Al-Basri, as Imam Tabarani رحمه الله تعالى himself clarified before narrating this hadith, and the detailed discussion about the trustworthiness of Hammad ibn Ja’far has already been presented in Chapter One, Section Four. It is evident that the chain of this hadith is “Hasan Lidhatihi” (good on its own), and acting upon it is obligatory. It is not permissible for any Muslim to disregard the command of the Messenger after it has been authentically conveyed.

◈ Contradiction of the Explicit Command of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

From these authentic hadiths, it has become as clear as daylight that recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is necessary because the Prophet ﷺ explicitly commanded it. On one hand, review these hadiths again, and on the other hand, consider the statement of Maulana Amin Okara Deobandi Sahib:
Non-followers of a particular school are declaring Al-Fatiha obligatory without evidence, and declaring any act obligatory in Shariah without evidence is like including Satan’s share in the prayer. So when the non-followers have already included Satan’s share in their prayer, now whatever intention the Fatiha is recited with, it will be supporting Satan, therefore it should be completely avoided.

Will the Hanafi brothers still accept Okara Sahib as truthful?