Literal Definition of Taqlid (Imitation):
“Taqlid” means to hang something or to put something around the neck. From this is derived تقليد ولاة الاعمال “to place the responsibility of work on the necks of those responsible” or تقليد البدنة شيئا يعلم به أنه هدي to hang something around the neck of a camel or cow for the purpose that its هدي, meaning “that it is an animal for sacrifice,” becomes known.
Technical Definition of Taqlid:
«قبول قول من ليس قوله إحدى الحجج بلاحجة»
“A person whose opinion is not a legal proof, accepting his statement without evidence is called Taqlid (imitation).”
Allama Muhammad Amin al-Shanqiti says:
“Taqlid is to accept someone’s statement without evidence. It should be understood that the meaning of someone else’s statement is his own ijtihad (independent reasoning), but in matters where there are texts from the Book and Sunnah, there is no question of accepting someone’s statement or school of thought, because every person is obliged to follow the texts of Shariah. Therefore, it is called following (ittiba’), not Taqlid.”
This is why one who follows the Book, Sunnah, and consensus (Ijma’) is not called a Muqallid (imitator) because he is following evidence. Many scholars of the jurisprudential schools have clarified this. For example, Ibn Hammam Hanafi says: “Taqlid is to act upon the statement of a person whose statement is not proof and without evidence. Therefore, referring to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and consensus is not Taqlid.”
Ibn Amir al-Hajjaj, explaining this, writes: “Referring to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and consensus is not Taqlid because each of them is a Shariah proof among the four evidences.
Similarly, a layman acting upon the statement of a Mufti and a judge acting upon the statement of witnesses is also not Taqlid. Because although both are not among the four evidences, this action is done with evidence, not without evidence, because it is a Shariah text that the layman must accept the Mufti’s statement, and the judge must accept the truthful witnesses’ statements and decide accordingly.”
Difference between Ittiba and Taqlid:
The difference between following (ittiba) and imitation (taqlid) has been clarified in the verse mentioned below. It is stated:
اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow other protectors besides Him; you receive little advice.”
﴿اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم﴾ is the proof of following, and the definition of imitation has already been given that accepting the statement of a person without evidence, whose statement is not a proof, is an example of ﴿وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ﴾.
Imam Abu Dawood (may Allah have mercy on him) says that I heard Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) say: Following is that a person adheres to the rulings brought by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Companions! People have discretion in the sayings of the Tabi‘in. He also said: Do not imitate me, nor Malik, Thawri, or Awza‘i; take from where they took their rulings.
He further stated:
«من قلة فقه الرجل أن تقلد دينه الرجال»
“The proof of a person’s lack of jurisprudence is that he makes his religion dependent on the opinion of people.”
Khuwayz Mandad al-Maliki says: “Follow a person whose opinion is not a proof without evidence, then you have become his imitator, and imitation is not permissible in the religion of Allah. And whoever you are obliged to follow, follow him; you have become his follower. So following is permissible in religion, and imitation is forbidden.”
Condemnation of Imitation in the Light of the Holy Quran:
In the verses mentioned below, following the ancestors without proof and evidence has been prohibited, which is in fact following Satan. Allah Almighty has stated that when the polytheists are told to follow the religion that Allah has revealed to His Messenger, they say that we will do what our forefathers used to do, meaning they will worship idols and self-created deities. Allah refuted them: Will you follow your ancestors even if they did not understand the religion at all and were far from the truth?
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
“And when it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘Nay! We will follow that which we found our fathers doing.’ What! Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?”
This noble verse strongly rejects the idea of accepting anyone else’s word in the presence of clear Quran and Sunnah, and making that a proof against the Quran and Sunnah, and presenting the argument that our Imams, our spiritual guides, our elders, and our jurists understood better, and surely they must have been aware of these hadiths but must have rejected them due to some stronger evidence.
And the worst oppression is that these people extracted jurisprudential principles from these incidents of rejecting hadith and recorded them in the same books that whenever a hadith contradicts these principles and rules, it will be rejected, thus it will either be weak, or less preferred, or abrogated.
The famous Hanafi Imam Abu al-Hasan Ubaidullah ibn al-Husayn al-Karkhi
says:
«إن كل آية تخالف قول أصحابنا فإنها تحمل على النسخ أو على الترجيح والأولى أن تحمل على التاويل من جهة التوفيق»
Its translation by Mr. Abdul Rahim Ashraf Baloch is:
“Every verse that contradicts the statement of our companions will be interpreted as abrogation or preference, and it is better to interpret it as allegorical so that apparent agreement is shown.”
Imam Abu al-Hasan Ubaidullah ibn al-Husayn al-Karkhi further says:
«إن كل خبر تجيئ بخلاف قول أصحابنا فإنه يحمل على النسخ أو على أنه معارض بمثله»
“Every hadith that contradicts the statement of our companions of principles will be interpreted as abrogated or it will be understood that it is conflicting with its peer hadith.”
The worst consequence of this great crime against the Quran and Sunnah is that many weak and absurd types of narrations have become prevalent in the individual and collective life of the Ummah, and the authentic hadiths narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, which there is no excuse for not acting upon, have been neglected for centuries and are crying out loudly that act upon us, we are the authentic hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, but the followers do not consider them worthy of attention.
The famous jurist Abu al-Falah Abdul Hayy ibn al-Imad, deceased
, writes about the famous Hanafi Qadi Imam Jamal al-Din Yusuf ibn Musa Hanafi:
«وإنه كان يقول من نطر فى كتاب البخاري تزندق»
“Indeed, he used to say that whoever looks into Imam Bukhari’s book, Sahih al-Bukhari, will become an infidel.”
Rejecting the words of their elders who are taken as proof, the poet says:
أقول قال الله وقال رسوله
فتجيب: شيخي إنه قد قال
“I say that Allah and His Messenger have said, and you reply that my Sheikh said so?”
The existence of all misguided sects in Islam, the prevalence of polytheism and innovation, the worship of graves, shrines, and dargahs, and all the diseases of beliefs entered through this back door that the Quran and Sunnah were abandoned and the words of elders, spiritual guides, sheikhs, and self-created deities were preferred, their imitation was followed, and it was said that these people have been doing this, after all, they must have had some proof, so we will do what our elders used to do. And these hadiths we will not accept because we do not understand more than our elders. This method is like that of the polytheists.
Elsewhere it is stated:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَىٰ عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ
“And when it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘Nay! We will follow that which we found our fathers doing.’ What! Even though Satan invites them to the punishment of the blazing fire?”
This noble verse explains that when these polytheists of Mecca were told to follow the religion and Shariah and the heavenly book that Allah Almighty revealed to His Messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, they said that we will follow our ancestors, even though Satan was inviting them to this polytheism and idol worship, which leads to Hell, and will take them there along with their ancestors?
Condemnation of Imitation in the Light of the Practices of the Companions:
The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, were true followers of the Messenger, peace be upon him, and they intensely disliked imitation.
Sayyiduna Muadh bin Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
«أما العالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم»
“Even if a scholar is on the path of guidance, do not imitate him in your religion.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
«لا تقلدوا دينكم الرجال»
“Do not imitate people in your religion.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him:
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه once said:
“It is near that stones will rain down upon you from the sky. I tell you that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: And you present the sayings of Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما against it.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه was asked whether he was on the religion of Muawiyah رضي الله عنه or Ali رضي الله عنه? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه replied:
«بل أنا على ملة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم»
“Neither of their religion, rather I am on the religion of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.”
Condemnation of Blind Following in the Light of the Sayings of the Imams of Guidance:
The Imams of Guidance gave precedence to the Quran and Hadith over their own words and opinions, and they would retract from anything that was contrary to the Quran and Sunnah.
Imam Abu Hanifa رحمه الله :
Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«اذا قلت قولا يخالف كتاب الله وخبر رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم فاتركوا قولى»
“When I say something that is against the Book of Allah and the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ, then leave my statement.”
Imam Malik bin Anas, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Malik bin Anas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«إنما بشر أخطئ وأصيب، فانظروا فى رأيي فكل ما وافق الكتاب والسنة فخذوه، وكل ما يخالف الكتاب والسنة فاتركوه»
“Indeed, I am a human being; my statement can be wrong or right. So consider my opinion. If it agrees with the Book and Sunnah, then accept it, and if it contradicts the Book and Sunnah, then leave it.”
Imam Muhammad bin Idris al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam al-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«كل ما قلت وكان عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم خلاف قولى مما يصح فحديث النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم أولى، ولا تقلدوني»
“If any of my statements contradict the authentic Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, then the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ is more worthy of being followed. So do not imitate me.”
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«لا تقلد دينك أحدا من هولاء الخ»
“Do not imitate anyone in your religion.”
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him:
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«من قال: يجب إتباع إمام عينه فإن تاب وإلا قتل، ومن قال ينبغي اتباع فلان فإنه جاهل ضال»
“Whoever says that following a particular Imam is obligatory upon someone, he should be asked to repent (and if he does not repent), then he should be killed. If someone says that following a particular person is better, then he is ignorant and misguided.”
He further said:
«وإما أن تقول قائل: إنه يجب على العامة تقليد فلان أو فلان، فهذا لا يقوله مسلم»
“And if someone says that it is obligatory for the common people to follow so-and-so, then this statement is not from any Muslim.”
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, himself did not practice taqlid (blind following).
Allama Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, further states:
«ولا يجب على أحد من المسلمين تقليد شخص بعينه من العلماء فى كل ما يقول، ولا يجب على أحد من المسلمين الترام مذهب غير الرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فى كل ما يوجبه ويخبره»
“It is not obligatory for any one Muslim to follow every statement of any one particular scholar among the scholars. Except for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it is not obligatory for any Muslim to adhere to the madhhab of any one particular person to the extent that he begins to follow everything from him.”
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, further says:
«من نصب إماما فأوجب طاعته مطلقا اعتقادا أوحالا فقد ضل فى ذلك كأئمة الضلال الرافضة الإمامية»
“Whoever appoints an Imam and declares absolute obedience to him obligatory, whether in belief or in practice, such a person is misguided like the misguided leaders of the Rafidah and the Imamis.”
Sheikh al-Islam Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“The meaning of Ijma’ (consensus) is that the scholars of Islam agree upon a ruling, and when a consensus on a ruling is established, opposing it is not permissible. Because the entire Ummah cannot agree upon misguidance. But there are many issues in which a claim of consensus is made, yet there is no actual consensus. Rather, the statement opposing this claimed consensus is stronger according to the Book and Sunnah. It is agreed upon by all Muslims that the statements of some Imams, such as the four jurists, are neither binding proofs nor consensus. Rather, it is proven from them that they forbade blind following and commanded that their statements be abandoned in favor of the Book and Sunnah (the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace be upon him). This is why their senior companions and followers always abandoned their statements when they found evidence from the Book and Sunnah and followed the Book and Sunnah (the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace be upon him). An example of this is the distance of Qasr prayer, whether three days or sixteen farsakhs, which is a weak statement. Therefore, many Hanbali scholars and other scholars have said that the travel distance can be even less than this and shortening the prayer is permissible, as the people of Makkah prayed Qasr with the Prophet, peace be upon him, at Arafah and Mina.”
Hafiz Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«والتقليد حرام»
“And Taqlid (blind imitation) is forbidden.”
Hafiz Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«وقد صح إجماع جميع الصحابة رضي الله عنهم ، أولهم عن آخرهم، وإجماع جميع التابعين، أولهم عن آخرهم على الامتناع والمنع من أن يقصد منهم أحد إلى قول إنسان منهم أو ممن قبلهم فيأخذه كله فليعلم من أخذ بجميع قول أبى حنيفة أو جميع قول مالك أو جميع قول الشافعي أو جميع قول أحمد بن حنبل ممن يتمكن من النظر، ولم يترك من اتبعه منهم إلى غيره قد خالف إجماع الأمة كلها من آخرها واتبع غير سبيل المؤمنين، نعوذ بالله من هذه المنزلة وأيضا فإن هؤلاء الآفاضل قد منعوا عن تقليدهم وتقليد غيرهم خالفهم من قلدهم »
“The consensus of all the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, from the beginning to the end, and all the Tabi‘in from the beginning to the end, is established that accepting all the statements of any person among them or before them (except the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) is prohibited and not permissible. Those who take all the statements of Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafi‘i, or Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on them, (i.e., perform Taqlid), even though they possess knowledge and do not abandon any statement of the one they follow, should know that they are against the consensus of the entire Ummah. They have abandoned the path of the believers. We seek refuge in Allah from this position. The second point is that all these virtuous scholars have forbidden their own and others’ Taqlid, so whoever performs Taqlid of them is opposing them.”
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, states in قصيده نونيه:
والخوف كل الخوف فهو على الذى
ترك النصوص من أجل قول فلان
“The person who is most feared (to be misguided and punished) is the one who abandons the texts (proofs from the Quran and Sunnah) because of someone’s statement.”
Allama Ibn Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, comments on the verse:
اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ
“They have taken their scholars (Mullahs) and monks (spiritual guides) as lords besides Allah.”
He writes regarding this:
«قد احتج العلماء بهذه الآيات فى ابطال التقليد ولم يمنعهم كفر أولنك من الاحتجاج بها، وإنما وقع التشبيه بين المقلدين بغير حجة للمقلد»
“The scholars have used these verses as evidence against blind imitation (taqlid). The disbelief of those mentioned in these verses did not prevent them from using this evidence, because resemblance is not due to someone’s disbelief or faith; resemblance is in the followers accepting the words of their leader (Imam, guide) without evidence.”
The following scholars have used this noble verse as evidence against taqlid:
1: Ibn Abd al-Barr.
2: Ibn Hazm.
3: Ibn Qayyim.
4: Al-Suyuti.
5: Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi.
Allama Ibn Qayyim further states:
ماذا ترى فرضا عليك معينا
ان كنت ذا عقل وذا ايمان
عرض الذى قالوا على اقواله
او عكس ذاك فذانك الامران
هي مفرق الطرقات بين طريقنا
وطريق اهل الزيغ والعدوان
“If you are of sound intellect and faith, then present the statements of the Imams of religion, which you have considered obligatory upon yourself, before the Hadiths of the Messenger. But if you present the Hadiths of the Messenger in opposition to the sayings of the Imams, then this is a mutual separation between us and the people of falsehood and oppression.”
Because we do not give even the slightest importance to the sayings of any Imam in comparison to the Hadiths of the Messenger.
ورسوله فهو المطاع وقوله
المقبول اذ هو صاحب البرهان
والامر منه الحتم لا تخيير فيه
عند ذي عقل وذى ايمان
من قال قولا غيره قمنا
على اقواله بالسير والميزان
ان وافقت قول الرسول وحكمه
فعلى الرؤس تشال كالتحيان
او خالفت هذا رددناها علي
من قالها من كان من انسان
او اشكلت عنا توقفنا ولم
نحزم بلا علم ولا برهان
هذا الذى ادى اليه علمنا
ويه ندين الله كل آوان
Summary of the Poems:
Obedience to the sayings and actions of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is obligatory upon every Muslim. It is mandatory to accept the commands of the Prophet, peace be upon him. No one has the authority to deny any of the Prophet’s commands or to accept only those rulings that conform to their own religion while abandoning the rest. If the statements of the scholars of the Ummah are in accordance with the Shariah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, then they should be accepted; and if they do not conform to the Muhammadan Shariah, then they should be rejected regardless of whose statement it is (because it is not befitting for Muslims to look towards anyone else when compared to the sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him). If the statement of any scholar is ambiguous, then one should pause and not adopt it without evidence and clarification.”
And Allama Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, further states:
«ثم جاءت الأئمة من القرن الرابع المفضل فى إحدى الروايتين كما ثبت فى الصحيح من حديث أبى سعيد وابن مسعود وأبي هريرة وعائشة وعمران بن حصين فسلكوا على آثارهم اقتصاها واقتبسوا هذا الأمر عن مشكاتهم اقتباسا ، وكان دين الله سبحانه أجل فى صدورهم وأعظم فى نفوسهم من أن تقدموا عليه رأيا أو معقولا أو تقليدا أوقياسا فطار لهم الثناء الحسن فى العالمين، وجعل الله سبحانه لهم لسان صدق فى الآخرين، ثم سارعوا على آثارهم الرعيل الأول من أتباعهم ودرج على منها جهم الموفقون من أشياعهم زاهدين فى التعصب للرجال واقفين مع الحجة والإستدلال، يسيرون مع الحق أين سارت ركائبه، ويستقلون مع الصواب حيث استقلت مضاربه، إذا بدا لهم الدليل بأخذته طاروا إليه زرافات ووحدانا، وإذا دعاهم الرسول إلى أمر انتدبوا إليه ولا يسألونه عما قال برهانا، ونصوصه أجل فى صدورهم وأعظم فى نفوسهم من أن يقدموا عليها قول أحد من الناس أو يعارضوها بر أى أوقياس. ثم خلف من بعدهم خلوف فرقوا دينهم وكانوا شيعا كل حزب بما لديهم فرحون، وتقطعوا أمرهم بينهم زبرا وكل إلى ربهم راجعون، جعلوا التعصب للمذاهب ديانتهم التى بها يدينون، ورأس أموالهم التى يتجرون، وآخرون منهم قنعوا بمحض التقليد وقالوا: إنا وجدنا آباءنا على أمة وإنا على آثارهم مقتدون.»
“Then came the fourth century, which according to one narration is the century of virtue, as narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Sa’id, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Abu Hurairah, Aisha, and Imran ibn Husain, may Allah be pleased with them. The Imams of religion of that century followed in the footsteps of their predecessors and were illuminated by their light. Their beings and hearts were filled with the message of the Divine religion, and for them, the religion of Allah was far above considering reason, opinion, analogy, and imitation superior to it. Because of this, their fame spread throughout the world, and Allah Almighty kept their beautiful mention even after them. Then, by Allah’s grace, every foremost group of their followers remained steadfast on their path. They completely refrained from extremism and fanaticism in personalities and, like their predecessors, followed evidence and proof. The mantle of truth never slipped from their hands; all their actions revolved around it. Once the evidence became clear, they alone and collectively held firmly to it. Upon hearing the Hadith of the Messenger, they would immediately cling to it with heart and soul and felt absolutely no need for any further evidence or argument against it. The texts of the Book and Sunnah ruled over their hearts, minds, and beings. They did not oppose or contend with any human statement, opinion, or analogy. Time changed, and such people came one after another who fragmented the Divine religion, and every sect happily settled on the principles and branches they established. Their original religion became sectarianism. Among them arose people who were content with mere imitation and proclaimed that they found their forefathers and elders on this religion, so they would follow only their footsteps.”
Allama Abdul Wahhab Sha’rani, may Allah have mercy on him:
Allama Abdul Wahhab bin Ahmad bin Ali Sha’rani, deceased
, states:
«ومن قال لا أعمل بحديث إلا أخذ بة إما من فاته خير كثير كما عليه كثير من المقلدين لأئمة المذاهب وكان الأولى لهم العمل بكل حديث صح بعد امامهم تنفيذ الوصية الائمة»
“And the person who says that he will not act upon a hadith which my Imam did not accept, then that person has lost much good, as is the case with most followers, whereas it would have been appropriate for these followers to act upon every hadith that reached them correctly after their Imam.”
Elsewhere, he records the false and misleading approach of the followers in these words:
«خلاف ما عليه بعض المقلدين حتى إنه قال لي لو وجدت حديثا فى البخاري ومسلم لم يأخذ به إما من لا أعمل به وذلك جهل منه بالشريعة واول من تتبرأ منه امامه»
“Meaning, contrary to this, some of his followers have even told me that if I find any hadith in Bukhari and Muslim which their Imam did not accept, then they will not act upon it. Beware! This approach is a result of ignorance and unfamiliarity with the Shariah, and foremost, the Imam himself would be averse to this approach.”
Allama Suyuti, may Allah have mercy on him:
“Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti wrote in the book الرد على من اخلد الي الارض: Did Imam Malik, Abu Hanifa, and Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on them, ever permit anyone to follow them? حاشا لله Never, rather they forbade it and did not allow anyone any leeway in this matter.”
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi, may Allah have mercy on him:
Shah Waliullah, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
«وبعد القرنين حدث فيهم شنى من التخريح غير أن أهل المائة الرابعة لم يكونوا مجتمعين على التقليد الخالص على مذهب واحد والتفقه له والحكاية لقوله كما يظهر من التتبع بل كان فيهم العلماء والعامة. وكان من خير العامة أنهم كانوا فى المسائل الإجتماعية التى لا اختلاف فيها بين المسلمين وجمهور المجتهدين لا يقلدون إلا صاحب الشرع، وكانوا يتعلمون صفة الوضوء والغسل والصلاة والزكاة ونحو ذلك من آبائهم أو معلمي بلدانهم فيمشون حسب ذلك، وإذا وقعت لهم واقعة استفتوا فيها أى مفت وجدوا من غير تعيين مذهب»
“After two centuries, the practice of deducing and extracting legal rulings began to somewhat develop, but until the fourth century Hijri, the Muslim community had not united under the blind imitation of any one sect, nor had it confined itself to jurisprudential restrictions and mere narration, as is evident from the circumstances of that time. Rather, without distinction of sects, scholars and common people cooperated with each other to uphold and preserve Islam. Ordinary people, in collective social matters where there was no difference between Muslims and the community of mujtahids, followed and adhered only to the Shariah of Muhammad. They learned teachings about ablution, lineage, prayer, and zakat from their parents and teachers in their cities and acted accordingly. When any incident or issue arose among them, they would consult whichever mufti they found without specifying any sect.”
From this, it is proven that during the era of the best generations, people followed the understanding and practice of the Quran and Sunnah as understood and practiced by the Companions and the Tabi‘in.
The Era of the Best Generations:
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “The best time is my era, then the era of those who come after me, then the era after them, and after that, there will be people who will swear before giving testimony and sometimes give testimony before swearing.”
«عن عمران بن حصين رضى الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “خير القرون قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم قال عمران: فلا أدري أقال بعد قرنه مرتين أو ثلاث»
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “My era is the best era, then the era after it, and then the era after that.” Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) says that he could not remember whether the Prophet mentioned two or three centuries after his era.
According to this hadith, the era of Khair al-Qurun (the best generations) extends up to the followers of the followers (Tabi’ al-Tabi’in).
1: The era of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the era of the Companions
up to the last Companion Sayyiduna Abu al-Tufail (may Allah be pleased with him).
2: The era of the great Tabi’in:
until the end of the second century AH.
3: The era of the followers of the Tabi’in:
From the second century
until (Ahmad bin Hanbal).
4: The era of the followers of the followers of the Tabi’in:
From the end of the third century until the fourth century.
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi in Al-Insaf
states:
«قال ابن الهمام فى آخر التحرير: كانوا يستفتون مرة واحدا ، ومرة غيره، غير ملتزمين مفتيا واحدا»
Allama Ibn al-Hamam wrote at the end of his book Al-Tahrir:
“The predecessors sometimes asked fatwa from someone and sometimes from another; they did not necessarily stick to one mufti.”
Shah Waliullah (may Allah have mercy on him) further states:
«إن آمنتم بنبيكم فاتبعوه خالف مذهبا أو وافقه»
“If you have believed in your Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), then obey him, whether his command is against or in accordance with any madhhab (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali).”
Therefore, the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i, Hanbali, and Jafari fiqh have no legal status because all these madhhabs differ even on what is halal and haram. The reality is that these fiqh madhhabs are different opinions, not the Shariah of Islam.
Shah Waliullah Hanafi Muhaddith Dehlawi, who died
, further writes:
« فإن شئت أن ترى أنموذج اليهود فانظر إلى علماء السوء من الذين يطلبون الدنيا وقد اعتادوا تفليد السلف وأعرضوا عن نصوص الكتب والسنة وتمسكوا بتعمق عالم وتشدده واستحسانه فأعرضوا عن كلام الشارع المعصوم وتمسكوا بأحاديث موضوعة وتأويلات فاسدة»
“That is, if you want to see the example of the Jews, then look at those worst scholars who are busy with worldly desires, who are afflicted with the disease of blind imitation, who have turned away from the Book and Sunnah, and have attached themselves to only one Imam, abandoning the authentic hadiths of the infallible Lawgiver (peace be upon him). They strengthen their Imam’s sayings with fabricated hadiths and futile interpretations and cling to them. This false and misleading method has become the cause of their destruction.”
Condemnation of Taqlid in the View of Hanafi Scholars:
Justice-loving Hanafi scholars have also considered this taqlid extremely blameworthy and bad. Below are some statements of Hanafi scholars presented as evidence for the claim:
In Sharh Muslim al-Thubut, it is stated:
«أجمع الصحابة على أن من استفتى أبا بكر وعمر أميرى المؤمنين فله أن يستفتي أبا هريرة ومعاذ بن جبل وغيرهما ويعمل بقولهم من غير نكير»
“This is the consensus of the Companions that if anyone asks for a fatwa from Hazrat Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), who are the leaders of the believers, then he may also act upon the fatwa obtained from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah and Sayyiduna Mu’adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with them) and others without any blame.”
Allama Ibn al-Humam (may Allah have mercy on him):
Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
«قال ابن الهمام فى آخر التحرير: كانوا يستفتون مرة واحدا ومرة غيره غير ملتزمين مفتيا واحدا»
“Ibn Humam al-Tahrir writes at the end: People used to ask fatwa from different individuals and never adhered to a single mufti.”
Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi:
Mulla Ali Al-Qari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«ولا يجب على أحد من هذه الأمة أن يكون حنفيا أوشافعيا أو مالكيا أو حنبليا»
“It is not obligatory on any individual of this Ummah to become Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali.”
Mulla Ali Al-Qari, may Allah have mercy on him, further states:
«ومن المعلوم أن الله تعالى ما كلف أحدا أن يكون حنفيا أو مالكيا أو شافعيا أوحنبليا بل كلفهم أن تعملوا بالسنة»
“That is, it is clear and evident that Allah Almighty has not made anyone obligated to become Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, or Hanbali, rather He has obligated all servants to follow the Sunnah نبويه عليه التحية والسلام.”
Maulana Abdul Hayy Lakhnawi:
Maulana Lakhnawi, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
«والحاصل أن من ادعى بأنه قد انقطع مرتبة الإجتهاد المطلق المستقل بالأئمة الأربعة انقطاعا لا يمكن عوده فقد غلط وخبط فإن الإجتهاد رحمة من الله سبحانه ورحمة الله لا تقصر على زمان دون زمان، ولا على بشر دون بشر. ومن ادعى انقطاعها فى نفس الأمر مع إمكان وجود فى كل زمان فإن أراد أنه لم يوجد بعد الأربعة مجتهد اتفق الجمهور على إجتهاد وسلموا استقلاله كاتفاقهم على اجتهادهم فهو مسلم وإلا فقد وجد بعدهم أيضا أرباب الإجتهاد المستقل كابي ثور البغدادى وداؤد الظاهرئ ومحمد بن إسماعيل البخاري وغيرهم على ما لا يخفى على من طالع كتب الطبقات»
“The essence of the matter is that whoever claims that the rank of absolute and independent Ijtihad ended after the Imams of the Four Schools and that no one can attain this rank now, is mistaken and deluded. Because the rank of Ijtihad is a mercy from Allah Almighty, and Allah’s mercy is not dependent on any era nor is it confined to any human being. And whoever claims the cessation of it in reality despite the possibility, if his intention is that after the Imams of the Four Schools there is no Mujtahid whose Ijtihad is agreed upon by the majority and who is recognized as an independent Mujtahid like the Imams of the Four Schools, then this is acceptable. Otherwise, there have been independent Mujtahids after the Imams of the Four Schools, such as Imam Abu Thawr al-Baghdadi, Imam Dawud al-Zahiri, Imam Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari, etc. Anyone who studies the books of Tabaqat knows this well.”
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi:
Maulvi Ashraf Ali Khan Thanvi Deobandi states:
“We ourselves are followers and non-followers because it is certain that Imam Azam Abu Hanifa was a non-follower.”
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi Sahib states:
“Being Hanafi or Shafi’i is not a part of faith, otherwise the companions and followers would necessarily be non-believers.”
Maulana Mufti Kifayatullah:
Maulana Mufti Kifayatullah Hanafi states:
“Simply abandoning Taqlid (imitation) does not affect Islam, nor does a person who abandons Taqlid fall outside the fold of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah.”
Imam Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him:
“Imam Tahawi, may Allah have mercy on him, says that it is not possible for me to accept all the sayings of Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, because Taqlid is the work of a bigot and a fool.”
Imam Muhammad bin Hasan al-Shaybani, may Allah have mercy on him:
Imam Muhammad bin Hasan Shaybani, may Allah have mercy on him (a special student of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him), says:
«ما من أحد إلا وهو ما خوذ من كلامهو مردود عليه إلا رسول الله»
“Except for the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, the statements of every other person can be accepted or rejected, but every statement of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, must be accepted.”
Imam Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, further says:
«ولو جاز التقليد كان من قطى من قبل أبى حنيفة مثل الحسن البصري وإبرابيم النخمي أخرى أن يقلدوا»
“If Taqlid (imitation) were permissible, then those who passed away before Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, such as Hasan al-Basri and Ibrahim al-Nakha’i (the teacher of Imam Abu Hanifa), would have had a greater right to be followed.”
Qazi Sanaullah Panipati, may Allah have mercy on him:
Qazi Sanaullah Panipati, may Allah have mercy on him, is a famous scholar of the era of Al-Bayhaqi and writes: Whoever holds the belief that, apart from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, there is anyone whose every statement is correct and must be followed, is misguided and ignorant.
Mufti Ahmad Yar Naeemi:
Ahmad Yar Naeemi (Barelvi) writes:
“The four orders of both Sharia and Tariqa, that is Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali, and similarly Qadiri, Chishti, Naqshbandi, Suhrawardi, all these orders are complete innovations.”
Maulana Mufti Taqi Usmani:
Regarding personal imitation, Muhammad Taqi Usmani Hanafi writes:
“This was not a Shariah ruling, rather it was an administrative fatwa.”
Condemnation of Imitation in the View of Contemporary Scholars:
Mukhtar Ahad Shanqeeti, may Allah have mercy on him:
Mukhtar Ahmad Shinqiti, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
“It is necessary to understand the difference between taqlid (imitation) and ittiba (following). Where there is ittiba, taqlid is absolutely not permissible. The explanation of this is that if in any issue there is evidence found (made clear) from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah or the consensus of the Muslims, then taqlid in that issue is not permissible under any circumstances because ijtihad that opposes the text is invalid and corrupt ijtihad. Acting upon someone’s ijtihad is only permissible in matters of ijtihad, because the texts (evidences) of the Book and Sunnah are authoritative and decisive over the mujtahids. None of them is worthy or capable of opposing these two, whoever they may be.”
Sheikh Sulayman bin Abdullah Al Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him:
Sheikh Sulaiman bin Abdullah Al Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, while explaining the same chapter of the book At-Tawheed, writes:
“Rather, it is obligatory upon every believer that when he learns a ruling from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, he must act upon it, even if any Imam opposes it, because Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have commanded us to do so, and there is consensus among all scholars on this, except for the ignorant and rigid followers who consider a guided person to be one who, turning away from the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ, trusts in some jurisprudential school or scholar, whereas Allah Almighty has declared the person guided who follows only the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said: وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا meaning, ‘If you obey him (the Messenger ﷺ), you will be guided.’ And it is regrettable that many people today are afflicted by this forbidden imitation.”
Sheikh Ibn Baz, may Allah have mercy on him:
Mufti Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Baz of Saudi Arabia, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
«وأنا الحمد لله لست بمتعصب ولكني أحكم الكتاب والسنة وأبني فتاواى على ما قاله الله ورسوله لا على تقليد الحنابلة ولا غيرهم»
“Alhamdulillah! I am not biased; I consider the Book and Sunnah as the authority and base my fatwas on ”قال الله وقال الرسول“ and not on blind following of Hanbalis or others.”
Sheikh Muqbil bin Hadi, may Allah have mercy on him:
The famous Salafi scholar of Yemen, Sheikh Maqbool bin Hadi Al-Wadi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«التقليد حرام لا يجوز لمسلم أن تقلد فى دين الله»
“Taqlid (blind following) is forbidden; it is not permissible for any Muslim to follow (someone) blindly in the religion of Allah.”
Sheikh Maqbool, may Allah have mercy on him, further says:
«فالتقليد لا يجوز والذين يبيحون تقليد العامي للعالم نقول لهم: أين الدليل؟»
“Therefore, taqlid is not permissible, and those who say that taqlid is permissible for the common (ignorant) people, we ask them: where is the evidence for that?”
Sheikh Maqbool bin Hadi, may Allah have mercy on him, advises students:
«نصيحتي للطلبة العلم الإبتعاد عن التقليد، قال الله سبحانه وتعالى ﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾ »
My advice to students is to stay away from taqlid. Allah Almighty has said: “And do not follow that of which you have no knowledge.”
The harms of Taqlid:
Dear readers, in the previous pages, you have read the definition of Taqlid (imitation), and the condemnation of Taqlid in the light of the Quran, Sunnah, and the sayings of the Companions and the Imams of guidance. Now we are bringing under discussion the harms of personal Taqlid so that it may help in avoiding Taqlid and improve our Hereafter. Remember, our intention is not to hurt anyone’s feelings but to reform humanity .اِنَّ أُرِيدُ اِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ.
Slandering:
When a person becomes a follower of someone, he does not refrain from slandering others. For example, in the Hanafi book Hidayah, there is this slander against Imam Malik:
«وقال مالك : هو جائز لانه مباح»
“That is, like the Rafidis, Imam Malik also considers Nikah Mut’ah (temporary marriage) lawful.”
Similarly, in the Hanafi fiqh book Hidayah كتاب الصلوة، باب صلوة الكعبه،, while slandering Imam Shafi’i, it is written:
“That Imam Shafi’i considers it permissible to pray inside the Kaaba.”
Lying for the sake of religion:
Followers often lie for the sake of their own sects. Accordingly, it is recorded in the Hanafi jurisprudence book Dar Mukhtar:
The honorable father of Imam Abu Hanifa, Thabit (may Allah have mercy on him), took his son Imam Abu Hanifa to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and made him pray.
Whereas Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in 40 AH, and Imam Sahib was born in
.
Yusuf bin Musa Al-Malti Hanafi used to say:
“Whoever reads Imam Bukhari’s book (Sahih Bukhari) becomes an apostate.”
And it is also said that:
“After the descent, Hazrat Isa (peace and blessings be upon him) will act according to the madhhab of Imam Azam (may Allah be pleased with him).”
If a person claims that a certain woman is his wife and the woman denies it, then if that person presents false witnesses and obtains a ruling in his favor from the judge, in such a case, according to Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), it is permissible for him to have intercourse with that woman, and it is permissible for the woman to submit herself to his control. This is also permissible according to a statement of Abu Yusuf.
Excessiveness for the Sake of Religion:
Followers often exaggerate in praising their Imams. Thus, in Durre Mukhtar it is stated:
«أن سائر الأنبياء يفتخرون بي وأنا أفتخر بأبي حنيفة من أحبه فقد احبني ومن أبغضه فقد أبغضني»
“Meaning all the Prophets take pride in me, and I take pride in Abu Hanifa. Whoever loves him has loved me, and whoever hates him has hated me.”
This hadith has also been fabricated in praise of the Imam:
«لقول عليه السلام من صلى خلف عالم تقي فكأنما صلى خلف النبي»
“Whoever leads the prayer in congregation behind a pious Imam will receive as much reward as praying behind the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”
This hadith has also been fabricated that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
«إن آدم افتخر بي وأنا أفتخر برجل من أمتي اسمه نعمان وكيتته ابو حنيفة هو سراج أمتي»
“Meaning Adam, peace be upon him, takes pride in my person, and I take pride in one of my Ummah whose name is Nu’man and his kunyah is Abu Hanifa, who is the shining lamp of my Ummah.”
And it is also narrated that:
“Imam Sahib, during his last Hajj, obtained permission from the servants of the Ka’bah to enter inside for one night. In one rak’ah, he completed half of the Qur’an on one leg, then performed ruku and sujood, then stood up for the second rak’ah and completed the remaining half of the Qur’an on the other leg.”
Quran and Hadith and even disrespect in the context of the status of Prophethood:
The followers of imitation have made it a habit to insult the Quran and Hadith. Sometimes, they do not even hesitate to disrespect the sacred status of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. After studying the statements given below, this becomes clear. It is written in Durre Mukhtar:
1: Learning jurisprudence is better than learning the rest of the Quran.
2: Studying jurisprudence is better than reading the entire Quran.
3: The book Durre Mukhtar was compiled by the permission of the Prophet.
4: Whoever considers it permissible to insult the Qibla people, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), is not a disbeliever.
5: Maulvi Mahmood Hasan Deobandi wrote that “The statement of a Mujtahid is also counted as the statement of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.”
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Gujarati wrote:
“It is not permissible to imitate anyone except the four schools of thought, even if their statements are in accordance with the sayings of the Companions, authentic Hadith, and verses. Whoever is outside these four schools is misguided and a misleader because taking only the apparent meanings of Hadith and Quran is the root of disbelief.”
6: If a nosebleed occurs, it is permissible to write Surah Al-Fatiha on the forehead and nose with blood and urine.
7: Ashraf Ali Khan Thanvi wrote in Bahishti Zewar:
“Write this verse including Bismillah and tie it on the place of the navel; the navel will return to its place, and if left tied, it will not move. الله يُمُسِكُ السَّمَوَاتِ”
8: Burhan al-Din Marghinani writes:
«أن الهداية كالقرآن قد نسخت ما صنفوا قبلها فى الشرع من كتب»
“Indeed, Hidayah is like the Quran; just as the Quran abrogated the earlier Shariah, similarly Hidayah abrogated the previously written books.”
9: «ومن امتنع من الجزية أو قتل مسلما أو سب النبى عليه السلام أوزنى بمسلمة لم ينتقض عهده»
“Whoever refuses to pay jizya as a dhimmi, or kills a Muslim, or insults the Prophet ﷺ, or commits adultery with a Muslim woman, even then his covenant (responsibility) will not be broken.”
Oppression and Injustice with Hadith for the Sake of Religion:
Observe the statement of Deobandi scholar Mahmood al-Hasan Sahib regarding the issue of Khiyar Majlis:
«الحق والإنصاف أن الترجيح للشافعي فى هذه المسئلة ونحن مقلدون يجب علينا تقليد ما منا أبى حنيفة»
“The truth and justice is that in this issue (البيعان بالخيار مالم يتفرقا) the opinion of Imam Shafi’i has preference. And we are followers, therefore it is obligatory upon us to follow our Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him.”
Ibn Najim al-Hanafi writes about the punishment for one who insults the Prophet ﷺ:
«نفس المؤمن تميل إلى قول المخالف فى مسئلة السب لكن اتباعا للمذهب واجب»
“In the issue of one who insults the Prophet, the believer’s own self inclines towards the opposing opinion (Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him) that (the responsibility of the disbeliever who insults the Prophet is lifted), but it is necessary for us to follow our own madhhab.”
Selfishness:
“It is narrated from Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha Siddiqah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she used to lead women in prayer during Ramadan.”
Imam Muhammad said that we do not like that a woman should lead the prayer.
Bigotry and Hostility:
Among the followers (Muqallideen), prejudice, hatred, and stubbornness are found in abundance. Accordingly, it is recorded in the books of Hanafi jurisprudence:
Cursed be the person, as much as the particles of sand, who rejects the statement of Abu Hanifa, that is, does not accept it.
The two companions, i.e., the students of Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Muhammad and Abu Yusuf, have opposed Imam Abu Hanifa in more than two-thirds of the issues.
The authors of Sharh Muslim al-Thuboot have stated:
«شدد بعض المتكلمين، قالوا : الحنفى إذا ترك مذهب إما مه يعزر ، والحق أنه تعصب، لا دليل عليه، وإنما هو تشريع من عند نفسه، قال فى التيسير شرح التحرير : هو الأصح، إذ لا واجب إلا ما أوجبه الله وبالجملة لا يجب تقليد مذهب معين، بل جاز الإنتقال لكن لا بد أن لا يكون ذلك قصد التلهي وتوهين كبار المجتهدين»
“Some scholars of Kalam have acted with severity and said: ‘If a Hanafi abandons the madhhab of his Imam, he should be punished.’ The truth is that this is a biased statement without any evidence. Rather, it is legislation on their own part. In ‘Al-Taysir’ it is stated: ‘This is absolutely prejudice because what is obligatory is only what Allah has made obligatory. (Who are we to make Taqlid obligatory and punish its abandonment?) In short, following a particular madhhab is not obligatory. Rather, it is permissible to seek issues from another madhhab. However, the condition is that this should not be based merely on personal desire nor should it be intended to insult the great Mujtahids.’”
Qadi Abu Yusuf (student of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Say to this liar, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan (student of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him), ‘Enough.’”
Shah Waliullah, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned seven causes of distortion and innovation in religion, among which one is the pernicious disease of Taqlid (blind imitation). Undoubtedly, the word Taqlid is such a worthless and ineffective and how dark a word it is, which has never been used in the sacred pages of the Qur’an and Sunnah for mankind. However, it is a great tragedy that only and only due to the Taqlid of the four Imams, the Islamic world has been subjected to various sects and has become a barrier of endless mutual enmity, disputes, quarrels, and differences. The followers of the Hanafi school always harbor heartfelt resentment towards the Ahl al-Hadith, especially those associated with Deoband, who “sincerely” harbor hatred and enmity towards the Hanafi friends of Hadith and Ahl al-Hadith have taken the lead in this.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid, may Allah preserve him, says:
«فأهل الحديث حشرنا الله معهم لا يتعصبون لقول شخص معين مهما علاوسما حاشا محمدا بخلاف غيرهم ممن لا ينتمي إلى أهل الحديث والعمل به، فإنهم يتعصبون لأقوال أيقتهم وقد نهرهم عن ذلك، كما يتعصب أهل الحديث لأقوال نبتهم، فلا عجب أن تكون أهل الحديث هم الطائفة المنصورة والفرقة الناجية»
“The people of Hadith do not show prejudice for the statement of any particular person, no matter how great an Imam he is, except for Muhammad, peace be upon him. Whereas those who do not associate themselves with the Ahl al-Hadith show prejudice for the statements of their Imams, even though the Imams have forbidden them from doing so. The Ahl al-Hadith only show prejudice for the statements of their Prophet, peace be upon him. Therefore, it is no wonder that the victorious group and the saved sect are the Ahl al-Hadith themselves.”
Sheikh Saleh bin Fawzan Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, says:
«التعصب للآراء والرجال : يحول بين المرء واتباع الدليل ومعرفة الحق، قال تعالى: ﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ تَتَّبِعُ مَا اَلفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَ نَا﴾ وهذا هو الشان فى المتعيبين اليوم من بعض اتباع المذاهب الصوفية والقبوريين إذا دعوا إلى اتباع الكتاب والسنة ونبد ما هم عليه فما يخالفهما احتجوا بمذاهبهم ومشائخهم وآباعهم وأجدادهم»
“Prejudice towards opinions and individuals, which prevents a person from following reason and recognizing the truth, (is also one of the causes of the emergence of innovations). Allah Almighty says: ‘And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say, “No, we will follow that upon which we found our forefathers.”‘ And this is the condition of those prejudiced people today who are associated with the Sufis and grave worshippers, and they follow sects. When they are invited to follow the Book and Sunnah and told to abandon those things within them that contradict the Book and Sunnah, they, in opposition, use their sects, sheikhs, and ancestors as proof.”
Al-Dhahabi has narrated from Sam’ani that in the end (Ahmad ibn Muhammad Hanafi) became very religiously prejudiced to the extent that it caused terror among the scholars and spread enmity among the people, to the point that curses were pronounced from the pulpits.
Regarding Amir Katib Ameed, Fawaid Yahya writes:
“The leaders among the Hanafis were foremost in lexicography and jurisprudence. They considered themselves very great. They held strong prejudice against their opponents. This is evident from their words found in the works of the youth, such as Sharh Muntakhab Hasami and Sharh Hidayah. They were abusive towards their opponents. They held enmity against the Shafi’is and exerted great effort in this. They ruled that prayer becomes invalid by raising the hands (raf’ al-yadayn). Eventually, the great muhaddith Siki, may Allah have mercy on him, refuted them, and then they abandoned this issue.”
Betrayal:
Followers often commit intellectual betrayal when explaining issues. Accordingly, it is written in these books:
“When the one seeking a fatwa asks what Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says on this issue, the mufti responds by stating the opinion of Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him.”
Loss of Modesty and Shame:
When the followers of the Imams say goodbye to the Book and Sunnah, they also bid farewell to modesty and shame. Accordingly, they have written:
1: Wudu is not broken by holding one’s own or another’s private parts.
2: If one has intercourse with a living or dead animal or a minor girl, wudu is not broken.
3: If one has intercourse with an animal, dead person, or minor girl and there is no ejaculation, then ghusl is not obligatory.
4: If one inserts the mention of an animal into the private parts or anus, ghusl is not obligatory.
5: After forty days of postpartum bleeding, companionship without ghusl is permissible.
6: If one licks a cloth filled with impurity so much that the effect of impurity is removed, it is pure.
7: The limb on which impurity has fallen becomes pure after licking it three times.
8: If impurity falls on a knife, it becomes pure by licking it.
9: In Behishti Zewar, Janab Ashraf Ali Khan Thanvi Sahib writes:
“A boy is being born but not all has come out yet; some is outside and some has not come out. Even at such a time, if consciousness remains, prayer is obligatory and making it up later is not correct. However, if praying causes fear for the child’s life, then making up the prayer is correct.”
10: In Behishti Zewar, Ashraf Ali Khan Thanvi Sahib wrote that if the milk of a dead woman is milked and given to a child, then all kinship relations become forbidden from that.
11:
states:
«قال مشايخنا من صلى وفي كته جر وتجوز صلاته وقيده الفقيه أبو جعفر الهندواني بكونه مشدود الفم»
“That is, our elders have said: whoever prays in a state where there is dog saliva on his sleeve, in such a case praying is permissible. The jurist Abu Ja’far Hinduwani stipulated that the dog’s mouth should be tied.”
12: If one passes wind before the Tashahhud, then one should perform wudu again and then give salam, because giving salam is obligatory and wudu is necessary for giving salam. But if in this state one deliberately passes wind, starts talking, or does something invalidating the prayer, then his prayer will be complete.
13: According to Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi, one of the conditions of the Imam is:
«ثم الاكبر رأسا و الأصغرعضوا»
“He should have a big head and small private parts.”
14: «وكذلك لو تزوج بذات رحم محرم نحو البنت والأخت والأم والعمة والخالة وجامعها لا حد عليه فى قول أبى حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى وأن قال علمت أنها على حرام»
“Thus, if someone marries permanently forbidden women, for example, daughter, sister, mother, paternal aunt, or maternal aunt, and then has intercourse with them, according to Imam Abu Hanifa’s opinion, no punishment is prescribed even if he knows that this act is forbidden for him.”
The Distinction Between Halal and Haram Ends:
The consequence of imitation is also that the followers begin to declare halal as haram and haram as halal in the imitation of the Imams. Accordingly, it is recorded in the reliable Hanafi jurisprudence book Hidayah:
1: It is permissible to treat with something haram if there is certainty of cure.
2: Meat cooked or boiled in wine becomes pure after boiling three times and drying.
3: If pork falls into salt and becomes salty, it is pure.
4: The bones, hair, and tendons of a dog are pure, and it is permissible to make a drum from a dog’s skin and use it as a prayer mat.
5: If there is dust on the back of a pig or dog, tayammum (dry ablution) is permissible.
6: Extracting semen by hand during fasting does not invalidate the fast.
7: If a caliph, imam, or king commits adultery, there is no hadd punishment.
8: There is no hadd punishment for intercourse with an animal.
9: A missing wife is to be waited for ninety years.
Wonder and Anxiety:
The life of followers (Muqallideen) passes only in a state of wonder and anxiety.
The Heartbreaking Condition of an Egyptian Scholar:
“At Al-Azhar University, we studied the chapter on Wudu for three months. Yet, we did not understand the reality and ease of Wudu. It was only when Fiqh al-Sunnah lifted the veil from our eyes. Many of us stay at Al-Azhar University for twelve, fifteen years or more. We read most of the books of one of the four schools of thought. To the extent that we even receive a certificate of excellence. But when we finally reflect, it becomes clear that despite memorizing so many books, we have not been able to attain true research of even that school. The knowledge of research, Tafsir, and Hadith of other schools is far beyond reach. Thus, we always remain in wonder and anxiety, not even knowing the method of preference in differing issues.”
Imitation is the cause of Shirk:
Maulana Sarfaraz Khan Sahab Safdar (Deobandi Hanafi) states: Following a particular Mujtahid in such a way that his statement is considered absolutely correct and it is impossible for him to err or make a mistake, such imitation leads to polytheism.
Qazi Sanaullah Panipati has called imitation shirk under
.
Deception for the Sake of Religion:
Followers generally resort to deception to strengthen the statements of their Imams and to defend their religion. Accordingly, they say:
1: «وإذا نقب اللص البيت فدخل وأخذ ألمال ونا وله أحر خارج البيت فلا قطع عليهما»
“If a thief breaks into a house and steals property, and a person outside the house takes that property, then the hands of neither will be cut off.”
2: And elsewhere it is stated:
«وكذلك إن حمله على حمار فساقه وأخرجه»
“If the thief collects the stolen goods, loads them on a donkey, and drives it away, then the hands will not be cut off.”
Considering Another Muslim Inferior to the Point of Declaring Them Outside Islam:
Followers of one school of thought do not consider other Muslims as Muslims, and they also consider marriage and wedlock with them to be forbidden. Thus, Muhammad bin Musa Al-Balla Al-Saghuni Hanafi said:
It is narrated from Muhammad bin Musa Al-Balla Al-Saghuni Hanafi that he said:
«لو كان لي أمر لاخذت الجزية من الشافعية»
“If I had the authority, I would levy jizya (tax) on the Shafi’is.”
When Isa bin Abi Bakr bin Ayub Al-Hanafi was asked why he became Hanafi while all his family members were Shafi’i, he replied: Do you not want there to be one Muslim in the house?
An Imam of the Hanafis, Asfakar Dari, said:
«لا ينبغي للحنفي أن يزوج بنته من شافعي المذهب ولكن يتزوج منهم»
“A Hanafi should not marry his daughter to someone of the Shafi’i sect, but he can marry a girl from that (Shafi’i) sect.”
The consequence of blind following in the form of killing and destruction:
Due to personal imitation, the followers of the four Imams did not hesitate to engage in fights, disputes, and even murder and plunder among themselves. The Hanafis and Shafi’is fought bloody wars against each other, killed one another, looted shops, and set neighborhoods on fire.
Listen to Imam al-Hind Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, may Allah have mercy on him:
“When the four schools of jurisprudence became defined and codified, and personal imitation became obligatory, the question arose as to who among these four Imams was superior: Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Shafi’i? Then the debate began, and it took the form of war and fighting. As a result, Hulagu Khan received his first encouragement to attack the Islamic countries from this very dispute among the Khurasanis. The Hanafis, in opposition to the Shafi’is, sent invitations and opened the city gates. When the swords of the Tatars began to strike, they spared neither the Shafi’is nor the Hanafis.”
«فجاسوا خلال الديار وكان وعدا مفعولا»
Refusal to Accept the Truth:
Followers reject the acceptance of the truth. Accordingly, Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi writes:
“Our teacher, who is the seal of the investigators and mujtahids, says that I observed a group of jurists who follow imitation (taqlid). I recited to them many verses from the Book of Allah that were against their imitative sect, but they not only refused to accept them but also paid no attention to them.”
Ignorance comes from imitation:
Ubaidullah bin Al-Mu’tazz
narrated:
«لا فرق بين يهيمة تقاد وإنسان يقلد»
“It means that a person who blindly follows and an animal that is driven have no difference.”
Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
Accepting the words of any Imam or scholar blindly without evidence and investigation is called taqlid (blind imitation), regardless of where or from whom he took that statement. Such a blind follower is ignorant and deprived of knowledge. Then he presented the proof from the Qur’an:
﴿فَاعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ﴾
“Indeed, Allah there is no deity except Him.”
In this noble verse, Allah commands man to seek knowledge and investigation, not blind imitation and following.
Legislation:
When followers, for the sake of their sect and to strengthen the sayings of their respective Imams, formulate principles and rules or prefer the saying of their Imam over Hadith and Sunnah, it is as if they are legislating Sharia. Accordingly, Imam Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, stated:
«من استحسن فقد شرع»
“Whoever considers an act good on his own accord has legislated Sharia.”
The famous Hanafi scholar Mas’ud bin Shaybah writes in the introduction of his book At-Ta’leem regarding the imitation of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him:
«إنه يجب على أهل الغرب والشرق بل على كافة الخلق أن تتخذوا آباحنيفة إماما وعقيدته دينا وقوله مذهبا بحيث لا يبغون عنه حولا ولا يريدون به بدلا»
“It is obligatory upon those living in the East and West, indeed upon all creation, to make Imam Abu Hanifa their Imam, his creed their religion, and his sayings their sect in such a way that they neither go beyond it nor turn back, but remain Hanafi in sect for life.”
Mahmood al-Hasan Deobandi further states:
“Because the saying of a Mujtahid is also counted as the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.”
Sheikh Abdul Rahman bin Hasan Al-Sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him, writes:
“This evil has become widespread, especially among those who are called scholars. They have placed obstacles before the Book and Sunnah and are preventing people from following the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. They say that only a Mujtahid can take evidence from the Book and Sunnah, and now the door of Ijtihad is closed. They also say that the one whom we follow was more knowledgeable in Hadith than you. The purpose of such statements is only that the following of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, should not be done, who never spoke without revelation, and complete trust should be placed in a person who can also err. Therefore, it is obligatory upon every accountable person that when he finds any evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace be upon him, and understands its meaning, he should act upon it, whether any scholar or Imam has acted upon it or not. Ibn Abdul Barr, may Allah have mercy on him, has narrated consensus on this.”
Interpretations for the Sake of Religion:
Followers do not hesitate to interpret Quranic verses and Prophetic Hadiths in favor of the sayings of their Imams. Thus, Abu al-Hasan al-Karkhi Hanafi wrote:
«أن كل آية تخالف قول أصحابنا فإنها تحمل على النسخ أو على الترجيح ، والأولى أن تحمل على التاويل من جهة التوفيق»
“Every Quranic verse that is contrary to the sayings of our jurists will either be considered abrogated or given preference. It is better to interpret it so that harmony is established.”
He further writes:
«أن كل خبر يجنى بخلاف قول أصحابنا فإنه يحمل على النسخ أو على أنه معارض بمثله»
“Every hadith that contradicts the sayings of our companions will be considered abrogated or will be regarded as a conflicting hadith of similar nature.”
A Follower is Outside the Sunni Community as an Innovator:
Allama Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
«والذي يجب أن تقال: كل من انتسب إلى إمام غير رسول الله يوالى على ذلك ويعادي عليه فهو مبتدع خارج عن السنة والجماعة، سواء كان فى الأصول أو الفروع»
“It is obligatory (wajib) to say that whoever affiliates himself with any imam other than the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and maintains friendship or enmity based on that affiliation, such a person is an innovator (bid’ati), and is outside the fold of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, whether this affiliation is in principles or in branches.”
Due to imitation, every group invites to its own religion:
Due to imitation, every group calls towards its own religion and imam, not towards Islam, resulting only in astonishment after astonishment.
Sheikh Muhammad Sultan Masumi mentioned in his كتاب هل اعلم ملتزم باتباع مذهبمعین،
that: “A letter was received from Tokyo, Japan, summarizing that some enlightened people in Japan inclined towards Islam and expressed their intention before the Jamiat-ul-Muslimeen Tokyo. The Hanafi scholars from India there said: You should accept the religion of Abu Hanifa because he is the lamp of the Ummah. But the Shafi’i scholars from Java (Indonesia) advised them to accept the Shafi’i school. Due to the tug of war between these two groups, they became very confused and could not accept Islam.”
Sheikh Muhammad Hayat Sindhi Hanafi, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote:
“Our contemporaries have innovated the bid’ah of strict adherence to a particular madhhab, declaring it impermissible to move from one madhhab to another. This is ignorance, innovation, and oppression. We have seen such people who abandon authentic, non-abrogated hadiths and cling to madhhabs that have no authentic chain.”
إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون.
Books are filled with examples of inter-madhhab tug of war. As a result of this fanaticism and inviting towards one’s own madhhab, there are four separate prayer areas in Masjid al-Haram, and for some time, a fifth prayer area for Shia Zaidiyyah as well, which is evidence of this, as mentioned by Ibn Jirrah Andalusi
in his Hajj travelogue. The scene of disagreement must be so ugly that it would cool the eyes of the enemies of Islam. May Allah protect us. Allama San’ani writes:
“Allah Almighty’s sanctuary, whose every place is agreed upon by the scholars of the Ummah as the most excellent place, was again divided by some ignorant, misguided, and evil rulers who created these prayer areas. Because of this, the worship of the servants of Allah was fragmented, causing many harms, only Allah knows.”
“Fragmenting the worship of the people of Islam is such an innovation that it cooled the eyes of the accursed Iblis, and then made Muslims a mockery for Satan.”
Allama Shawkani, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
There is consensus on the innovation of creating different prayer areas in Makkah. It was invented by one of the rulers, Faraj bin Barquq, in the early ninth century AH. The scholars of that time condemned it and wrote books opposing it. الله اكبر
It is astonishing that the worst king among Muslims invented this innovation in the most excellent place on earth, which later righteous rulers condemned because these prayer areas divided the congregational prayer of Muslims into many parts. Whereas the truthful and trustworthy Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade disagreement and division and taught unity and harmony. Indeed, he forbade holding different congregations simultaneously.
The most dangerous and grievous matter for Islam and Muslims is that in the Haram of Makkah, every imam leads his own separate congregation. Each imam’s followers stand behind him in their own prayer area, making it seem as if these people belong to different Shariahs and religions.
انا لله وانا اليه راجعون
Fadhilat al-Sheikh Dr. Wasiullah Muhammad Abbas, teacher and Mufti of Masjid al-Haram and professor at Umm al-Qura University, Makkah al-Mukarramah, mentioned this issue historically in his book المسجد الحرام تاريخه واحكامه. He wrote: “After admonition, I found the first mention of the prayer areas and mihrabs of the four Imams
. This means these prayer areas were invented long before the ninth century.”
Furthermore, in his book The Ruling on Imitation
, he wrote: “By the grace and bounty of Allah, this innovation was removed from the Sacred Haram when the genius of Islam, the reviver of Allah’s religion, King Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Faisal, may Allah have mercy on him, ruled the Arabian Peninsula and based his governance on the Book and Sunnah. He served the religion of the Upright (Hanif) to the best of his ability, spreading the teachings of the Book and Sunnah. Such service to the creed of the Salaf is unparalleled except in the early centuries of goodness. May Allah keep him in His mercy, Ameen!
However, in the Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, as the people there have reported, four mihrabs still remain. May Allah also remove them and unite Muslims behind one imam.”
A Brief Review of the Books of the Followers of the Imams:
Among the followers of the Imams, we only present a brief review of the books of Usul al-Fiqh of the followers of Imam Abu Hanifa, so that the general public may realize the scholarly and jurisprudential status of the books they rely upon.
Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlvi, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«وجدت أكثرهم يزعمون أن بناء الخلاف بين أبى حنيفة والشافعي على هذه الأصول المذكورة فى كتاب البزدوي ونحوه، وإنما الحق أن أكثرها أصول مخرجة على قولهم وإنها لا تصح بها رواية عن أبى حنيفة وصاحبيه»
“Most followers believe that the principles (Usul) are transmitted from Imam Abu Hanifa and his companions, but this is not correct because the principles are derived from their subsidiary issues and statements. Therefore, attributing the principles to them is not correct.”
Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani, may Allah have mercy on him, writes that: A person who has insight into the purified Sunnah and is engaged in the research and propagation of the Sunnah knows well that the books of Fiqh are filled with statements that cannot even be attributed to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
This is why the eminent Hanafi scholar Abdul Hayy Hanafi Lakhvi admits:
“There are many books that are trusted by great jurists but are filled with weak hadiths. After reflection, we have reached the conclusion that although the authors of these books were pious, they were careless in transmitting hadiths.”
Imam Abu Hanifa passed away in
, and the Hanafi Fiqh books were written centuries after his death. Just as Jews and Christians attribute their books to our master Musa and our master Isa, peace be upon them, similarly, the Hanafi scholars attribute their Fiqh books to Imam Abu Hanifa, although there is no proven connection between those books and Imam Abu Hanifa.
These people were very weak in hadith. Thus, Maulana Abdul Hayy Lakhvi writes:
«إن الكتب الفقهية وإن كانت معتبرة فى نفسها بحسب المسائل الفرعية وكان مصنفوها أيضا من المعتبرين والفقهاء الكاملين لا يعتمد على الاحاديث المنقولة فيها اعتمادا كليا ولا يجزم بورودها وثبوتها قطعا بمجرد وقوعها فيها فكم من احاديث ذكرت فى الكتب المعتبرة وهى موضوعة ومختلقة»
“The authors may have been such respected jurists whose jurisprudence is trusted, but one should not trust the hadiths that these people have written in their Fiqh books, nor should one believe that any text labeled as hadith in their books is necessarily a hadith. Because many hadiths in these Fiqh books are fabricated and fabricated, and many are different in their chains, meaning their authenticity cannot be relied upon.”
In Hanafi Fiqh, the Hidayah is also called كا لقرآن. Regarding the narrations in it, Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi, after narrating an unfounded narration about Qada-e-Umri, writes:
«لا عبرة بنقل النهاية ولا ببقية شراح الهداية، فإنهم ليسوا من المحدثين، ولا أسندوا الحديث إلى أحد من المخرجين»
“The narrations quoted in Nahayat Sharh al-Hidayah and other commentators of Hidayah have no credibility because firstly, they are not Muhaddiths, and secondly, they do not mention the source of the narration, i.e., which Muhaddith has authenticated this narration.”
Maulana Abdul Hayy Lakhvi writes:
«من كتاب معتمد اعتمد عليه أجله الفقهاء معلو ۚ من الأحاديث الموضوعة، ولاسيما الفتاوى»
“How many trusted books are there on which great jurists have relied, yet they are filled with fabricated hadiths, especially in fatwas.”
Allama Abdul Hayy Lakhvi Hanafi boldly states the truth:
«ألا ترى إلى صاحب الهداية من أجلة الحنفية والرافعي شارح من أجلة الشافعية مع كونهما ممن يشار إليهما بالانا مل ويعتمد عليه الأماجد والآمائل قد ذكروا فى تصنيفيهما ما لم يوجد له أثر عند خبير بالحديث»
“Do you not look at the author of Hidayah, who is the crown of Hanafi and a prominent Shafi’i commentator counted among the top Shafi’i jurists, despite the fact that these are such great personalities whose greatness and grandeur are pointed to by fingers, and many renowned scholars and jurists have relied on their rulings of halal and haram? But the reality is that both of them have written many hadiths in their books that are so fabricated and artificial that they have no connection whatsoever with the original hadith books.”
Sheikh Abdul Haq Hanafi, the author of Hidayah, revealing the connection of hadith knowledge with the author, writes in Sharh
printed in Lucknow:
حديثے آورده نز د محدثين خالي از ضعفے نه غالباً اشتغال وقت آن آستاز در علم حديث كمتر بوده
“It appears that the author of Hidayah did not have much connection or relation with the knowledge of hadith, which is why he transmits such hadiths that are considered unreliable and weak by the Muhaddithin, may Allah have mercy on them.”
This is the condition of these great personalities and jurists, that they are careless in mentioning hadiths and do not investigate the chains of hadiths. This is the state of the great and trusted books of Fiqh that they contain fabricated and baseless narrations. Observe some examples of them.
The Subject of Hidayah and Weak Narrations:
● First Hadith :
The author of Hidayah writes:
«روي أنه عليه السلام قاء فلم يتوضأ »
“It is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ vomited but did not perform ablution.”
Investigation: Hafiz Zailai writes about this hadith:
“Very weak, extremely weak.”
Note: By weak here, he means that this hadith was not found by him.
And Ibn Hammam states:
«أما حديث أنه قاء فلم يتوضأ فلم يعرف»
“The Noble Prophet ﷺ vomited but did not perform ablution, so this is not well-known.”
Allama Aini said:
«هذا الحديث غريب لا ذكر له فى كتب الحديث»
“This hadith is weak; it has no existence in the books of hadith.”
● Second Hadith :
Sahib Hidayah writes:
«وقال عليه الصلاة والسلام لا تزال أمتي بخير ما عجلوا المغرب وأخروا العشاء»
“And the Prophet ﷺ said that my Ummah will remain upon good as long as they perform Maghrib early and Isha late.”
Research: Hafiz Zailai writes about this:
«قلت غريب»
“I say that this hadith is weak.”
Ibn Abi Al-Az Al-Hay writes:
«هذا الحديث منكل لا يعرف فى كتب الحديث»
“This hadith is rejected; it is not recognized in the books of hadith.”
Allama Badruddin Ayni states:
«هذا الحديث له أصل ولكن بغير هذه البصارة»
“The original of this hadith exists but in different words.”
● Third Hadith:
Sahib Hidayah writes:
«لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام من قلد بدنة فقد أحرم»
“Meaning, the person who, at the time of Hajj in Makkah, puts a shoe or strap as a sign on the neck of a she-camel designated for sacrifice, has indeed entered into Ihram; that is, by doing so, the restrictions of Ihram will apply to him, even if he has not yet formally entered Ihram.”
Hafiz Zubay’i writes about this hadith:
«قلت: غريب مرفوعا»
“I say that this hadith is mursal and strange.”
After that, he mentioned that this is the statement of Ibn Abbas and Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them).
And the same has been stated by Ibn Hummam in فتح القدير
and Allama Ayni in البناية
.
And Hafiz Ibn Hajar said:
«لم أجده مرفوعا»
“I have not found this hadith as marfu’.”
And Ibn Abi Al-Izz said:
«هذا الحديث غير معروف»
“This hadith is unknown.”
Therefore, to clarify the reality of these three narrations, we suffice with a few points. Otherwise, there are many hadiths in this book which are baseless. If anyone has doubts about this, they should study نصب الراية، الدراية and التنبيه على مشكلات الهداية لابن ابي العز. فانه يرى العجب العجاب Dar Mukhtar is also a top book of Hanafi fiqh. On its page
, there is a narration جامع المسانيد regarding the virtue of Imam Abu Hanifa with references such as ابو حنيفة سراج أمتي. While explaining its chain of narration, Mulla Ali Qari Hanafi writes:
«موضوع باتفاق المحدثين»
“The scholars of hadith agree that this hadith is fabricated.”
In Hanafi fatwas, there are also fabricated and concocted narrations. Qazi Khan writes in his fatwas:
«روي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أكل متكا»
“It is narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) ate while leaning.”
This is a fabricated and concocted narration and contradicts authentic hadiths because in authentic hadith it is stated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
«إني لا أكل متك»
“I do not eat while leaning.”
And the same is the case with Hanafi Usul al-Fiqh books. Mulla Jivan mentioned in نور الانوار a hadith in this manner:
«إذا انسلخ شعبان فلاصوم إلا عن رمضان»
“When Sha’ban ends, then fast the month of Ramadan only.”
