Accepted Principles of the Hanafis and Surah Al-Fatiha in the Funeral Prayer
Dear readers, in the first chapter, you have learned from authentic hadiths the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the practice of the Companions, and the creed of the majority of the Tabi‘in that Surah Al-Fatiha should be recited in the funeral prayer. In the second chapter, a fair analysis of the alleged Hanafi arguments has been presented. Now we present before them some principles that the Hanafis accept, and according to which the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is also necessary.
The Hanafis should at least uphold their own established principles if they disregard the hadiths of the Prophet, the practice of the Companions, and the creed of the majority of the Tabi‘in. The third chapter consists of these very principles.
As Iqbal said:
If you do not become mine, then do not be, but become your own.
Hanafi Jurisprudence and the Obligation of Recitation in Prayer
According to the Hanafis, even if Al-Fatiha is not recited in prayer, the absolute recitation of the Qur’an is obligatory, meaning that for them, it is necessary for the acceptance of the prayer that some part of the Qur’an is recited in it. The Hanafis themselves have presented evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah on this matter. Let us observe this issue in their own words:
◈ Text of Sahib al-Hidayah
The famous Hanafi scholar, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Abu Bakr Marghinani (593 AH) writes:
فرائض الصلاة ستة ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾
There are six pillars of prayer. One of them is recitation because Allah Almighty says: ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾ (Recite whatever is easy for you of the Qur’an).
◈ The great Hanafi scholar and the obligation of recitation
Abu Bakr bin Masood bin Ahmad Al-Sani Hanafi (587 AH), while mentioning the proofs of the obligation of recitation in prayer, writes:
ولنا قوله تعالى : ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾ and the absolute command of obligation, and the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: “There is no prayer without recitation.”
Our proof is the command of Allah Almighty: ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾ (Recite whatever Quran is easy for you). The absolute command is for obligation. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “There is no prayer without recitation.”
◈ Statement of Allama Zailai Hanafi
Uthman bin Ali Zailai Hanafi (743 AH), while explaining the obligations of Salah in Kanz al-Daqa’iq, writes:
والقراءة لقوله تعالى : ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾ And regarding the saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “Then recite whatever is easy for you from the Qur’an,” there is consensus on its obligation.
Recitation is also obligatory because the command of Allah Almighty is: ﴿فَاقْرَءُوْا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْاٰنِ﴾ (Recite whatever is easy for you of the Qur’an). Also, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Then recite whatever is easy for you from the Qur’an.” There is consensus on the obligation of recitation in Salah.
From these statements of Hanafi Fiqh, it is understood that the Shariah evidences, i.e., Qur’an, Hadith, and Ijma (consensus), establish the absolute obligation of recitation in Salah. If we ourselves presented these evidences, perhaps some Hanafi brothers might object to them. This is testimony from their own house that according to Shariah evidences, recitation in Salah is obligatory. Now the question is, when the Hanafi scholars themselves acknowledge that Shariah has made recitation obligatory in Salah, and neither the Qur’an nor Hadith exempt any Salah from this ruling, then has Hanafi Fiqh exempted the funeral prayer from this obligation based on any evidence? We have already mentioned all their alleged evidences. Among them, only one correct evidence relates to Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, which is the personal opinion and analogy of Abu al-Aliyah al-Tabi’i. Does the Qur’an, Hadith, and the slogan of following the consensus of the Ummah require that the obligatory acts of Salah established by these Shariah evidences be abandoned on the basis of someone’s analogy? With what face will they go to the Pond of Kawthar on the Day of Judgment?
Another noteworthy point in this regard is that just as Ruku (bowing), Sujood (prostration), and many other pillars of Salah have been removed by Shariah itself from the funeral prayer, similarly, if any evidence were presented forbidding recitation in the funeral prayer, it would be acceptable. But as we have mentioned, instead of forbidding, Shariah has made recitation necessary in the funeral prayer. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), the Companions, and the majority of the Tabi’in acted upon this.
◈ Qiyas and Standing in the Funeral Prayer
Now, if a Hanafi brother tries to escape by simply saying that the funeral prayer is a supplication for the deceased, not a permanent prayer, therefore recitation in it is prohibited, then we appeal to him for justice and say: Sir, if due to it being a supplication, the recitation obligation has been abolished and prohibited without any Shariah evidence, then why has the obligation of standing during this supplication been retained? No Muslim calls standing during a supplication obligatory. Why has Hanafi jurisprudence not issued a fatwa that standing in the funeral prayer is also not obligatory because it is a supplication for the deceased, not a permanent prayer? May Allah grant us understanding of the truth. Ameen!
Recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the Funeral as a Supplication or Praise
The Hanafis, on one hand, prohibit the recitation of the Holy Quran in the funeral prayer, but on the other hand, when they look at the Shariah evidences regarding the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer and have no means left to reject them, they say that yes, by one means, Surah Al-Fatiha can be recited in the funeral prayer. What is that means? There are different opinions of different people on this as well. Observe:
◈ Fatwa of Abu Hanifa the Second
Imam Ibn Najim Hanafi, known as Abu Hanifa the Second (970 AH), writes:
وفي المحيط والتجنيس : ولو قرأ الفاتحة فيها بنية الدعاء؛ فلا بأس به، وإن قرأها بنية القراءة؛ لا يجوز، لأنها محل الدعاء دون القراءة اهـ .
It is mentioned in Al-Muheet and At-Tajnīs that if someone recites Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer with the intention of supplication, then there is no harm, but if he recites it with the intention of recitation, then it is not permissible because the funeral prayer is a place for supplication, not for recitation.“
◈ The Permission of Allama Kasani Hanafi
This was the method of reciting as a supplication. According to some, Surah Al-Fatiha can be recited as praise in the funeral prayer. While according to others, both methods are effective, as Kasani Hanafi wrote in the interpretation of a weak narration:
وتأويل حديث جابر أنه كان قرأ على سبيل الثناء، لا على سبيل قراءة القرآن، وذلك ليس بمكروه عندنا .
The interpretation of Jabir’s hadith is that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited Surah Al-Fatiha as praise, not as a recitation, and reciting Al-Fatiha as praise in the funeral prayer is not disliked in our view either.
Earlier, the same Allama Kasani Hanafi himself wrote:
وعندنا لو قرأ الفاتحة على سبيل الدعاء والثناء لم يكره
In our view, if someone recites Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer as a supplication and praise, it is not disliked.
Now the question to the Hanafi brothers is: when the recitation of the Holy Quran in the funeral prayer is originally prohibited and they themselves have arguments for this in their opinion, then on what basis have they permitted this prohibited recitation as a supplication and praise? If the recitation in the funeral prayer was prohibited based on Shariah evidence, then it is necessary that the permissibility of this recitation as a supplication or praise in the funeral prayer is also proven by some Shariah evidence; otherwise, this is arbitrary in religious matters.
Yes, in this regard, the Hanafi brothers present only an analogical argument, and for the ease of the readers, we present it ourselves.
◈ Allama Zailai Hanafi’s Qiyas as a Corrupt Qiyas
Usman bin Ali Zeilai Hanafi (743 AH) writes in the commentary of Kanz al-Daqa’iq on this matter:
لو قرأ الجنب الفاتحة على نية الثناء والدعاء، دون القراءة؛ يجوز، وكذا لو قرأها فى صلاة الجنازة على نية الدعاء ، دون القراءة؛ تجوز، وإن لم تشرع فيها القراءة .
If a person in a state of janabah recites Al-Fatiha with the intention of praise and supplication, and not with the intention of recitation, then it is permissible. Similarly, if someone recites it in the funeral prayer with the intention of supplication, but not with the intention of recitation, then this too will be permissible, although there is no provision for recitation in the funeral prayer according to Shariah.
It is understood that according to the Hanafis, reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is prohibited, but reciting it as a form of supplication and praise is permissible. The evidence for this is that recitation is also prohibited for a person in a state of janabah, but he is allowed to recite it as supplication and praise. That is, reciting Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer in a state of janabah is analogized to reciting it as supplication and praise.
The very first fundamental point is that if reciting as supplication and praise in a state of janabah is established by any Shariah evidence, then only can the recitation in the funeral prayer as supplication and praise be analogized to it. Whether this analogy is correct or incorrect in the light of fiqh is a matter for later. But if the permissibility of reciting as supplication and praise in a state of janabah is not established by any Shariah evidence at all, then how can it be said that reciting Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer as supplication and praise is permissible according to Shariah? Because the very thing on which this analogy was based has not been established as permissible in Shariah.
◈ Recitation and Predecessors as a Prayer During Janabat
A request to Hanafi brothers: if they have any Shariah evidence proving that a person in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity) can recite the Holy Quran as supplication and praise, then they should bring it to light. The reality is that there is no such evidence in the Quran, Sunnah, or consensus of the Ummah. The Shariah has prohibited a janib from reciting the Holy Quran, and it has not exempted reciting it as supplication and praise; therefore, for a janib, reciting the Holy Quran with any intention is not permissible. The pious predecessors also say the same:
✿ The early Tabi’i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq bin Salmah, may Allah have mercy on him (82 AH), says:
لا يقرأ الجنب والحائض القرآن.
A janib and a menstruating woman cannot recite the Holy Quran.
✿ Abu al-Aliyah Rafi’ bin Mihran, a Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him (93 AH), was asked about a menstruating woman and said:
لا تقرأ القرآن.
She should not recite the Holy Quran.
✿ Imam Abdul Rahman bin Amr Awza’i, may Allah have mercy on him (157 AH), states:
Imam Zahri, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about a janib man and a menstruating or postpartum woman, and he said: They were not even permitted to recite some parts of the Holy Quran.
None of the righteous predecessors issued a fatwa that reciting the Holy Quran as supplication and praise is permissible in the state of janabah. Some predecessors allowed reciting one or two verses, but none of them conditioned this permission on the intention of supplication and praise. The authentic narrations from the predecessors on this matter are presented here for the benefit of the honorable readers:
✿ Abu Ishaq Amr bin Abdullah Subai’i, may Allah have mercy on him, states:
I asked Saeed bin Jubair, may Allah have mercy on him (95 AH), whether a menstruating woman and a janib can recite the Quran? He replied: They can recite one or two verses.
✿ Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir, a Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him (114 AH), narrated:
There is no harm for a janib and a menstruating woman to recite one or two verses.
✿ Imam Ata bin Abi Rabah, a Tabi’i, may Allah have mercy on him (114 AH), says:
A menstruating woman cannot recite the Quran. However, she may recite a part of a verse.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him (241 AH), Imam Ishaq bin Rahwayh, may Allah have mercy on him (238 AH), and many other Imams of the religion hold the same view.
This is the entire collection of authentic statements from the predecessors regarding the permission to recite a part of a verse or one or two verses of the Holy Quran in the state of janabah, which the honorable readers have observed. Has any of the Imams of the religion conditioned this permission on the intention of supplication and praise? No, absolutely not.
If these narrations are considered, then at most it can be established that occasionally reciting one or two verses in the state of janabah may be hoped to be without sin. Our question to the Hanafi brothers is: if someone recites several parts (paras) of the Quran in the state of janabah with the intention of repeating their destination (manzil), will he be doing a permissible act? If this act is impermissible—and it certainly is—then why? Simply because the Shariah has not exempted repeating the destination as a permissible act.
When the permissibility of reciting the Holy Quran as supplication and praise in the state of janabah cannot be established by any Shariah evidence, then Hanafi brothers should explain how the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer can be permitted by analogy?
Now it is certain that the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the Companions cannot be considered as supplication and praise without any evidence. Therefore, the excuse of the Hanafis to prevent the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer has also become invalid. When conditioning the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer on intention cannot be established by any Shariah evidence, then according to the Hanafi school itself, the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is absolutely permissible, and preventing any permissible act is undoubtedly impermissible.
Multiple Methods and Surah Al-Fatiha in Funeral Prayer
Muhaddithin and Imams of the religion were very cautious regarding Hadith. They fully adhered to the consensus rules concerning the chain (isnad) and the text (matn). According to them, for any Hadith to be authentic, it was necessary that it fulfill five conditions. The definition of Sahih Hadith found in the standard books of Usul al-Hadith consists of these five conditions. That is, the narrator who reports the Hadith must be morally upright, mentally sound, the chain of narration must be connected up to the Messenger of Allah , and the Hadith must be free from any anomaly (shudhudh) or hidden defect (‘illat). Thus, the Imams of Hadith only trusted Sahih Ahadith.
Some scholars say that if several weak (da‘if) chains of a Hadith are found, provided the weakness is not severe, or if another similar weak Hadith with slight weakness is found along with it, then it can also be considered Hasan (good), meaning it can be acted upon. Although this is a point of difference, scholarly discussions among the Ulama continue on this matter.
However, most scholars of the Hanafi school have inclined towards the view that if a narration has more than one chain with slight weakness or if another weak Hadith with slight weakness is found along with it, then that narration becomes actionable and authoritative.
◈ Hanafi Scholars and Multiple Chains
Allama Ibn Najim Hanafi (970 AH) writes:
وذلك يرفع الضعيف إلى الحسن
A weak hadith becomes good due to multiple chains.
Allama Tahtawi Hanafi (1231 AH), after mentioning a weak hadith, writes:
والأظهر أنه لا ينزل عن درجة الحسن لاعتضاده بكثرة الطرق والشواهد .
The preferred view is that this hadith, due to multiple chains and supporting evidence, is not less than good.
Allama Ibn Abidin Shami Hanafi (1252 AH) writes:
يصير الحديث بمجموعها حسنا .
By combining several narrations, this hadith becomes good.
◈ Deobandi School of Thought and Multiple Chains
The head teacher of Darul Uloom Deoband, Janab Mahmood Hasan Sahib writes:
It is present in the books of Usul that if a hadith has multiple weak chains, then due to the multiplicity of chains, the hadith becomes good and is considered strong.
◈ Barelvi School of Thought and Multiple Chains
Imam Barelvi, Janab Ahmad Raza Khan Naeemi Sahib writes:
A hadith becomes Hasan from Da’eef due to the following reasons:
➊ If it is narrated through two or more chains, even if all those chains are weak, meaning if a hadith is narrated through several weak narrations, it no longer remains weak but becomes Hasan (Mirqat, Mawaqu’at Kabeer, Shami, Muqaddimah Mishkat Shareef by Maulana Abdul Haq, Risalah Usool al-Hadith by Al-Jurjani, Awal Tarandi Shareef, etc.).
Regarding Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, the Hanafis made many false interpretations in authentic hadiths. In this context, they even denied that the word Sunnah used by the Sahabah refers to the Sunnah of the Prophet. Whereas we have presented the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) with a good chain and also the blessed practice. Yet, the followers refuse to accept it. They used unreliable objections about the trustworthy and truthful narrators of these narrations as a pretext to reject them. Thus, they loudly claimed that it is not proven from any authentic hadith that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer or ordered its recitation, as Anwar Khurshid Deobandi Sahib writes:
It is not proven from a single authentic hadith that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to recite in the funeral prayer or ordered others to recite.
As evidence, Anwar Sahib also presented the statement of Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him):
ويذكر عن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه أمر أن يقرأ على الجنازة بفاتحة الكتاب، ولا يصح إسناده .
It is mentioned from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he ordered the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, but its chain is not authentic.
As far as Allama Ibn al-Qayyim’s statement is concerned, this is his scholarly leniency. According to the principles of Muhaddithin, this is not correct because the chains we have mentioned regarding the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer are authentic according to the principles of Muhaddithin.
As for Janab Anwar Khurshid Sahib and other Hanafis, even if their claim is accepted that there is some weakness in these chains, still, based on their own Muslim principle, the narrations that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) himself recited in the funeral prayer and ordered its recitation will collectively become proof.
The Hanafis will either sacrifice one of their principles, which they often consider a weapon in many issues, to reject this matter, or they will respect their principle and accept these hadiths as authentic.
◈ Hadith, Um Shareek, and Multiple Chains
Regarding the Fatiha in the funeral prayer, a chain of narration of the hadith narrated by Umm Shareek رضي الله عنها about the blessed practice of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was mentioned there. About this, Janab Muhammad Amin Okaraavi Sahib has written:
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله has also called its chain weak in “Talkhees al-Habeer.”
The exact statement of Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله, which Okaraavi Sahib pointed to, is as follows:
وفي إسناده ضعف يسير .
There is a slight weakness in its chain.
It has been established that even if the weakness in this chain is accepted, it is very minor and according to the Hanafi scholars, it will be completely nullified by the presence of another chain. The other chain is:
Imam Bukhari رحمه الله says:
وقال محمد بن المثنى : حدثني حماد بن بشير أبو عبد الله، سمع مرزوقا أبا عبد الله الشامي، سمع شهر بن حوشب عن أم شري
The first narrator of this narration and Imam Bukhari رحمه الله’s teacher, Muhammad bin Muthanna (252 AH), is a “Thiqah Thabit” (trustworthy and reliable) Imam. The second narrator, Hammad bin Basheer رحمه الله, was declared “Thiqah” (trustworthy) by Imam Ibn Hibban رحمه الله, and no other Imam has criticized him. Therefore, he is an “unknown status” narrator. The third narrator, Marzuq Abu Abdullah al-Shami, is “Hasan al-Hadith” (good in hadith). The fourth narrator, Shaher bin Hawshab, is also “Hasan al-Hadith,” as has been explained in detail in Chapter One, Section Four.
It is understood that there is only one weakness in this chain, which is the unknown status of Hammad bin Basheer’s life circumstances. The Hanafi scholars hold that if a narrator in the chain is unknown, the narration is not considered weak but rather of minor weakness. If, hypothetically, there was any weakness in the chain mentioned in Chapter One, then due to the convergence of these two chains, according to the Hanafi principles, it becomes authentic.
◈ Hadith of Asma bint Yazid (may Allah be pleased with her) and the numerous chains
Similarly, it is the matter of the blessed command of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. We have already mentioned two authentic chains of narration regarding this in the first chapter. One has been narrated by Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, in his Al-Tarikh Al-Kabir, and the other by Imam Tabrani, may Allah have mercy on him, in his Al-Kabir.
Both chains of narration are presented once again with further clarification:
The narration mentioned by Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, along with its chain is as follows:
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 a hadith from Abu Ja’far, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, from Asma bint Yazid, who narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said: “Recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer.”
Imam Tabrani, may Allah have mercy on him, 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 that Mu’alla ibn Asad ‘Ami narrated to us. He said that Muhammad ibn Humran told us. He said that Marzuq Abu Abdullah Al-Shami narrated from Abu Ja’far, from Shahr ibn Hawshab, who narrated from Asma bint Yazid, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: “When you perform the funeral prayer, recite Surah Al-Fatiha.”
◈ Okaraavi Sahib’s Misunderstanding
Mr. Okaraavi writes:
In its chain of narration, there is Mu’alla bin Humran, whose reliability is not proven, therefore the hadith is weak.
Whereas in none of the chains of this narration is there a narrator named Mu’alla bin Humran. Allama Haithami (may Allah have mercy on him) or one of his scribes mistakenly changed Muhammad bin Humran to Mu’alla bin Humran, as the Muhaddith of the era, Allama Nasiruddin al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
قوله : معلى يبدو أنه تحرف على الهيثمي، فإن الراوي فى الطبراني محمد، وهو معروف مترجم فى الجرح والتعديل، والتهذيب، وغيرهما، وهو الراوي لهذا الحديث عن مرزوق .
It appears that Allama Haithami’s saying “Mu’alla” is his misconception. Because in Tabarani there is a narrator named Muhammad who is well-known; his biography is present in Al-Jarh wa al-Ta’dil, Tahdhib, etc., and he is the one who narrates this hadith from Marzuq.
Thus, the objection raised by Mr. Okaraavi regarding its chain is due to his own lack of knowledge. And all the narrators of both mentioned chains of this hadith are trustworthy and truthful. The first narrator of the first chain, Mu’alla bin Asad, is trustworthy and reliable. The second narrator, Muhammad bin Humran, is considered trustworthy by the majority. The third narrator, Abu Abdullah al-Shami, is truthful. The fourth narrator, Abu Ja’far, refers to Hammad bin Ja’far al-Basri as Imam Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated. Detailed discussion about his trustworthiness has already been made in Chapter One, Section Four. The fifth narrator, Shahr bin Hawshab, is also considered trustworthy by the majority. Please refer to Chapter One, Section Four for more about them.
The first narrator of the second chain, Imam Tabarani’s teacher Ali bin Abdul Aziz al-Baghawi, is truthful. The second narrator is the same Mu’alla bin Asad mentioned in the first chain, who was “trustworthy and reliable.” Beyond this, the chain is exactly the same as that mentioned by Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him).
Thus, this hadith itself is authentic. Even if, hypothetically, some weakness is found in its chains, according to the Hanafi principle of consensus, both together become sufficient proof. Therefore, commanding the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer is also proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) according to the acknowledgment of the Hanafis.
Even after being proven authentic according to their principles, many Deobandi brothers refuse to accept the truth. Listen to the reason from one of their great scholars.
Allama Anwar Shah Kashmiri Deobandi says:
وقد بلوتهم أنهم يسوون 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 شاذ، وهكذا جربتهم فى مواضع يفعلون القواعد حسب مرادهم من الطرفين
I have tested the followers (muqallideen); these people make mutually contradictory rules, so what can be expected 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 by multiple chains, but when he finds an authentic hadith opposing his religion, he also invents a rule and says that it is anomalous (shadh). I have seen followers do this many times. They make mutually contradictory rules according to their desires.
Now they have no option but to say that we have no connection with the Shariah evidences; rather, we are followers and only concerned with following Imam Abu Hanifa, as their Sheikh al-Hind Mahmood al-Hasan Deobandi (1339 AH) openly admitted at one place, saying:
الحق والإنصاف أن الترجيح للشافعي فى هذه المسألة، ونحن مقلدون، يجب علينا تقليد إمامنا أبى حنيفة
The truth and justice is that in this matter (in terms of evidences) the school of Imam Shafi’i has preference, but we are followers; it is obligatory for us to follow our Imam Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him).
Prayers that Allah Almighty grants the courage to accept the truth; this is the demand of truth and justice.
The Shariah Status of Taqlid and Fatiha in Funeral
The followers say that it is obligatory for every person to follow one of the four Imams, namely Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on them. The truth lies in these four schools of thought. The religion of these four Imams is correct. If someone acts upon any legal issue taught by any of these four Imams, then he will be on the right path.
Allama Ibn Najim Misri Abu Hanifa Thani (970 AH) writes:
وما خالف الأئمة الأربعة، مخالف للإجماع .
A ruling against the four Imams is a ruling against consensus.
Mulla Jawan Hanafi (1130 AH) writes:
والإنصاف أن انحصار المذاهب فى الأربعة واتباعهم فضل إلهي وقبولية من عند الله .
The just thing is that only four schools of thought are correct, and following these four schools is a divine grace and acceptance from Allah.
That is, according to the Hanafis, every statement of the four Imams is correct, and those who act upon them are the people of truth.
Dear readers have already observed in Chapter One, Section Six, that among these noble Imams, there is no authentic evidence with a sound chain from Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik regarding whether to recite Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer or not, whereas Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on them, both believed in and practiced the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer. For the readers, we are once again presenting their fatwa and practice:
◈ Fatwa of Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) (204 AH)
Imam Shafi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
فلذلك نقول : يكبر أربعا على الجنائز؛ يقرأ فى الأولى بأم القرآن، ثم يصلي على النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم، ويدعو للميت، وقال بعض الناس : لا يقرأ فى الصلاة على الجنازة، إنا صلينا على الجنازة، وعلم نا كيف سنة الصلاة فيها لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فإذا وجدنا لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سنة، اتبعناها .
In view of this (presence of legal evidences), we say that four takbirs should be said in the funeral prayer. After the first takbir, Surah Al-Fatiha should be recited. Then (after the second takbir) salutations upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) should be sent, and (after the third takbir) a supplication should be made for the deceased. Some people say that there should be no recitation in the funeral prayer, but we have performed the funeral prayer and have come to know the Muhammadan way of performing it. Our practice is that when any Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah comes to our knowledge, we engage in following it (instead of interpreting it away).
◈ Practice of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) (240 AH)
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, his son Abu al-Fadl Salih, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates:
وكان يكبر على الجنازة أربعا، ويرفع يديه مع كل تكبيرة، ويقرأ فاتحة الكتاب فى أول تكبيرة، ثم يسلم تسليمة واحدة .
“My respected father would say four takbirs in the funeral prayer, raising his hands with each takbir. After the first takbir, he would recite Surah Al-Fatiha, then (after the fourth takbir) he would give one salam.”
If the Hanafi scholars are truthful in their claim that all four Imams and their fatwas are correct, then after it has been established that Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on them, recited Surah Al-Fatiha in the funeral prayer, they should refrain from forbidding recitation in the funeral prayer. And if they themselves do not want to practice it, then at least as followers they should consider it permissible, and not violate their own fundamental stance by calling it impermissible or disliked.
◈ Final Request
Dear readers, in this book you have already seen detailed arguments from the Book and Sunnah and have also become familiar with the opinions of the jurists and predecessors of the Ummah. Along with this, you have also studied the arguments of the Hanafis in depth and have understood how much weight they carry.
We regret that despite being so devoid of evidence, some people hurl barbs and slander at the people of truth and speak harshly. Throughout the book, we have exercised extreme restraint and have guarded our pen from harshness, Alhamdulillah, but in the end, as a complaint, we present one or two examples.
Mr. Amin Okaraavi writes:
Listen, I tell you loudly. Do not hide behind a veil like women, do not sneak in like a goat into the bill, do not curl up at the back like a scorpion.
He also writes:
Yes, see to it that you do not do this propaganda like Satan…
We will only ask our Deobandi brothers this question: which behavior is appropriate, the one we have adopted or the one our critics follow?
