✿ Authored by: Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai (رحمه الله)
① Contradicting Clear Qur’anic Commands:
Instances are cited where well-established Qur’anic injunctions (e.g., the prohibition of mushriks entering Masjid al-Ḥarām, punishment for adultery, rulings on tayammum, etc.) are allegedly overruled or ignored by Hanafi jurisprudence.
② Disregarding Authentic Hadiths:
Examples include the disregard for raising hands (rafʿ al-yadayn) in prayer, praying Qur’ān in all rakʿāt, and punishments for apostasy or insulting the Prophet ﷺ, where the Hanafi position is portrayed as contradictory to authentic narrations.
③ Reliance on Opinions of Scholars Over Direct Texts:
Statements from Hanafi and other traditional scholars are quoted where absolute obedience to the Imām is deemed obligatory even if it contradicts hadith or Qur’an. For example, Shaykh Aḥmad Sirhindī’s and Maḥmūd Ḥasan Deobandī’s quotes reflect a precedence of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s opinion over direct scriptural evidence.
➤ The denial of independent interpretation (ijtihād) post the 4th Islamic century.
➤ Declarations that even apparent contradictions with Qur’an and Sunnah should be overlooked in favor of the school’s (madhhab's) view.
➤ Numerous quotes highlighting the inferiority or ignorance of a muqallid (blind follower).
✦ Raising hands in prayer,
✦ Tayammum rules,
✦ Massaging over the turban,
✦ Punishment for homosexual acts,
✦ Execution of apostate women,
✦ Recitation of Fātiḥah in every rakʿah,
✦ Number of Takbīrāt in ʿĪd prayers, and others.
The analysis demonstrates how the contemporary followers have deviated not just from the Qur’an and Sunnah, but also from the practices of the earliest jurists of Islam— the Ṣaḥābah themselves.
❖ Overview of the Article
In this detailed scholarly critique, Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ʿAlī Zai presents a comprehensive rebuttal against the claims of adherence to the "Adillah Arba‘ah" (Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijmāʿ, and Ijtihād) by the Deobandi and Barelvi sects. While these sects profess to follow these sources, the article argues that in practice, they contradict them in favor of blind adherence (taqleed) to their self-fashioned scholars and pīrs (spiritual guides).❖ Core Claims and Arguments
✦ Rejection of Qur’an and Sunnah in Favor of Taqleed
① Contradicting Clear Qur’anic Commands:
Instances are cited where well-established Qur’anic injunctions (e.g., the prohibition of mushriks entering Masjid al-Ḥarām, punishment for adultery, rulings on tayammum, etc.) are allegedly overruled or ignored by Hanafi jurisprudence.
② Disregarding Authentic Hadiths:
Examples include the disregard for raising hands (rafʿ al-yadayn) in prayer, praying Qur’ān in all rakʿāt, and punishments for apostasy or insulting the Prophet ﷺ, where the Hanafi position is portrayed as contradictory to authentic narrations.
③ Reliance on Opinions of Scholars Over Direct Texts:
Statements from Hanafi and other traditional scholars are quoted where absolute obedience to the Imām is deemed obligatory even if it contradicts hadith or Qur’an. For example, Shaykh Aḥmad Sirhindī’s and Maḥmūd Ḥasan Deobandī’s quotes reflect a precedence of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah’s opinion over direct scriptural evidence.
❖ Theological Critique on the Concept of 'Mushkil Kusha'
The article criticizes both Barelvis and Deobandis for invoking figures other than Allah in times of distress, which the author interprets as shirk (polytheism), citing phrases used by figures like Ḥājī Imdādullāh Makki and Ashraf ʿAlī Thānwī referring to the Prophet ﷺ and other personalities as "Mushkil Kusha" (reliever of difficulties).❖ The Issue of Glorified Taqleed (Blind Following)
Key points include:➤ The denial of independent interpretation (ijtihād) post the 4th Islamic century.
➤ Declarations that even apparent contradictions with Qur’an and Sunnah should be overlooked in favor of the school’s (madhhab's) view.
➤ Numerous quotes highlighting the inferiority or ignorance of a muqallid (blind follower).
❖ Refutation Based on the Practices and Fatwas of the Khulafā’ al-Rāshidīn
The author elaborates on discrepancies between the fatwas and practices of the Rightly Guided Caliphs (Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, ʿAlī رضی الله عنهم) and the positions held by the Hanafi madhhab. Examples include:✦ Raising hands in prayer,
✦ Tayammum rules,
✦ Massaging over the turban,
✦ Punishment for homosexual acts,
✦ Execution of apostate women,
✦ Recitation of Fātiḥah in every rakʿah,
✦ Number of Takbīrāt in ʿĪd prayers, and others.
The analysis demonstrates how the contemporary followers have deviated not just from the Qur’an and Sunnah, but also from the practices of the earliest jurists of Islam— the Ṣaḥābah themselves.
