excerpt from the book "Noor al-‘Aynayn fī Ithbāt Raf‘ al-Yadayn ‘Ind al-Rukū‘ wa Ba‘dahu fī al-Ṣalāh" by Muḥaddith al-‘Aṣr Ḥāfiẓ Zubair ‘Alī Za’ī رحمه الله, following your formatting and translation guidelines:
Allah Almighty said:
﴿لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾
“Indeed, Allah has conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they had been before in manifest error.”
[Āl-‘Imrān: 164]
This verse establishes that Allah sent the final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a means of guidance for mankind. Those who embraced his obedience were rescued from the darkness of misguidance and brought onto the luminous path of salvation. Hence, following the Prophet ﷺ is the means to guidance, and turning away from him to follow anyone else leads only to misguidance.
Allah said:
﴿قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ. قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾
“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’ Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away – then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.”
[Āl-‘Imrān: 31–32]
The love of Allah is a condition of true faith. It entails that one must obey His Messenger ﷺ. Mere verbal claims are insufficient unless substantiated through following the Prophet ﷺ. Those who fail to obey him have no part in faith and are at risk of disbelief.
Allah said:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ﴾
“And those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
[Al-Baqarah: 165]
Allah said:
﴿لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا﴾
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.”
[Al-Aḥzāb: 21]
Hence, every Muslim must hold fast to what is brought by the Prophet ﷺ. This is the very demand of true belief in Allah and the Last Day.
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾
“Whatever the Messenger gives you – take it; and whatever he forbids you – refrain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”
[Al-Ḥashr: 7]
Allah said:
﴿وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾
“So follow him that you may be guided.”
[Al-A‘rāf: 158]
And also:
﴿وَاتَّبِعُونِ ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ﴾
“Follow me; this is a straight path.”
[Az-Zukhruf: 61]
Abandoning the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ in favor of another’s path leads only to misguidance and failure on the Day of Judgement.
Allah warns:
﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
“Let those beware who oppose his command, lest they be afflicted by a trial or a painful punishment.”
[An-Nūr: 63]
A manifestation of this “trial” is when people abandon the Sunnah and start blindly following various imams, causing division, hatred, and eventually internal strife among Muslims.
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ . إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ﴾
“He does not speak from [his own] desire. It is but a revelation revealed.”
[An-Najm: 3–4]
If even the desires of the Prophet ﷺ were not made part of religion, how can the opinions of others be accepted as divine law?
Allah said:
﴿مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ﴾
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
[An-Nisā’: 80]
Can anyone other than the Prophet ﷺ be given such an exalted status where obedience to him is equated to obedience to Allah?
Following is based on evidence and knowledge, while taqlid is based on ignorance and blind acceptance. The true follower seeks proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah. A muqallid (blind follower), however, merely clings to his imam’s word without understanding or examining evidence.
The great scholars have denounced blind following. Refer to:
① Abū Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except the one who refuses.❞
The companions asked: “Who would refuse?”
He replied: ❝Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.❞
[Bukhārī: 7280]
② The Prophet ﷺ said:
فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس مني
❝Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.❞
[Bukhārī: 5063; Muslim: 1401]
③ The Prophet ﷺ cursed:
والتارك لسنتي
❝...and the one who abandons my Sunnah.❞
[al-Ḥākim: 1/36; Tirmidhī: 2154]
④ The Prophet ﷺ advised:
فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين...
❝You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs. Hold onto it firmly... Beware of newly introduced matters. Every innovation is misguidance.❞
[Abū Dāwūd: 4607; Tirmidhī: 2676]
⑤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد
❝Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it – it is rejected.❞
[Bukhārī: 2697; Muslim: 1718]
⑥ Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه said:
❝I will not abandon anything that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do, for I fear I would go astray if I left anything from his affairs.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3093]
⑦ ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه said:
❝I cannot leave the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ for the statement of any person.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1563]
This is a practical application of the verse:
﴿فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾
“If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger...”
[An-Nisā’: 59]
⑧ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه said:
❝If you abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet, you will go astray.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 654]
At the end of times, even Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus) عليه السلام will follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and implement it among the people. Preferring the Sunnah of any other Prophet – let alone an Imām – over that of the Messenger ﷺ is clear misguidance.
Allah said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ...﴾
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. But if you disagree in anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger...”
[An-Nisā’: 59]
Obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is absolute, while obedience to those in authority is conditional – only if it aligns with the Qur’ān and Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا طاعة في معصية، إنما الطاعة في المعروف
❝There is no obedience in sin. Obedience is only in what is right.❞
[Bukhārī: 7257; Muslim: 1840]
Unlike the Prophet ﷺ, other people (including Imāms) are fallible, and their statements are not protected by revelation.
All four major Imams – including Imām Shāfiʿī رحمه الله – instructed people not to follow their views if a ḥadīth contradicted it:
Imām Shāfiʿī said:
❝If you find an authentic ḥadīth contradicting my opinion, then follow the ḥadīth. That is my view. And do not blindly follow me.❞
Adab ash-Shāfiʿī by Ibn Abī Ḥātim, p. 69
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said (regarding his father ʿUmar’s opposition to Tamattuʿ in Ḥajj):
❝If my father prohibited something, but the Prophet ﷺ did it, whose example should we follow – my father’s or the Prophet’s? Certainly the Prophet’s.❞
[Tirmidhī: 824 – Ḥadīth Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ]
Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه said something similar when Ḥajj Tamattuʿ was discussed.
ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه forbade taqlid:
[As-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 2/200 – Ṣaḥīḥ]
Muʿādh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه said:
أما العالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم
❝Even if a scholar is rightly guided, do not blindly follow him in your religion.❞
Jāmiʿ Bayān al-ʿIlm, 2/11 – Isnāduhu ḥasan
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn ʿAbdil-Barr, and other great scholars have written extensively against taqlid. Refer to:
They concluded:
❝Taqlid is ignorance, and the muqallid is ignorant.❞
When presented with the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ performing iʿshār (marking the sacrificial animal), some scholars such as Abū Ḥanīfah considered it mutilation (muthlah). Imām Wakīʿ (a student of Abū Ḥanīfah) became extremely angry and said:
❝I present to you the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and you bring the opinion of Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī? You deserve to be imprisoned until you abandon this!❞
Tirmidhī: 902
Allah said:
﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ...﴾
“But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge in what they dispute and find in themselves no resistance and submit fully.”
[An-Nisā’: 65]
Sadly, some self-proclaimed Ḥanafīs have even declared takfīr (disbelief) on those practicing Raf‘ al-Yadayn (raising hands in prayer).
Even ʿĀshiq Ilāhī Meerthi, a Deobandī scholar, admitted:
❝Some Ḥanafīs declaring the Ahl al-Ḥadīth as disbelievers over Rafʿ al-Yadayn was a grave error and great misguidance.❞
Tadhkirat al-Khalīl, pp. 132–133
The Prophet ﷺ said:
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
❝Pray as you have seen me pray.❞
[Bukhārī: 631]
Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Za’ī رحمه الله presented the topic of Rafʿ al-Yadayn with deep research, sincerity, and honesty, evaluating both sides of the argument with the support of authentic narrations and the statements of the Salaf. He decisively established Rafʿ al-Yadayn as a mutawātir Sunnah and exposed the flawed reasoning of those who reject it. He unmasked the deceptions of some modern followers of opinion, qiyās, and taqlid.
May Allah increase the Shaykh’s knowledge, practice, and life. May He grant him success against all false sects and disgrace the innovators at every front. Āmīn.
Dr. Abū Jābir ʿAbdullāh Wāmanwī
1st Muḥarram al-Ḥarām 1411 AH
❖ The Importance of Sunnah and the Condemnation of Blind Following (Taqlid)
◈ Allah’s Great Favor upon the Believers
Allah Almighty said:
﴿لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾
“Indeed, Allah has conferred a great favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom – although they had been before in manifest error.”
[Āl-‘Imrān: 164]This verse establishes that Allah sent the final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a means of guidance for mankind. Those who embraced his obedience were rescued from the darkness of misguidance and brought onto the luminous path of salvation. Hence, following the Prophet ﷺ is the means to guidance, and turning away from him to follow anyone else leads only to misguidance.
◈ Love of Allah Requires Following the Messenger ﷺ
Allah said:
﴿قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ. قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْكَافِرِينَ﴾
“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.’ Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.’ But if they turn away – then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers.”
[Āl-‘Imrān: 31–32]The love of Allah is a condition of true faith. It entails that one must obey His Messenger ﷺ. Mere verbal claims are insufficient unless substantiated through following the Prophet ﷺ. Those who fail to obey him have no part in faith and are at risk of disbelief.
Allah said:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلَّهِ﴾
“And those who believe are stronger in love for Allah.”
[Al-Baqarah: 165]◈ The Prophet ﷺ as the Perfect Example
Allah said:
﴿لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا﴾
“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.”
[Al-Aḥzāb: 21]Hence, every Muslim must hold fast to what is brought by the Prophet ﷺ. This is the very demand of true belief in Allah and the Last Day.
◈ Obeying the Messenger ﷺ is an Obligation
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ﴾
“Whatever the Messenger gives you – take it; and whatever he forbids you – refrain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”
[Al-Ḥashr: 7]◈ Following the Messenger ﷺ is the Straight Path
Allah said:
﴿وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾
“So follow him that you may be guided.”
[Al-A‘rāf: 158]And also:
﴿وَاتَّبِعُونِ ۚ هَٰذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ﴾
“Follow me; this is a straight path.”
[Az-Zukhruf: 61]Abandoning the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ in favor of another’s path leads only to misguidance and failure on the Day of Judgement.
◈ Warning Against Opposing the Messenger ﷺ
Allah warns:
﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
“Let those beware who oppose his command, lest they be afflicted by a trial or a painful punishment.”
[An-Nūr: 63]A manifestation of this “trial” is when people abandon the Sunnah and start blindly following various imams, causing division, hatred, and eventually internal strife among Muslims.
◈ Revelation, Not Personal Opinion
Allah said:
﴿وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ . إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ﴾
“He does not speak from [his own] desire. It is but a revelation revealed.”
[An-Najm: 3–4]If even the desires of the Prophet ﷺ were not made part of religion, how can the opinions of others be accepted as divine law?
Allah said:
﴿مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ﴾
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
[An-Nisā’: 80]Can anyone other than the Prophet ﷺ be given such an exalted status where obedience to him is equated to obedience to Allah?
◈ True Following Requires Knowledge – Not Blind Following (Taqlid)
Following is based on evidence and knowledge, while taqlid is based on ignorance and blind acceptance. The true follower seeks proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah. A muqallid (blind follower), however, merely clings to his imam’s word without understanding or examining evidence.
The great scholars have denounced blind following. Refer to:
- Ibn Hazm's al-Iḥkām fī Uṣūl al-Aḥkām
- Ibn al-Qayyim’s I‘lām al-Muwaqqi‘īn
◈ Hadiths Condemning Abandonment of the Sunnah
① Abū Hurairah رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
❝All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except the one who refuses.❞
The companions asked: “Who would refuse?”
He replied: ❝Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.❞
[Bukhārī: 7280]② The Prophet ﷺ said:
فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس مني
❝Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not from me.❞
[Bukhārī: 5063; Muslim: 1401]③ The Prophet ﷺ cursed:
والتارك لسنتي
❝...and the one who abandons my Sunnah.❞
[al-Ḥākim: 1/36; Tirmidhī: 2154]④ The Prophet ﷺ advised:
فعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين...
❝You must follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs. Hold onto it firmly... Beware of newly introduced matters. Every innovation is misguidance.❞
[Abū Dāwūd: 4607; Tirmidhī: 2676]⑤ The Prophet ﷺ said:
من أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو رد
❝Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it – it is rejected.❞
[Bukhārī: 2697; Muslim: 1718]◈ Statements of the Righteous Companions on Following Sunnah
⑥ Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه said:
❝I will not abandon anything that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to do, for I fear I would go astray if I left anything from his affairs.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3093]⑦ ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه said:
❝I cannot leave the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ for the statement of any person.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 1563]This is a practical application of the verse:
﴿فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾
“If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger...”
[An-Nisā’: 59]⑧ ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه said:
❝If you abandon the Sunnah of your Prophet, you will go astray.❞
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 654]◈ Even ʿĪsā عليه السلام Will Follow the Sunnah
At the end of times, even Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus) عليه السلام will follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and implement it among the people. Preferring the Sunnah of any other Prophet – let alone an Imām – over that of the Messenger ﷺ is clear misguidance.
◈ Obedience to the Prophet ﷺ is Unconditional
Allah said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ...﴾
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. But if you disagree in anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger...”
[An-Nisā’: 59]Obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ is absolute, while obedience to those in authority is conditional – only if it aligns with the Qur’ān and Sunnah.
◈ Prophet’s ﷺ Instruction: No Obedience in Sin
The Prophet ﷺ said:
لا طاعة في معصية، إنما الطاعة في المعروف
❝There is no obedience in sin. Obedience is only in what is right.❞
[Bukhārī: 7257; Muslim: 1840]Unlike the Prophet ﷺ, other people (including Imāms) are fallible, and their statements are not protected by revelation.
◈ The Imams Themselves Opposed Blind Following
All four major Imams – including Imām Shāfiʿī رحمه الله – instructed people not to follow their views if a ḥadīth contradicted it:
Imām Shāfiʿī said:
❝If you find an authentic ḥadīth contradicting my opinion, then follow the ḥadīth. That is my view. And do not blindly follow me.❞
Adab ash-Shāfiʿī by Ibn Abī Ḥātim, p. 69◈ Statements of the Salaf on Rejecting Taqlid
ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنه said (regarding his father ʿUmar’s opposition to Tamattuʿ in Ḥajj):❝If my father prohibited something, but the Prophet ﷺ did it, whose example should we follow – my father’s or the Prophet’s? Certainly the Prophet’s.❞
[Tirmidhī: 824 – Ḥadīth Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ] Saʿd ibn Abī Waqqāṣ رضي الله عنه said something similar when Ḥajj Tamattuʿ was discussed. ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه forbade taqlid: [As-Sunan al-Kubrā by al-Bayhaqī, 2/200 – Ṣaḥīḥ] Muʿādh ibn Jabal رضي الله عنه said:أما العالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم
❝Even if a scholar is rightly guided, do not blindly follow him in your religion.❞
Jāmiʿ Bayān al-ʿIlm, 2/11 – Isnāduhu ḥasan◈ Condemnation of Taqlid by the Scholars
Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn ʿAbdil-Barr, and other great scholars have written extensively against taqlid. Refer to:
- Iʿlām al-Muwaqqiʿīn
- Fatāwā Shaykh al-Islām vol. 20
- Jāmiʿ Bayān al-ʿIlm vol. 2, p. 17
They concluded:
❝Taqlid is ignorance, and the muqallid is ignorant.❞
◈ Imām Wakīʿ’s Refutation of Abu Ḥanīfah's View
When presented with the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ performing iʿshār (marking the sacrificial animal), some scholars such as Abū Ḥanīfah considered it mutilation (muthlah). Imām Wakīʿ (a student of Abū Ḥanīfah) became extremely angry and said:
❝I present to you the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and you bring the opinion of Ibrāhīm al-Nakhaʿī? You deserve to be imprisoned until you abandon this!❞
Tirmidhī: 902◈ Mocking the Sunnah is a Sign of Hypocrisy
Allah said:
﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ...﴾
“But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you [O Muhammad] judge in what they dispute and find in themselves no resistance and submit fully.”
[An-Nisā’: 65]Sadly, some self-proclaimed Ḥanafīs have even declared takfīr (disbelief) on those practicing Raf‘ al-Yadayn (raising hands in prayer).
Even ʿĀshiq Ilāhī Meerthi, a Deobandī scholar, admitted:
❝Some Ḥanafīs declaring the Ahl al-Ḥadīth as disbelievers over Rafʿ al-Yadayn was a grave error and great misguidance.❞
Tadhkirat al-Khalīl, pp. 132–133◈ The Prophet’s ﷺ Final Instruction on Prayer
The Prophet ﷺ said:
صلوا كما رأيتموني أصلي
❝Pray as you have seen me pray.❞
[Bukhārī: 631]❖ Conclusion
Shaykh Zubair ʿAlī Za’ī رحمه الله presented the topic of Rafʿ al-Yadayn with deep research, sincerity, and honesty, evaluating both sides of the argument with the support of authentic narrations and the statements of the Salaf. He decisively established Rafʿ al-Yadayn as a mutawātir Sunnah and exposed the flawed reasoning of those who reject it. He unmasked the deceptions of some modern followers of opinion, qiyās, and taqlid.
May Allah increase the Shaykh’s knowledge, practice, and life. May He grant him success against all false sects and disgrace the innovators at every front. Āmīn.
Dr. Abū Jābir ʿAbdullāh Wāmanwī
1st Muḥarram al-Ḥarām 1411 AH
