Indexed OCR Text

a woman breaks wudu' according to the Shafi'īs. Her wudu' will
therefore be as though it was not even performed. Furthermore, the
situations which you mentioned in the question do not contain any
severe necessity. Thus, it will not be permissible to leave one's madh-
hab.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
The link between the literal and definitional meaning of taqlīd
Question
What is the link between the literal and definitional meaning of taqlīd?
The act of putting a qiladah (necklace, rope, etc.) around a sacrificial
animal is known as taqlīd. Similarly, to what extent will it be correct to
say that taqlīd of the Imams entails making a rope of the fiqh of the
Imams and placing it around one's neck? Does this simile denigrate
taqlīd in any way in the sense that a muqallid is being compared to an
animal?
Answer
Taglīd means to place a qiladah around the neck of something. When
this qiladah is placed around the neck of a human, it is called a
necklace. When placed around an animal, it is called a pattah (band) in
Urdu. No matter what, the word qiladah is not confined to animals. The
well-known Arabic dictionary, Lisan al-'Arab defines a qilādah as
follows:
والقلادة ما جعل في العنق يكون للإنسان والفرس والكلب والبدنة التي تهدى.
A qilādah refers to something which is placed around the neck of a human, a
horse, a dog and a camel which is to be offered as a sacrifice.
We do not know why our ghayr muqallid brothers do not like the
giladah which refers to animals whereas the Qur'an refers to those
sanctified animals [for sacrifice] as qala'id - around whose necks the
sanctified qilādah is placed and which Ibn al-Manzūr Afrīqī refers to as
"a camel which is to be offered as a sacrifice" [in the above reference].
A muqallid is called a muqallid because he places the necklace of
confidence in his Imam around his neck.
The definitional meaning of taqlīd has been expressed in several ways.
An excellent definition is given in Kashshaf Istilāhat al-Funūn:
1 لسان العرب: 3\366.
181

التقليد اتباع الإنسان غيره فيما يقول أو يفعل معتقدا للحقية من غير نظر إلى الدليل،
كأن هذا المتبع جعل قول الغير أو فعله قلادة في عنقه من غير مطالبة دليل.٦
Taglīd refers to a person following the word or action of another while
believing him to be correct without looking for a proof. It is as though this
follower made the word or action of another a necklace around his neck
without demanding for a proof.
Sharh Nāmī the commentary of Husāmī defines it as follows:
التقليد اتباع الغير على ظن أنه محق بلا نظر في الدليل. 2
The Hashiyah of Nur al-Anwar states:
التقليد اتباع الرجل غيره فيما سمعه يقول أو في فعله على زعم أنه محق بلا نظر في الدليل.3
After defining the meaning of taqlīd in his Fatāwā Thanā'īyyah, the
well-known ghayr muqallid scholar, Maulānā Thana'ullah Amritsarī,
writes:
Maulānā Ashraf 'Alī Thanwī expresses the meaning of all these
definitions by saying: Taqlīd refers to accepting the statement of a
person solely on the noble thought that he will make it based on a
proof, while not asking him for a proof.4
A muqallid places the necklace of faith in his Imam around his neck, so
his action is known as taqlīd. Since taqlīd and qiladah are used for
humans as well, there is no denigration in it. Even if it contains a
similarity with animals, we do not find a total similarity between the
two as regards all attributes and qualities. For example, if we say:
"Zayd is like a lion" it is only intended to describe Zayd's bravery, and
not his entire external form. Moreover, if a ghayr muqallid
experiences denigration in the word taqlīd, what answer will he give
to the following Hadith wherein the word taqlīd is used for a human?
1 كشاف اصطلاحات الفنون: 2\1178.
2 شرح نامي، ص 190.
3 حاشية نور الأنوار، رقم الحاشية: 18، ص 220.
4 فتاوى ثنائية: 1\260.
182

فتلقاهم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على فرس لأبي طلحة عرى وهو متقلد سيفه فقال: لم
تراعوا، لم تراعوا .!
Tirmidhī Sharif contains the following words:
وإذا بلال متقلد سیفه.
The present Hadith makes reference to Hadrat Bilāl radiyallahu 'anhu
and the previous one to Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam wherein
this word is used. Can any intelligent and conscious person extract a
derogatory meaning from it? We learn from this that this word is not
peculiar to animals. Even the linguists do not specify it to animals. Tāj
al-'Arūs states:
(قلدتها قلادة) بالكسر وقلادا بحذف الهاء ( جعلتها في عنقها) فتقلدت (ومنه) التقليد في
2
الدین.
I made her wear a qilādah and a qilād. In other words, I placed it around her
neck. So she wore it. From it you get taqlīd in Dīn.
We learn from the above discussion that when the ghayr muqallids
could not find anything, they made this unfounded objection. It also
proves their wayward thinking and lack of knowledge. May Allah ta'ālā
guide them and remove their evil habit of searching for evil in
something good. Āmīn.
Allāh ta'ālā knows best.
Answers to 54 questions posed by a ghayr muqallid
As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
Respected sir! I have enclosed a pamphlet which was published by a
ghayr muqallid scholar. He claims that the quotations which are
printed in the pamphlet are to be found in the books of the Hanafis but
the Hanafis do not practise on them. I request your respected self to
first confirm that these quotations are to be found in Hanafi books. If
they are, then please provide a short and simple answer as to why the
Hanafīs do not practise on them? May Allah ta'ala reward you well and
1 بخاري شريف: 42611، 427.
2 تاج العروس: 4\475.
183

may He inspire all Muslims to practise Din in its entirety with
sincerity. Āmīn.
الحمد لله رب العالمين، والصلوة والسلام على محمد وعلى آله وصحبه أجمعين، أما بعد!
After praising Allah ta'ala and sending salutations to Rasūlullah
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Allāh ta'ālā says:
ولا تلبسوا الحق بالباطل وتكتموا الحق وانتم تعلمون
Do not confound the truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth intentionally.
Respected reader! The Ahl-e-Hadith are free from the accusations of
our Hanafi brothers.
They used to blame us, but their own faults have been exposed.
The accusations which they had been levelling against us with respect
to certain rulings are in reality rulings which are found in the books of
their august jurisprudence. They are themselves unaware of them.
Allah willing, today I will show the reader the rulings from the books
of Hanafi jurisprudence together with the page numbers so that every
person - the scholar and the layman - may benefit and dislike for the
Ahl-e-Hadith may end forever. For the sake of ease of the layman, I
provided the references from the translated versions of the Hanafi
books. I hope that the Hanafis will now desist from stopping the Ahl-e-
Hadith from the masajid. Instead, they themselves will start to practise
the rulings which are to be found in their books. I am presenting these
lost pearls after searching for them. If they insist on their obstinacy
after reading these rulings, then their first duty is not to detest the
Ahl-e-Hadith who are practising on these rulings. Secondly, they must
become living examples of the verse:
انما المؤمنون اخوة
The believers are really brothers.
اللُّهُمَّ الف بين قلوبنا واصلح ذات بيننا
O Allah! Unite our hearts and set right our affairs between us.
Questions
1.
The Jews and Christians used to obey their scholars and
monks, this is why Allah ta'ala referred to them as polytheists. He
184

ordered the believers not to ask people, but to ask what the order of
Allāh ta'ālā and Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is.1
2.
Love for Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is not merely
with the tongue but by following him.2
3.
The one who denigrates the Sunnah will be a kafir.3
4.
The one who continually abandons the Sunnah while
considering it to be insignificant is a kāfir.4
5.
The one who rejects a Hadith is deviated.5
6.
The one who mocks at a verse or is disrespectful to it is a
kāfir.6
7.
If people seek Hadith without knowledge they will be
destroyed.7
8.
The Ahadith in figh cannot be relied upon totally until they
are verified from the Hadith books. This is because fiqh contains
fabricated Ahadith as well.8
9.
A Hadith is given preference over the opinion of an Imam.9
10.
There ought to be mutual agreement between the Ahl-e-
Hadith and Hanafīs.10
11.
When Imam A'zam went to Baghdad, a Ahl-e-Hadith asked him
if ripe dates can be bought with dry dates. This proves the existence of
the Ahl-e-Hadith in the time of Imam Abu Hanīfah.11
1 مقدمة عالمکيري: 1\13.
2 شرح الوقایة، ص 107.
3 در مختار: 21811، وهداية: 54111.
4 مقدمة هداية: 1\77.
5 مقدمة هداية: 1\30.
6 در مختار: 5132.
7 مقدمة عالمكيري: 1\43.
8 مقدمة هداية: 1\108.
9 هداية: 19111.
10 هداية: 1\310.
11 در مختار: 13013، ومقدمة هداية: 5911.
185

12.
It is makruh to lower one's self when offering salām. Its
prohibition is mentioned in the Hadith.1
13.
Shaking hands with one hand is proven from most authentic
narrations.2
14.
It is not permissible to shake a woman's hand when accepting
bay'ah.3
15.
It is haram to shave or clip the beard. It is a practice of the
fire-worshippers and bears similarity with women.4
16.
The length of the lower garment must be half-way to the calf
and it may be up to the ankles. It is haram to have it below the ankles.5
17.
Imam A'zam says that it is wajib to perpetually imprison a
person who does not perform salah.6
18.
Masah of the neck is a bid'ah. The Hadith in this regard is
fabricated.7
19.
It is permissible to perform a qada' salah bare-headed.8
20.
It is permissible to perform salah bare-headed for the sake of
humility.9
21.
The imam must order the muqtadis to stand close to each
other and to fill in the gaps.10
22.
The Ahadith which make reference to tying the hands on the
chest during salah are marfū' and strong.11
1 عالمكيري: 4\345.
2 هداية: 34314.
3 هداية: 44414.
4 در مختار: 52411.
5 ما لا بد منه: ص 72.
6 ما لا بد منه: ص 11، هداية: 1511.
7 در مختار: 1\58.
8 در مختار: 18111.
ودر مختار: 2991.
10 در مختار: 2641.
11 هداية: 1\350.
186

23.
The Ahadith which make reference to tying the hands below
the navel are weak.1
24.
The Hadith which makes reference to tying the hands below
the navel is an opinion of Hadrat 'Alī radiyallahu 'anhu which is weak.
There is no marfu' Hadith for this ruling.2
25.
A person's salah is not accepted if Sūrah al-Fatihah is not
read.3
26.
A muqtadī must read Sūrah al-Fatihah in his heart. This is
correct.4
27.
The Ahadith which make mention of not reading Sūrah al-
Fatihah behind the imam are weak.5
28.
The view that Hadrat 'Alī radiyallahu 'anhu stopped the reading
of Sūrah al-Fatihah is weak and unfounded.6
29.
When the muqtadī hears "Āmīn" he must also say "Āmīn".7
30.
If just one or two muqtadīs hear it, it will not be considered to
be loud. It will only be considered such when everyone hears it.8
31.
Affirmation of the Ahadith which mention raising of the hands
before going into rukū'.9
32.
Most jurists and Hadith experts say that the raising of the
hands is Sunnah.10
33.
The fact of the matter is that raising of the hands is established
from Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.1
هداية: 1\350.
2 شرح وقاية مصري، ص 93.
3 هداية: 36111.
4 هداية: 36111.
5 شرح وقایة، ص 108-109.
6 در مختار: 2291.
7 در مختار: 22911.
8 در مختار: 2491.
و هدایة: 38411، وشرح وقایة، ص 102.
10 ما لا بد منه، ص 27.
187

34.
This (raising the hands in salah) remained the salah of
Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam until he departed from this
world.2
35.
One must lie down on his right side after performing the
Sunnah salah of fajr.3
36.
The four rak'ats of Sunnah of zuhr must be performed with
two salāms.4
37.
The Hadith which makes reference to eight rak'ats of tarawīh
is authentic.5
38.
When the one delivering the khutbah sits on the pulpit, he
must offer salām.6
39.
The khutbah is permissible in any language.7
40.
A wife may bathe the corpse of her husband.8
41.
Raising of the hands for the takbīrāt of the janazah salah is
permissible.9
42.
Observing the three-day, ten-day and 40-day ceremonies [after
the death of a person] is a reprehensible bid'ah.10
43.
It is a bid'ah and haram to construct a high wall over the grave
of a saint or to burn lamps at it.11
44.
It is not permissible to kiss a grave. It is a practice of
Christians.1
1 هدایة: 1\386.
2 هداية: 1\386.
3 هدایة: 54111، در مختار، ص 316.
4 هداية: 44411.
5 شرح وقایة، ص 123.
6 در مختار: 37411.
7 در مختار: 1\403، هداية: 34911.
8 در مختار: 4031.
ودر مختار: 4101.
10 بهشتي زیور.
11 در مختار: 2434.
188

45.
It is haram and kufr to prostrate before the graves of Prophets
and saints, to make tawaf of them and to make vows to them.2
46.
The one who undertakes a journey to visit the grave of a saint
is an ignorant person and a kāfir.3
47.
It is polytheism to make an offering of food in the name of
anyone apart from Allah ta'ala, and it is haram to eat such food.4
48.
If the name of anyone apart from Allah ta'ala is called on an
animal, that sacrificed animal is haram even if the person says
Bismillah Allahu Akbar at the time of slaughtering it.5
49.
It is detestable to take the name of a Prophet and saint (as a
means) when making du'a' because the creation has no right over
Allāh ta ālā.6
50.
No creation has knowledge of the unseen; only Allāh ta'ālā
has.7
51.
It is haram to take omens from the Qur'an.8
52.
It is foolish to call out the adhan at the outbreak of a plague or
cholera.9
53.
The chain of transmission for the du'a' of Ganj al-'Arsh and
'Ahd Namah is totally fabricated.10
54.
It is haram to read and listen to poetry sung in the rāgnī (a
type of classical music) mode in a maulūd.11
1 در مختار: 24214.
2 ما لا بد منه، ص 52.
3 در مختار: 5292.
٩ بهشتي زیور.
5 در مختار: 17914-272.
6 در مختار: 23114، هداية: 1\59.
7 مقدمة هداية: 1 59.
8 هداية: 1\57.
9 هداية: 34214.
10 بهشتي زيور: 10\83.
11 هداية: 4\240.
189

My dear friends! You will undoubtedly take stock of your house and
thank me for my efforts. As far as possible, I will always serve you in
the future. May Allah ta'ala enable us to tread the true path. I did not
go into any excesses, I merely quoted from your sanctified books. If
you find it offensive then you must ...
I make a sincere request to the Hanafi 'ulama' to bear in mind my
efforts, and if any 'alim or mufti can give an answer to the above in the
light of research, he must kindly forward it to me by registered post to
the following address:
Sa'īd Manzil, Qatratul Hayat, Baunt, district Bālīsar, Orissa.
If you refuse to practise after reading the above rulings carefully, then
your first obligation is to make a written announcement that the
books which were referred to are unreliable. Alternatively, remove the
rulings from those books or at least correct them. It will be better to
say that those books were written by ghayr muqallids. If you are a
strict adherent to your madh-hab, it will be your duty to practise on
those rulings. In this way, the world will become pure from disputes
and the Muslim ummah will become united. All praise is due to Allah,
the rulings which I extracted from Hanafi books of jurisprudence will
not be refuted by any Hanafi scholar. Justice demands that these
rulings be accepted and acknowledged, or an announcement to the
contrary be published. If they prove that the references which I
provided for the books are wrong, then I am a liar. However, I can
claim that the Hanafi 'ulama' will never ever lift a pen against them. I
have been tried and tested. I request your good du'a's for this
insignificant one.
O you who desire the truth! I presented just a few rulings as an
example and for your ease. May Allah ta'ala enable you to tread the
path of truth. Amin. By virtue of the fact that the ummah of
Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam is one, I have ... Then this will be
the fault of your books, you shouldn't have ill-feelings towards me. "I
hand over my matter to Allah. Surely Allah is watching His servants."
Answers
1.
No one can deny the fact that the rules of the Shariah which
the Jews and Christians received from their respective Prophets and
the Books which Allah ta'ala sent down for their guidance, the Jewish
and Christian scholars openly began making changes to their
injunctions and Books for their own ease, and went to the extent of
committing the major crime of distorting their respective Shari'ahs
190

and Books. The fundamental reason for this major crime was their
desire for ease and comfort. When they perceived any difficulty in any
injunction, they would change it. They would distort the sanctified
divinely revealed Books and include subject matter into them which
suited their needs. The Qur'an makes reference to this repugnant
practice of theirs as follows:
فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِيْنَ يَكْتُبُوْنَ الْكِتَبَ بِأَيْدِيْهِمْ قَ ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُوْنَ هذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ
Woe, then, to those who write the Book with their hands and say thereafter:
"This is from Allāh."1
The Qur'an makes several references to this despicable practice and
serious crime of theirs. Those who followed them, obeyed the evil
scholars who taught them wrong injunctions and called them towards
evil were labelled as polytheists. This is because they disregarded the
divine injunctions of Allah ta'ala and practised on the distorted rulings.
They ascribed partners to Allah ta'ala by discarding Allah's commands,
following the distorted injunctions and obeying evil 'ulama'.
To claim that present day muqallids who follow the four Imams are
also polytheists is absolutely wrong. The Jews and Christians are
referred to as polytheists because they discarded divine injunctions,
accepted the fabricated rulings of their scholars, practised on them,
left the true path and trod the path of deviation.
Now let us ponder with an open mind to see if those who follow the
four Imams are committing this major crime or not? In order to
establish this, it will be necessary for us to first check the work which
was done by the jurists and Imams and see if what they did is a service
to Din or does it entail distortion of Din as was the case with the Jewish
and Christian scholars. Did the jurists merely concoct injunctions from
their side and teach them to the public, or did they render the
magnificent service of clarifying the objective of the Shari'ah?
'Allāmah Ibn Taymīyyah rahimahullah praises the jurists of the ummah
in most unique words. He says:
2
ويفهمونهم مراده بحسب اجتهادهم واستطاعهم.
1 Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2: 79.
2 الكلام المفيد، ص 135، بحواله فتاوى ابن تيمية: 20212.
191

In other words, the jurists make the people understand Rasūlullah's
objective (the objective of his Ahadith) in the light of their ijtihad and
ability.
Now let us ponder. Is this what the Jewish and Christian scholars used
to do? Did they make the people understand the objective of prophet-
hood or did they follow the dictates of their selves and desires? The
answer to this is found in the Qur'an:
وَإِنَّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيْقًا يَّلْونَ الْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالْكِتِبِ لِتَحْسَبُوْهُ مِنَ الْكِتْبِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتبِ
Among them is a group that reads the Book by twisting the tongue so that you
think that it is in the Book, and yet it is not in the Book.1
Allāh ta'ālā makes mention of them elsewhere in the Qur'an as follows:
يَكْتُبُوْنَ الْكِتَبَ بِأَيْدِيْهِمْ ، ثُمَّ يَقُوْلُوْنَ هذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ
They write the Book with their hands and say thereafter: "This is from Allāh."2
In the light of the above verses, the difference between the work of the
Jewish and Christian scholars and the jurists of the ummah of
Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam becomes clear. The Jewish and
Christian scholars clearly distorted the religion of Allah ta'ala while
the jurists of the ummah of Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam
made the objective of prophet-hood clear to the people, and conveyed
the correct Din to them with absolute sincerity and integrity. The
integrity of these jurists was of such a level that Imam Abu Hanifah
rahimahullāh clearly said:
اترکوا قولي بخبر رسول الله صلی الله علیه وسلم.
3
If you find my opinion in contradiction to the Hadith of Rasūlullah sallallahu
'alayhi wa sallam, then leave it and practise on the Hadith.
These personalities are the benefactors of this ummah. How can their
followers be polytheists ?! The jurists and 'ulama' of the ummah are
like lamps along the way through whom understanding the Din
becomes easy. Furthermore, conceptually, the task of serving Din used
to be taken from the 'ulama' and jurists of the ummah. This is why
Allāh ta'ālā says:
1 Sūrah Āl 'Imran, 3: 78.
2 Sūrah al-Baqarah, 2: 79.
3 شرح عقود رسم المفتي، ص 20.
192

أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُوْلَ وَأُولِي الأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ
Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those of authority who are among
you.1
Most of the commentators state that the words "those of authority
among you" refer to the 'ulama' and jurists of this ummah and they
establish the obligation of making their taqlīd from this verse. The
famous ghayr muqallid scholar, Nawab Siddīq Hasan Khan writes in his
book, al-Jannah, that the verification of this is:
قال ابن عباس وجابر والحسن وأبو العالية وعطاء والضحاك ومجاهد والإمام أحمد: هم
العلماء.
Ibn 'Abbās, Jābir, al-Hasan, Abū al-'Āliyah, 'Atā', ad-Dahhāk, Mujahid and
Imam Ahmad say: They are the 'ulama'.
The same explanation is given by Imam Abu Bakr Jassās, 'Allamah
Mahmud Alūsī, Imam Rāzī and other commentators of the Qur'an. That
is, it refers to the 'ulama' and that it is wajib to obey them. Nawab
Siddīq Hasan Khan Sahib writes that even if the rulers are meant,
there will be no contradiction. He writes:
والتحقيق أن الأمراء إنما يطاعون إذا أمروا بمقتضى العلم فطاعتهم تبع لطاعة العلماء
كما أن طاعة العلماء تبع لطاعة الرسول.
The fact is that the rulers will be obeyed if they instruct on the basis of
knowledge. Obedience to them follows obedience to the 'ulama' just as
obedience to the 'ulama' comes after obedience to the Messenger.
The point which is learnt from the above details is that we are ordered
to obey the 'ulama' and jurists of this ummah; it is not polytheism.
This is why the majority of 'ulama' made taqlīd obligatory. Unanimity
in this regard is also reported. Another point to be borne in mind is
that those who make taqlid do not consider the mujtahid to be free
from error. Instead, they make his taqlīd on the principle:
المجتهد یخطئ ویصیب.
A mujtahid errs and is also correct.
1 Sūrah an-Nisa', 4: 59.
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This point is made by the muqallids of all the Imams, viz. it is not
permissible to make taqlīd of anyone in opposition to explicit rulings
of the Qur'an, Hadith and Ijma'. This is why the jurists constantly said
that wherever you find our opinion to be in conflict with a Hadith of
Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, then our opinion is not worthy of
acceptance.
There are countless statements of the senior 'ulama' on the
importance and necessity of taqlīd, and many Qur'anic verses and
Ahadith which make reference to it. It is difficult to encompass them
in this short answer. However, from the brief explanation above, it
becomes clear that it is not polytheism to learn the Din from the
'ulama', to ask them and then to practise on what they say. In fact, as
per the statement of Nawab Siddīq Hasan Khan Sahib, we will be
carrying out an order which was asked of us.
2.
Love for Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam undoubtedly
cannot be fulfilled verbally only. In fact, the fundamental thing is to
follow him, and to act on his teachings and rulings. This point does not
impose any defect on those who follow the Imams. If the purpose of
this statement is to show that the muqallids make many claims of love
for Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam but do not follow him, and
follow the Imams instead, then there is no doubt about the obvious
falsity of this statement. We clearly explained in answer number one
that the jurists and Imams are like lamps along the way. It is not their
objective to make people follow and obey them. Rather, they call
people towards following Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Not only that, Allah ta'ala has conceptually confined guidance to taqlīd
of the Imams. Consequently, we come across the statements of most of
the 'ulama' stating that the people's guidance has been placed in the
taglīd of the Imams and that there is abundant good in it. Hadrat Shah
Walī Allah rahimahullah who himself had the highest capability of
ijtihad and whose early statements people present in refutation of
taqlīd, relates one of his dreams in his book Fuyūd al-Haramayn:
واستفدت منه صلى الله عليه وسلم ثلثة أمور، خلاف ما كان عندي وما كانت طبعي تميل
إليه أشد ميل فصارت هذه الإستفادة من براهين الحق تعالى ... إلى قوله وثانيها الوصاة
بالتقليد بهذه المذاهب الأربعة لا أخرج منها إلى آخره ... الخ.
I learnt three points from Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam: Contrary to
what I had been thinking and to which I was intensely inclined, this benefit
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then became from among the proofs of Allah ta'ala ... The second of which is:
Advice to make taqlīd of these four madhahib - I will not leave it forever ... 1
We learn from the above that Hadrat Shah Wali Allah's thinking was
initially against taqlīd, but Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam
instructed him towards it. This statement is also sufficient to silence
those who present certain statements of Hadrat Shah Wali Allah Sahib
rahimahullah to disparage taqlīd. It becomes clear that it was his early
view from which his reversion has also been proven ...
Let us now show you how this quotation invites you to think over the
issue. These texts which are found in the books of mugallids are
actually inviting the ghayr muqallids to think: Merely calling yourself
Ahl-e-Hadith verbally or in writing, does not make you complete in
your claims to love for Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam unless
there is emulation in reality. True emulation of Rasūlullah sallallahu
'alayhi wa sallam will only be realized when you take guidance from
those whom the Qur'an and Ahadith instruct you to take guidance.
Following Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam cannot be realized if
those from whom the vast majority takes guidance, who follow them
after finding them in line with the Qur'an and Sunnah, those Imams
who learnt directly from the Sahabah and Tabi'in, and were from the
Khayr al-Qurun are all labelled as As-hab ar-Ra'y (those who follow
their own opinions) while you - despite your defective knowledge and
crooked thinking - if you act on your defective opinion then you be
counted among the followers of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam!
This is impossible. A Hadith states:
اتبعوا السواد الأعظم.
2
Follow the main body of Muslims.
If you check to see which line of thinking the main body of Muslims is
presently following, and then think about your own condition in the
light of the following Hadith:
من شَدّ شُذّ في النار.
The one who separates himself [from the main body of Muslims] will be kept
separate in the Hell-fire.
1 Taglīd-e-Shar'ī Kī Dururat, p. 11, as quoted from Fuyud al-Haramayn, pp. 64-65.
2 رواه الحاكم في المستدرك: 14711، رقم 391.
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Then are you people not embodiments of this? It is a most glaring and
obvious fact that the truth will always be with the main body of
Muslims. This is because the majority of the ummah cannot agree to
deviation and misguidance. Hadrat Shāh Walī Allāh Sahib rahimahullāh
says in the light of the above-quoted Hadith:
ولما اندرست المذاهب الحقة إلا هذه الأربعة، كان اتباعها للسواد الأعظم.1
When all the true madhahib except these four were obliterated, following these
four entails following the main body of Muslims.
3, 4, 5, 6.
No one can hesitate to say that the one who discards
the Hadith of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam while scorning it is a
kāfir. If the purpose of presenting this point is to make the objection
that the Hanafis and other muqallids leave aside some Ahadith for
others, and this entails scorning Hadith, then it should be known that
leaving aside some Ahadith for others does not entail scorning Hadith.
A further explanation in this regard is that there are all types of
Hadith, weak, strong, fabricated and so on. There is no defect in the
Hadith itself and no one says such a thing. The fact of the matter is
that there are all types of narrators of Hadith. There are those who
possess the highest good attributes, and those who are fabricators and
liars. It becomes the duty of the jurists who guide the masses towards
the Din and Shari'ah to first assess and evaluate a Hadith before
adopting it. They have to check from which avenues a Hadith reached
them so that an incorrect thing is not used as a proof and then
attributed to Rasūlullāh sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Integrity demands
that before using a Hadith as a proof, it has to be thoroughly
examined. A Hadith which fulfils all the principles, rules and
prerequisites of Hadith must be accepted while the one which does not
has to be left aside. A Hadith which is left aside is not left aside out of
scorn for it. Rather, integrity and honesty demand that the authentic
be adopted and made the foundation. The proof that a Hadith is not
left out of scorn for it is that no one criticizes the actual text of the
Hadith. Instead, the narrators are always examined and it is the
narrators who are criticized. Even if a Hadith is weak, no one says that
it is a bad Hadith. Bearing in mind this importance, the Hanafi
literature constantly says that it is kufr to reject a Hadith while
scorning it.
' Taqlīd-e-Shar'ī Kī Dururat, p. 5, Surat, quoted from 'Iqd al-Jīd.
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7.
To seek Hadith without knowledge is extremely destructive
and harmful. Just as the errors of the ghayr muqallids were exposed in
the previous answers, we can say that it is the ghayr muqallids who
are at the forefront of seeking Hadith without knowledge.
Let us show you how this flaw is found in the ghayr muqallids. You
cause the masses to abhor the taqlid of the Imams and rebel against
them by claiming that they [the Imams] teach rulings on the basis of
their opinions. Then you give translated collections of Ahadith to the
ignorant masses who have no knowledge of Arabic and other essential
sciences, and ask them to study the Ahadith and extract rulings on
their own. Is this the right thing to do? In order for a person to extract
rulings, he has to be an expert in the sciences and have the capability
of ijtihad. So what you are saying is that the rulings which the Imams
present after extracting them are their opinions despite being experts
in the field and having the capability of ijtihad. While these people
[the masses] who come to a decision on the basis of studying Hadith
through their defecting understanding and absence of knowledge are
not opinions !? Glory to Allah! The unanimous view of the ummah is
that safety for such ignorant people lies in attaching themselves to
someone who possesses knowledge. They must not interfere with
matters of Din or else they will undoubtedly be destroyed. Imam
Ghazzālī rahimahullāh (450-505 A.H.) writes:
وإنما حق العوام أن يؤمنوا ويسلموا ويشتغلوا بعبادتهم ومعايشهم ويتركوا العلم للعلماء،
فإن العامي لو يزني ويسرق كان خيرا له من أن يتكلم في العلم، فإنه من تكلم في الله وفي
دينه من غير اتقان العلم وقع في الكفر من حيث لا يدري، كمن يركب لجة البحر وهو لا
يعرف السباحة.1
It is the duty of the masses to believe and submit, and to then occupy
themselves in their worship and livelihoods. They must leave knowledge to the
'ulama'. It is better for an ignorant person to commit adultery and steal than
to voice his opinion about knowledge. This is because the one who voices his
opinion about Allāh ta'ālā and His Din without proficiency in knowledge will
fall into kufr without even knowing it. He will be like a person who falls in the
middle of the ocean and does not know how to swim.
We learn from the above that it is more dangerous for an ignorant
person to interfere in matters of Din than to commit adultery and steal
1 إحياء علوم الدين: 3\34، بيان تفصيل مداخل الشيطان إلى القلب، مطبعة الباجي الحلبي.
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(which are very major sins). Now let's be just! Will it be permissible to
encourage ignorant people who have no knowledge to ponder over a
Hadith and voice their opinions? This is why the muqallids place their
trust on the understanding of the Imams. After all, they understood
better than us, they lived in the best of eras and they acquired
knowledge from the Sahābah radiyallahu 'anhum and Tabi'un. Ponder
over this unique statement of Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah radiyallahu 'anhu:
الحديث مضلة إلا للفقهاء.
1
Except for the jurists, Hadith is a cause of deviation for people.
The reason for this is that it is not for everyone to decipher the secrets
and mysteries of Hadith. It may well be that the objective of Rasūlullah
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam may be one thing while a person
understands it to be something totally different. This will be a cause of
the person's deviation. This is why many senior Muhaddithūn said:
"Our work is to convey this treasure. Understanding it and extracting
rulings from it is the work of the jurists." This is also the reason why
most of the senior Muhaddithun were muqallids of someone. If it was
okay for everyone to interfere in matters of Din, these personalities
would have been the most eligible because they possessed large
treasures of Ahadith. They were far higher than the ignoramuses and
ghayr muqallids of today as regards their academic capabilities.
8.
Just as every Hadith in the Hadith collections was examined
and assessed, so was the case with the Ahadith which are found in the
figh books. When any ruling is discussed, the Ahadith which are
presented as proofs are also examined and assessed to check their
strength and weakness. They do not shut their eyes and accept any
Hadith as a proof. Entire books have been devoted to examining and
assessing the Ahadith which are contained in the figh books. For
example, the Ahadith which are found in Hidayah have been
referenced in Nasb ar-Rayah of az-Zayla'ī. This latter book was then
condensed by Ibn Hajar 'Asqalānī rahimahullah under the title, ad-
Dirayah. It should also be known that any proof or any Hadith which is
furnished as a proof must also be narrated by the Imam of that madh-
hab. In fact, one ruling has many Ahadith as proofs. Sometimes, the
Imam of the madh-hab provides a proof from an authentic and higher
1 الفتاوى الحديثية: 20211، دار الفكر، والمدخل: 12811، في ذكر النعوت، دار الفكر، والرسالة الباهرة
للإمام ابن حزم، عن ابن وهب.
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chain of transmission, but the author of a book quotes the same Hadith
through a weak chain. When there are several Ahadith which can
serve as proofs for a ruling, the author sometimes quotes a weaker
transmission. Every proof is not necessarily attributed to the Imam of
the madh-hab. No matter what, no proof is accepted without
discussion and evaluation.
9.
This point that a Hadith is given preference over the opinion
of an Imam demonstrates the highest level of trustworthiness and
integrity of the Imams. If these personalities wanted people to follow
them alone, they could have said: "You must adhere to the view of the
Imam only." However, they proved their extreme integrity by
repeatedly saying that a Hadith must be given preference over the
opinion of an Imam. There is a historical statement of Imam A'zam
Abū Hanīfah rahimahullah in this regard. While it glaringly
demonstrates his integrity and sincerity on one hand, it silences those
who speak out against taqlid and make this accusation that the Imams
give preference to their personal views over Ahadith. Observe Hadrat
Imām Abū Hanīfah's historical statement in this regard:
اتركوا قولي بخبر رسول الله إذا صح الحديث فهو مذهبي.1
The following point is sufficient to refute those who claim that Hanafi
fiqh is based on the opinion of a single person. Imam Abu Hanīfah
rahimahullah did not codify figh on the basis of his own opinion.
Rather, an entire committee used to delve into a matter, discuss it,
argue it and then extract a ruling from it. Furthermore, all the
discussions and different opinions which were put forth have been
recorded exactly as they took place. Therefore, the 'ulama' and muftīs
who came later were not required to accept the view of the Imam
alone. Rather, a fatwa is issued on the view which is closer the Hadith.
Consequently, you will profusely find many rulings where the view of
the Imam was left aside and the fatwa was issued based on the view of
Sāhibayn2 and others.
Observe Hadrat Shah Walī Allah's testimony in this regard:
1 شرح عقود رسم المفتي.
2 In Hanafī figh, Sāhibayn refers to Imam Muhammad rahimahullāh and Imām
Abū Yusuf rahimahullah, the two senior-most students of Imam Abu Hanīfah
rahimahullāh.
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Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam conveyed to me that there is a
most agreeable system in the Hanafi madh-hab. It is a system which
coincides with the Sunnah and existed during the time of Bukharī and
his contemporaries. The system is that from the three opinions - the
opinions of Imam A'zam and Sahibayn - the opinion which is closest is
adopted. Then those Hanafi jurists are followed who are scholars of
Hadith. This is because there are many points which the Imam and
Sahibayn neither explained in their principles nor did they deny them,
but Ahadith make references to them. These are certainly affirmed
and they are all included in the Hanafi madh-hab.1
This is the testimony of Hadrat Shah Wali Allah rahimahullah who - in
the beginning - did not consider taqlīd to be correct. Also bear in mind
that this has been affirmed in the court of Rasūlullah sallallahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. Glory to Allah.
10 & 11.The claim of the ghayr muqallids that ancient books and texts
of the elders which constantly make reference to the Ahl-e-Hadith
refers specifically to them [ghayr muqallids] is a figment of their
imagination and nothing else. It is similar to a person who is suffering
from yellow jaundice - he sees everything yellow although the reality
is totally different. This claim of theirs is a major deception for the
general public. They present the books of the senior elders, show them
the words "Ahl-e-Hadith" in them, and convince them in this way that
it refers specifically to them.
What we have to examine in this regard is did those whose names the
ghayr muqallids are trying to include in their group practise taqlīd or
not? The first point to be borne in mind in this regard is that wherever
the books mention the words "Ahl-e-Hadith", it refers to the
Muhaddithūn. This is proven so glaringly that to present proofs for it
amounts to a futile activity. We have to see if those Muhaddithun
whom the ghayr muqallids would like to include in their group used to
practise taqlīd or not. The celebrated ghayr muqallid scholar, Nawab
Siddīq Hasan Sahib writes with reference to Imam Nasa'ī rahimahullah
in his book, al-Hittah fi Dhikr Sihah Sittah:
كان أحد أعلام الدين وأركان الحديث إمام أهل عصره ومقدمهم بين أصحاب الحديث،
وجرحه وتعديله معتبر بين العلماء، وكان شافعي المذهب.
1 Fuyūd al-Haramayn (Urdu), p. 58.
200