Asslamo Allaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,


Many Muslims who follow the Hanafi Madhab in our times are confused about the matter of praying behind an Imam who is following another Madhab because the method or conditions of Wudhu or prayer is different to the Hanafi Madhab. Firstly, please understand that the four (4) Madhabs are based on Ahadeeth and actions of Sahaba (RA) and the later generations and in the earliest generations of Islam we find no precedence of believers refusing to pray behind each other. Secondly, this issue can only be discussed with respect to Aqeedah (creedal differences) or Fiqh (jurisprudence differences) and Hanafi Ulamah have spoken with regards to both.

Aqeedah (Creedal point of view):

Imam Tahawi (RA) was a Hanafi, an Imam in Aqeedah and he makes the point sufficiently clear:

ونری الصلاۃ خلف کل بر وفاجر من اھل القبلۃ ، ونصلی من مات منھم

69. We agree with doing the prayer behind any of the People of the Qibla whether rightful or wrongful, and doing the funeral prayer over any of them when they die.

Fiqh (jurisprudence point of view):

Shah Abdul-Aziz [1745-1823] (RA) was the eldest son of Shah Waliullah (RA) and a giant knowledge of Hadeeth & Hanafi Fiqh and an accepted authority, he severally castigates those who question this matter, calls them narrow minded and says that their opinion is not worth listening to. he states in his Fatawa:

Q) Is it permissible for someone following the Hanafi Madhab to follow Shaf’ae, Maliki, Hanbali and all of them in prayer?

A) The prayer of someone following the Hanafi Madhab is permissible and correct behind a Shaf’ae, Maliki, Hanbali and this is because in principle (*) there is no difference between these Madhabs and this command is evident from books of Ahdaeeth & Fiqh but in our times some Ulamah from Transoxiana due to their deficient knowledge hold “Taa’sub” and talk about this matter but their discussions are to be rejected because it is against Fiqh & Aheedth and their personal Ijtehaad and it is absolutely not worth being relied upon or even listening to!

In Makkah Muadhama, this method is being practised upon that people pray behind each other and if this was not the case then what would be the difference between (different) Madhabs of Ahlus-Sunnah and deviant sects? According to Ahlus-Sunnah and all trustworthy and major Fuqaha truth is encircled within the four (4) Madhabs and this matter should be looked into authentic books of principle so the heart finds content (in it).

Urdu Fatwa

(*) Here he means that all four Madhabs are part of Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaah in principle and not that principles within the Madhabs are the same!

Issue of Imam wiping on Thin Socks? Caught in a situation?

I am being bombarded with emails so here is a quick response.

According to Hanbali Madhab the socks which are deemed suitable for Mas'ah simply need to be thick enough for the underlying skin to not be discernible. Basically: thickness is a quality that is not sought in and of itself; thus it is neither sought in and of itself nor is it something quantitative. So what follows is that regardless of the "thickness" or the "thinness" of the material: as long as the color of the underlying skin is not discernible, then it is considered "thick".

Prayer is permissible according to Shaykh (Mufti) Rafi Usmani (HA):

Ulamah of Yorkshire put this question to Shaykh (Mufti) Rafi Usmani (HA) about praying behind someone on an occasion and he (HA) responded that an assumption should be made that the Imam is following conditions of Hanbali Madhab and prayer will be valid and doesn't need to be repeated. I have personally checked and verified this.

Prayer is permissible according to Shaykh (Mufti) Mahmoud Usmani (HA):

This is what Shaykh Mahmoud Usmani said, emphasizing that we have not been made morally responsible to pry into the affairs of others, especially when doing so entails undue hardship, and that the default assumption regarding all human actions (as explained by Imam Abul Hasan al-Karkhi, the great Hanafi faqih) is that they are valid and sound, and we are expected to interpret them in such a manner whenever possible.

Or assume that his socks are thick enough (e.g. in the Hanbali school, whose conditions are less taxing than the others in this matter).

Issue of Imam wiping on Thin Socks? When an alternative is available?

As a believer you are supposed to leave alone matters which places doubt in your heart so the superior method would be for you to remove doubt from your worship and if there is another congregation available then you should opt to pray behind an Imam who is not wiping on thin socks according to Hanafi Madhab.

عن أبي محمد الحسن بن على بن ابي طالب سبط رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وريحانته رضي الله عـنهـما ، قـال : حـفـظـت مـن رســول الله صلى الله عـليـه وسلم :
دع ما يـريـبـك إلى ما لا يـريـبـك



On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Taib, the grandson of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ëalayhi wasallam, and who is dearest to him, radiyallahu ëanhuma, who said: I committed to memory from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ëalayhi wasallam, (the following words): Leave that about which you are in doubt for that about which you are in no doubt. [At-Tirmidhi]

Google+ discussions with our dear and beloved Hazrat Shaykh (Mufti) Abu Hajira (HA):

Hazrat Shaykh (Mufti) Abu Hajira (HA) has taken the time to read and comment on this blog and may Allah (SWT) give Hazrat (HA) the best of success in this world and the next (Ameen).

After interacting with Hazrat Shaykh (Mufti) Abu Hajira (HA) I also went back to the Ulamah (in UK) and requested their guidance in the matter. Maulana (HA) explained to me that the opinion of Shaykh (Mufti) Rafi Usmani (HA) is what it is but it also contradicts the opinion of his own father i.e. Shaykh (Mufti) Shafi Usmani (RA) who has written the opposite in some of his writings so people should be cognizant of that.

I asked Hazrat Maulana (HA) that in my humble view the correct way to look at the problem at its heart is that the issue boils down to two:

1) Are the conditions of Wudhu & Prayer of the Imam to be judged according to his own Madhab?

2) Are the conditions of Wudhu & Prayer of the Imam to be judged according to the Hanafi Madhab (i.e. the Madhab of the Muqtadi)?

Some of the British Ulamah sent a query to Darul-ulooms in Pakistan and Darul-uloom Jamia Haqqania Akora Khatak responded in detail that both opinions exist in the Hanafi Madhab and if the Wudhu and prayer of the Imam are correct according to his own Madhab then it will be correct and permissible for the Hanafi to pray behind this Imam. I have asked for a copy of this Fatwa so I can get it translated and for it to be made public so this response is partial and without actually looking at the Fatwa.

The second issue is the conditions of socks upon which Mas’ah is valid according to Hanabila, which I will also obtain get it translated made public.


Homework:

I will Insha'Allah with the Tawfeeq of Allah (SWT) obtain, translate and present the following:

1) Fatwa that if the Wudhu and prayer of the Imam are correct according to his own Madhab then it will be correct and permissible for the Hanafi to pray behind this Imam

2) Conditions of Mas'ah on non-leather socks in the Hanbali Madhab by Hanbali Ulamah

Insha'Allah your duas are requested, until then.