Asslamo Allaikum,
The name of Shaykh Shawkani (RA) pops out amongst Ahl-e-Hadeeth because they are taught his books in “their Darul-ulooms” but this is the first time I have heard of someone passing Shaykh Shawkani (RA) as a “Hanafi”.
The whole “ditching Madhab” movement started with Dawud ibn Khalaf (d. 270/883),also known as Daud al-Zahiri who “tried to found” a Madhab based on literal interpretation of Qur’aan & Hadeeth.
The Dhahiri Madhab died out and never gained popularity in the Ummah.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zahiri
There were some Scholars who adhered to this School but nothing major UNTIL IN EUROPE (A-Andalus)a Scholar by the name of Shaykh Ibn Hazm (7 November 994–15 August 1064) revived the methodology of ditching Madhabs and literal interpretation of Qur’aan & Sunnah.
And the School gained some popularity in the progress winds of Europe but didn’t gain much footing in the rest of Islamic world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ibn_Hazm
Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA) fell in love with a girl of his country (Al-Andalus) but they never got to get married and it’s a very tragic story. Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA) wrote a brilliant book on “Love & Islamic Shariah”. To this day this book remains one of the foremost publications on the topic of love:
http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/hazm/dove/index.html
Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA) was a genius and very knowledgeable but he tried to rewrite Fiqh rulings “independent of Madhabs” and created a masterpiece known as “Al Kitab al-Muhallā bi'l Athār”. No doubt that his genius shines through the book but he is fiercely Anti-Tassawuff and Anti-Madhab. In addition to good information this book also has absurdities such as Shaykh Ibn Hazm (RA) believed that when Ramadhan is 30 days, Laylatul-Qad’r can fall on 22,24,26,28 & 30 while the rest of the Muslim Ummah believe that Laylatul-Qad’r is on odd nights!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muhalla
Some say that the misbalanced writings from this “genius” resulted from his bad love life and that he never married as he is extremely harsh in Hadeeth gradation and Madhabs etc, goes overboard.
Then centuries later we had another genius by the name of Muhammad ash-Shawkani (1759–1834 CE ) who was a Zaidi Shia but became Sunni and again tried to rewrite Fiqh rulings “independent of Madhabs” and created a masterpiece known as “Nayl al-Awtar”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_ash-Shawkani
But he was also extremely harsh in Hadeeth gradation and Madhabs etc, goes overboard.
In Indian sub-continent a man by the name of Muhammad Siddiq Hasan Khan, Nawab of Bhopal (1832-1890) was born into a bitterly Shia family. This kid was also a genius and began independent study and in his teenage days gave up Shia’ism and became Sunni. Since he came from a very high class educated family he took upon himself to write a book to prove that Sunni Islam is correct and wrote a Master-Piece in refutation of Shia’ism. His intention was to prove to his family that he deeply studied both Shiah & Sunni Islam and found Sunni Islam to be most Authentic.
His book “Tuhfa Ithna Ashariyya (A gift to twelve Shias)” is a masterpiece in Shia refutation and shook the very foundations of Shia’ism in Indian subcontinent. Unfortunately he then applied his independent mind to Islam and ended up becoming “Ahl-e-Hadeeth” and he is regarded as the founder of “Ahl-e-Hadeeth” in India.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/works-Muhammad-Siddiq-Hasan-Bhopal/dp/B0000E7Y28
When Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahab (RA) starts Dawah in Saudi Arabic the Ahl-e-Hadeeth got a free ride on the bandwagon but there is a key difference between Saudi Scholars and Ahl-e-Hadeeth which is that from the time of Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) until now Saudi Scholars are neither “Anti-Madhab” nor “Anti-Taqleed” while Ahl-e-Hadeeth are both.
Shaykh Ibn Baz (RA) & Shaykh Uthaymeen (RA) were also neither “Anti-Madhab” nor “Anti-Taqleed” with the later being more Madhab inclined then the former. The current Scholars in Saudia are also neither “Anti-Madhab” nor “Anti-Taqleed”. The following advice of Shaykh Uthaymeen (RA) is clear for everyone to check:
http://ibnfarooq.com/seekingKnowledgeUthaymeen.html
Anyone who calls for ditching of the Madhabs and bases this opinion on Saudi Scholars is frankly a MORON!
www.ibnfarooq.com/seekingKnowledgeUthaymeen.htmlShaykh Al-Albani (RA) on the other hand and his students are Anti-Madhab and that’s why the Ahl-e-Hadeeth lean towards Shaykh Al-Albani (RA).
Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) on the other hand was the son of an Albanian Hanafi Scholar and it is possible that the excesses of his father turned him “Anti-Hanafi”. Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) also tried to tried to rewrite Fiqh rulings “independent of Madhabs”but his works were not completed.
In short, it is wrong to put Saudi Scholars and Ahl-e-Hadeeth in the same bracket as overwhelming majority of Saudi Scholars were and are “Hanbali in Madhab”. To further prove this point of difference further Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) wrote his famous Salah book which is refuted by many Hanafees.
A refutation of this very book was written by Sheikh Hamoud At-Tuwaijri (RA) who a student of Shaykh Ibn Baz (RA)...If Salafees and Ahl-e-Hadeeth were the same why did the Saudi Scholars had the need to refute Shaykh Al-Albani (RA)?
Saudi Scholars have also refuted Shaykh Al-Albani (RA) on Niqab, on Tashahuud and other matters.
So what is the primary difference between Saudi Scholars & Deobandees? Saudi Scholars don’t obligate a person to follow 1 Madhab rather they advice students to refer to a Scholar and thus the one asking a question will follow the Madhab of the Mufti (which is Hanbali, in case of Saudia).
The deobandi Scholars obligate a person to follow 1 Madhab and the laymen and Mufti is both obliged to do so.There are some amongst Deobandees who have an opinion similar to Saudi Scholars but the end result of both approaches is pretty similar.
- I can choose to find a ruling in the Hanafi Madhab directly
- I can choose to ask Maulana Yasin (HA) and thereby get a ruling (from Hanafi Madhab) and thus follow Madhab of Maulana Yasin (HA)
They both end up being the same thing practically therefore most people who follow Saudi Scholars are indeed following the Hanbali Madhab (indirectly).
The Ahl-e-Hadeeth ditch Madhabs all together.
Allah (SWT) knows best.
