Following the Imams, Importance of Taqleed and Consensus Upon Following Them

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#31 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:53

3. Allamah Khattabi رحمة ﷲ علیه reports that a Shaykh did not have his hair shaved before the Jumu'ah Salah for forty years because he heard the Hadith that Rasulullah ﷺ forbade this. However, Allamah Khattabi رحمة ﷲ علیه explained to him that the word in the Hadith was حلق (with a fatha on the laam), meaning 'forming groups' and not (with a sukoon on the laam) meaning 'shaving the head'. The prohibition was therefore from forming discussion groups in the Masjid before the Salah because at this time, people ought to perform Salah and then listen attentively to the Khutbah. (Talbees Iblees pg 166)

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#32 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:54

4. A Muhaddith once heard the Hadith in which Rasulullah ﷺ forbade using living things as targets. He, however, misunderstood the word Ruh to be Rawh because of which he thought Rasulullah ﷺ forbade. (Foreword of Muslim Vol.1 pg 18)

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#33 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:54

5. There was another Muhaddith who was in the habit of performing his Witr Salah only after cleaning himself in the toilet. When asked the reason, he said that he was following a Hadith in which Rasulullah ﷺ instructed people to perform Witr Salah only after cleaning themselves in the toilet. What he did not realize was that the word he understood as cleaning oneself in the toilet actually meant 'to do in odd numbers'. The Hadith therefore meant that when a person cleaned himself in the toilet, he ought to clean himself an odd number of times i.e. three, five, or more times if necessary.

Rasulullah ﷺ said, "May Allah keep fresh and healthy (in mind) the person who hears my words, remembers them and conveys them on. It often happens that the one to whom the words are passed on understands them better than the one conveying them." (Mishkatul Masabih pg 35)

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#34 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:54

6. Allamah Dawood Zahiri رحمة ﷲ علیه, whom the Ghair Muqallideen look up to, once issued a fatwa that Rasulullah ﷺ only prohibited urinating in stagnant water because the water will become impure by this act. This he derived from the apparent words of a Hadith that states, "None of you should ever urinate in standing water." Therefore, according to his fatwa, if a person urinated in a container and then emptied it into water, the water would not become impure. He also said that if a person urinated next to water and the urine flowed into the water, the water will also not be impure because in all these cases, he person did not urinate in the stagnant water itself. After recording this fatwa Imam Nawawi رحمة ﷲ علیه states that this is the worst of scenarios in a situation when people are mulish about sticking to the apparent meaning of narrations. (Nawawi's commentary of Muslim Vol.1 pg 138; Fathul Bari Vol.2 pg 72)

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#35 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:54

7. Another Muhaddith whom the Ghair Muqallideen look up to is Hafidh Ibn Hazam رحمة ﷲ علیه, who was also a great Mufassir and Mutakallim (expert on matters of belief). He claimed that a person could shorten his Salah regardless of the distance he travels, even in his locality. This he derived from the apparent meaning of the verse: "When you travel on earth, there is no sin on you should you shorten your Salah." (Surah Nisa verse 101)

He was adamant about this ruling but failed to realize that in such a situation, every person leaving for the Masjid for Salah will then need to perform Qasr Salah. (Fadhlul Bari Vol.2 pg 73)

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#36 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:55

8. The Shaykhul Islam and Muhaddith of the Ghair Muqallideen Mawlana Abdul Jaleel Samrodi wrote in one of his booklets that according to the Hanafi Mathhab, a person's fast will not be nullified by intercourse, regardless of whether ejaculation took place or not. He also asserts that according to the Hanafis, it will not be necessary to bath. All of this is contrary to the truth because he failed to understand the text of Durrul Mukhtar (Vol.2 pg 103). Now if he was unable to fathom the text of a book, how will he understand the Qur'an and Ahadith? Furthermore, if this is the condition of the Shaykhul Islam and Muhaddith of the Ghair Muqallideen, what must be the condition of the rest of them?

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#37 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:55

An incident comes to mind about a Persian man who saw his friend being beaten up by a thug. He immediately went on to the scene an held his friend's hands, because of which the poor man was unable to defend himself. Taking advantage of the situation, the thug beat the man up most severely. When someone asked the foolish friend why he had done so, he replied, "Did you not read Shaykh Saadi's poem in which he says, 'When you see your friend in trouble, hold his hand.'" "You fool!" the people cried, "The poem means that you ought to help him when he is in trouble and not to physically hold his hands."

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#38 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:56

The incident is similar to the one when Mirza Mazhar Jaane Jaan رحمة ﷲ علیه asked his servant, "Bring the flask, but hold the belly when you bring it." By this he meant that the servant should not carry it by the neck because it could break off, but should carry it by the belly. Taking the instruction literally, the servant carried the flask in one hand and held his belly in the other hand. Because he was a sensitive man, Mazhar Jaane Jaan رحمة ﷲ علیه immediately got a headache when he saw this.

This is what happens when statements are taken literally without any understanding and insight. This is exactly what the Ghair Muqallideen of our times are doing when they memorize some Ahadith and lack the proper understanding and perception of its meaning. They then claim that they are Mujtahideen and go a step further to criticize the true Mujtahideen.

They fail to realize that opinions are of two types. The one is that which defies the clear instructions of Allah, which was what Shaitan presented when he said, "You have created me from fire and created him from sand." He therefore reasoned that he was better than Adam علیه السلام and did not want to prostrate. This type of opinion and reasoning is wrong and worthy of condemnation.

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#39 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:57

The second type of opinion and reasoning is that which does not defy clear commands and is used to elucidate the meanings of the Qur'an and the Ahadith. This type of opinion and reasoning is commendable and it is this that happened to the Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم when Rasulullah ﷺ said that they should not perform their 'Asr Salah but at the settlement of the Banu Qurayzah tribe. Now while some Sahabah رضی ﷲ عنھم understood that Rasulullah's ﷺ intention was to emphasize a speedy march, others took the direct meaning, meaning that they should not perform the 'Asr Salah on the road (even if the time was running out). They therefore did not perform their 'Asr Salah until they reached their destination. The first group however employed their faculties of Ijtihad and performed their Salah en route. When this was reported to Rasulullah ﷺ, he did not reprimand either party. The reasoning of the first group did not conflict with the instruction, but was merely an explanation of the same. Allamah Ibn Qayyim رحمة ﷲ علیه stated that this first group was the group of Fuqaha.

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#40 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 10:57

Deen is Founded on Two Factors

Deen is founded on 1) accurate narration (riwaayah) and 2) accurate interpretation (diraayah). It is therefore necessary for there to be a group of people who safeguard the words of the Qur'an and the Ahadith and then convey it to the Fuqaha. This group is the Muhadditheen. The Fuqaha who are well-versed in the principles and derivatives of Fiqh and who understand the intent of these narrations then explain the meanings to the Ummah.

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#41 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 11:00

Allamah Ibn Qayyim Jowzi رحمة ﷲ علیه whom the Ghair Muqallideen hold in high esteem states, "There are two things that are conveyed. One is the words and the other is the meaning and intent. The Ulema of the Ummah are therefore classified into two groups. The first are the Huffadh of the Ahadith, who have memorized the Ahadith and have classified them in to the categories of authentic and fabricated. These men are leaders of the Ummah, the vehicles of the Ummah who have protected the fortress of Islam and safeguarded the rivers of Shari'ah from contamination. The second group are the Fuqaha of the Ummah who extract laws and issue rulings. They have been selected to document the issues of Halal and Haram. They are like the stars in the sky by which lost people find the way and confusing questions are answered. People have always had a greater need for them and obeying them is more important than obeying one's own parents, as the Qur'an mentions, "O you with Iman! Obey Allah, obey the Rasul and obey those with command amongst you (the Fuqaha). (I'laamul Muqi'een Vol.1 pg 9)

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#42 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 11:00

A deep understanding of Allah's Deen is a bountry that Allah grants to few of His servants. Rasulullah ﷺ said, "Allah grants a deep understanding of Deen to the one for whom Allah intends good." (Mishkatul Masabih Pg 33)

A verse of the Qur'an states, "Allah grants wisdom (a deep understanding of Allah's Deen) to whomsoever He pleases and the one granted wisdom has indeed been given a tremendous amount of good." (Surah Aal Imran)

The person granted a deep understanding of Allah's Deen can truly guide others, assist them in the very intricate matters and save them fro the traps of Shaitan. It is for this reason that Rasulullah ﷺ said, "A single jurist is more difficult for Shaitan to contend with, than a thousand worshippers." (Mishkatul Masabih g 34)

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#43 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 11:00

The Ghair Muqallideen lack this deep understanding of the Deen and are therefore antagonistic towards Fiqh and Tafaqquh (deep understanding of Deen). It is for this reason that their leader Mawlana Abdul Jaleel Samrodi writes in his book Boo'e Ghilleen that there would never have been differences amongst the Ummah had it not been for Fiqh and the principles of Fiqh. He also says that the people should shun all the books of Fiqh. Furthermore, he states that the Qur'an and the Sunnah will spread only when some just ruler takes a stance like 'Umar رضي الله عنه and digs a trench, fills it with all the books of Fiqh of the various Mathahib and sets them alight. The aage stating that a man is an enemy to that about which he is ignorant is clearly demonstrated in this enmity the Ghair Muqallideen have for Fiqh.

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#44 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 11:01

Fiqh and acquiring a deep understanding of Allah's Deen has been lauded in several Ahadith. Rasulullah ﷺ said:

1. "Everything has a pillar and the pillar of this Deen is Fiqh." (Bayhaqi, Dar Qutni, as quoted in Fatawa Sirajiyyah pg 158)

2. "People are mines like gold and silver mines. The best of them are they who were the best during times of ignorance on condition that they acquire a deep understanding of the Deen." (Mishkatul Masabih pg 32)

3. "Allah grants a deep understanding of Deen to the one for whom Allah intends good." (Bukhari and Muslim, as quoted in Mishkatul Masabih pg 33)

4. 'Ali رضي الله عنه said, "The example of the Fuqaha is like the hands (on the body)." (Mufeedul Mufti pg 9)

5. "A single sitting (lesson) of Fiqh is better than sixty years of 'Ibadah." (Tabrani in his Kabir)

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#45 [Permalink] Posted on 3rd February 2012 11:01

The importance of having a deep understanding of the Deen can be assessed from the fact that Rasulullah ﷺ once made du'a for 'Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه saying, "O Allah! Grant him a deep understanding of the Deen and teach him the interpretation of the Qur'an." (Tarjumaanus Sunnah Vol.4 pg 258)

Understanding the Ahadith is the work of the Fuqaha because people who merely narrate Ahadith often make serious mistakes and cause much trouble, as stated above.

In his famous compilation of Ahadith, Imam Muslim رحمة ﷲ علیه quotes that Abdullah bin Mas'ud رضي الله عنه once said that when a Hadith is narrated to people who cannot understand it, it becomes a source of tribulation for them. (Muslim Vol.1 pg 6)

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Following the Imams, Importance of Taqleed and Consensus Upon Following Them

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