WARNING: The following issues are issues upon which the Jurists of Ahlus Sunnah (i.e. the Hanafis, Malikis, Shafi'is, and Hanbalis) have differed. It is incorrect and blameworthy to create discord over them as some over zealous youth have done and continue to do in various Masjids. The fact of the matter is that some people are hell-bent on using these issues to create enmity and spread discord. We must fear the anger of Allah and not deviate from the Hanafi way just to be different or for the sake of argument.
What follows are brief explanations of the Hanafi positions on various matters intended to establish that these positions are part of the Sunnah and grounded in proof. It is hoped that through this knowledge brothers and sisters who continue to cause fitna under the impression that only they are correct will stop their senseless attacks on the Hanafi mazhab and abide by its rulings in Hanafi Masjids since the Hanafi Mazhab is the only Mazhab that is actively practiced and is represented by scholars in Guyana.
Shaykh Abdur Rahman bin Yusuf has mentioned:
“In a hadith related by Imam Abu Dawud in his Sunan, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) says that after the angel called out the adhan, he called out the iqama in the same way, except that he added ”Qad qamat al-salah” twice after ”Hayya 'ala al'-falah.”
There are also hadith related by Imam Bayhaqi from a group of Companions, Imam Tirmidhi from Abdullah ibn Zayd and Abu Mahdhura (Nasb al-Raya 2:267).”
Shaykh Faraz Rabani has mentioned:
“Imam Tahawi explained in his Sharh Ma`ani al-Athar [1.132-135] that we have mutawatir (multiple contiguous) reports that Sayyiduna Bilal (Allah be pleased with him) used to give both the adhan and iqama with repetition of their phrases. This was also mentioned by Imam Zayla`i in his Tabyin al-Haqa'iq Sharh Kanz al-Daqa'iq [1.91]
This is how the adhan and iqama of the angel who descended from the sky [when the adhan was legislated] were transmitted with rigorously authentic chains of transmissions that Abd Allah ibn Zaid al-Ansari (Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! In my dream, I saw a man wearing green clothing stand up on a wall and gave the adhan repeating each phrase twice, and the iqama repeating each phrase twice.' [Nasa'i 632; Abu Dawud, 503; Ibn Maja 708; Ahmad 3/409]
As for the hadiths in Bukhari and Muslim that the 'iqama is singularized,' Imam Kamal ibn al-Humam explained that the Hanafi understanding is that this does not refer to its words, but that it is given in a single tone of voice, in a speedy manner such as each pair of phrases is said in one go. This is contrary to the adhan, where one pauses between each pair of phrases, so it is 'doubled'. [ Fath al-Qadir, 1.243-245]
The position that the iqama is doubled like the adhan was reported by Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf [1.234-235] as being the position of `Ali, Salama ibn al-Akwa`, Abd Allah ibn Zayd, and Bilal (Allah be pleased with them). The latter two were both among the muezzins of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). This is also reported as having been the position of the many students of Ali and Abd Allah ibn Mas`ud (Allah be pleased with them), two of the major fuqaha of the Companions…”
This is the sound basis of the Hanafi view.
In Sahih Bukhari it is stated under the title “Chapter on Joining the Shoulders and Feet in the Row”:
“Sayiduna Anas bin Malik (Allah be well pleased with him) reports that Rasulullah (Allah bless him & grant him peace) said, “Straighten your rows, for indeed I see you from behind my back.” Sayiduna Anas (Allah be well pleased with him) says, “We would join our shoulders and feet with the shoulders and feet of the person next to us.”
It is clear from the above hadith that Rasulullah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not instruct his Ummah to join together parts of their bodies in the prayer as some suggest. We are under instruction from our Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) to keep our lines straight which we do by Allah's grace. The Noble Sahabah (Allah be well pleased with them all) responded to the command of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and their lines were so straight that the lines were described as “joined” at the shoulders and feet and even (according to a hadith in Abu Dawud) at the knees. These descriptions are not intended to be taken literally as all of the Ulama of Ahlus Sunnah have mentioned and therefore are not intended to indicate that it is necessary to touch feet, ankles etc.
Yet some people insist on being extreme on this matter and disrupt the salah by trying to maintain the “joined ankles” throughout the salah! This is disruptive folly and an indication of the level of ignorance these days. They have their modern scholars who they quote since they cannot find any of the scholars of old to support their misinterpretations. As for the Ahlus Sunnah we will be content with what our great Imams and specialists have recorded. Among such specialist is the Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Allah shower him with mercy) who writes in his commentary of Sahih Al-Bukhari, Fath al-Bari concerning this hadith:
“…this is to emphasize (mubalagha) the importance of straightening the rows and filling the gaps in between.” (Fath al-Bari2:247)
Furthermore Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Allah shower him with mercy) relates in the very Fath al-Bari that Sayiduna Anas (Allah be well pleased with him) said, “If I were to attempt this [joining the shoulders and feet together] with anybody today, they would scurry away like restive mules” (Fath al-Bari 2:247)
Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf commented on this by saying:
“It is apparent from this statement, that even the Companions did not continue this practice after the demise of the Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace). If it had been a continuous action of the Messenger [sunna mustamirra] the Companions would never have abandoned it, let alone speak of it in such a manner.”
So let those who wish to follow the blessed Sunnah know that it is not necessary to touch feet, ankles and so on during the prayer. However, the lines are to be as straight as possible with no gaps.
It is related by Ahmad, Tirmizi, Daruqutni, Baihaqi and others from Sayiduna Wail bin Hur (Allah be well pleased with him) that, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) led us in salah. When he recited 'Gharil Maghdhubi alaihim…' he said Ameen silently. He also placed his right hand on his left hand, and said the 'salam' to his right and left.”
In Sahih Muslim it is related that Sayiduna Abu Huraira (Allah be well pleased with him) said, “The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) would teach us saying, “Do not try to outdo the Imam. When he pronounces the takbeer, you say it also: when he recites, 'Wa Ladhadeen' then say Amin; when he performs the ruku you do it also; and when he says, 'Sami Allahu liman Hamidah' say, 'Allahuma Rabana lakal Hamd.'”
There is no indication in the latter hadith that 'Amin' is to be said differently from 'Rabana lakal hamd'.
Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq said (emphasis mine):
“Saying Ameen silently was the practice of Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Ibrahim al Nakhai, Sh'abi, Ibrahim al Taimi, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, their followers of the people of Kufah. Imam Shafiee in his later view also says that the muqtadi should say Ameen silently. Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri says that he has not come across any Maliki scholar who says that Ameen should be said loudly. Imam Malik says, 'Those who are behind the Imam should say Ameen silently.' Ibn Jareer al Tabari claims as quoted by Ibn al Turkumani in al Jawhar al Naqiyy that this was the practice of most of the companions and Tabi'un.”
It is related in Abu Dawud, Nasai, Baihaqi and others that, “Sayiduna Abdullah Ibn Zubair said that Rasulullah would point with his finger when he prayed and he would not move it.”
Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq said (emphasis mine):
“The wording of this hadith informs us that the permanent practice of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was to merely point with the finger and not move it. This is the correct and established Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) that is recognised and followed by the majority of the ummah.”
There is a hadith from Baihaqi on the authority of Sayiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (Allah be well pleased with them both) which states, “Rasulullah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, 'The movement of the fingers in prayer frightens away Shaitan.'” This text has been declared weak by Imam Baihaqi himself, Hafiz Ibn Hajar, Hafiz Suyuti and others from among the true masters of the science of hadith including the venerable Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (Allah shower him with mercy) who declared the sole narrator of this hadith, Muhammad al Waqidi a liar!
There is another hadith on the authority of Sayiduna Wail bin Hujr (Allah be well pleased with him) part of which says, “He (Allah bless him and grant him peace) clenched two of his fingers and made a circle with them. He then lifted his finger and I saw him moving it praying with it.”
Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq mentions more that ten sound narrators of this hadith all narrating from the same source and none of them mention the extra wording “moving it” except one narrator, Zaidah bin Qudama. This makes the narration weak from a fiqh standpoint since one good narrator is contradicting multiple equally strong ones. The people of hadith call such a narration shadh meaning conflicting or contrary. No sound faqih uses shadh narrations as juristic evidence.
Additionally Imam Baihaqi commented on this hadith which he related in his collection:
“The movement mentioned in this hadith probably means the single pointing of the finger, not its continuous movement. In this way, the narration will be in agreement with the hadith of Abdullah bin Zubair (Allah be well pleased with him).”
The majority of the Ulama of all three schools except the Malikis have taken the view of the stronger narration of Abdullah bin Zubair. The way of Rasulullah is clear for those who are guided.
We ask Allah to save us from ignorance and the fitna that results from it.Amin.