INTRODUCTION
Very often the following question is posed to many people: "Do you
follow the Deen of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) or the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam)?" "Obviously the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam)," comes the instant reply. The second
question is then posed: "Why then do you call yourself a Hanafi?" The
person not well versed is perplexed by this question. Doubts are then
created in his mind. He soon starts gradually drifting towards the
abandoning of taqleed i.e. following one of the four illustrious Imams
viz. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), Imam Shafi'i (R.A.), Imam Malik (R.A.)
and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (R.A.).
By means of the type of questions that have been mentioned above, a
deliberate attempt is made to create a misconception in the minds of
the unwary — that if you are a Hanafi, you are following the Deen of
Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), NOT the Deen of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam). This is an absolute fallacy. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), Imam
Shafi'i (R.A.) and the other Imams did not invent any Deen of their own.
They strictly followed the one and only Deen — the Deen of Islam
brought by Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Their followers are
hence also following the same Deen — the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Why Follow an Imam?
The question that arises here is that why then should one follow any of
the four Imams? This can be answered by posing a counter-question:
"Do you know all the various laws of Deen? Are you capable of
extracting and deriving the laws pertaining to wudu, salah, zakah, etc.
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith? Do you know which Hadith has
abrogated another? Do you have the ability to reconcile between the
various Ahadith which apparently contradict each other? Do you know
which verses of the Qur'an are general in their application and which
verses are qualified by other texts? etc., etc." If one does not have the
knowledge of these aspects, then one definitely does not have the
ability to derive the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith. In that
case the following aayah applies directly to oneself: "Ask those of
knowledge if you do not know." (43:7) Hence when we do not have
the enormous amount of knowledge and expertise that is necessary to
derive the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith, we have opted to
follow one of those great people who had attained that distinguished
mastery in this field, among whom is Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.). Imam
Abu Hanifa (R.A.) is a Tabi'i (one who has seen a Sahabi). He attained
the knowledge of Hadith from approximately 4000 teachers. His piety
was such that for 40 years he performed fajr salah with the wudu of
Isha salah (i.e. he did not sleep the entire night) [Tareekhul Baghdad].
His knowledge, brilliance and righteousness was such that all the great
scholars of his time attested to his mastery. Thus one can be well
assured that such a person is absolutely capable of deriving the laws
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith.
Another reason for adopting one of the Imams as a guide is the
following aayah of the Qur'an: Allah Ta'ala says: "And follow the path
of those who turn to me" (31:15). In order to "turn" to Allah Ta'ala,
two aspects are basic requisites — knowledge and practicing according
to that knowledge. In this regard the four Imams were in an extremely
high category. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) was regarded by various Ulama
of his time as being the most knowledgeable of the people of that era
(footnotes of Tahdheebut Tahdheeb vol. 1 pg. 451). Makki bin
Ibrahim, who was one of the renowned teachers of Imam Bukhari
(R.A.), was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.). Imam Abu Hanifa
(R.A.) compiled a book of Hadith entitled "Kitabul Aathaar" from among
40,000 Ahadith. Thus those who follow such a guide can be satisfied
that they are strictly following the commands of Allah Ta'ala and His
Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Difference of Opinion
At this point somebody may ask: "If all the Imams deduced the laws
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith, how is it possible for them to differ
on various aspects?" In order to understand the reality of these
differences, we will have to go back in history right upto the time of the
Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum).
Once Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) had just returned from a
battle when he ordered the Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum) to
immediately proceed to the place of Banu Quraizah — a clan of Jews
who lived on the outskirts of Madina Munawwarah. The purpose was to
lay a siege upon them for having broken the pact that they had made
with the Muslims. In order to impress the urgency of the matter upon
the Sahaaba (R.A.), Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to
them: "None of you should perform your salah al-Asr except in Banu
Quraizah." While the Sahaaba (R.A.) were still en-route, the time of Asr
arrived. Some Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum) felt that they should
perform their Asr immediately. They regarded the instruction of
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as actually being a command to
proceed very swiftly to their destination. It did not imply that the Asr
salah could not be performed en-route. They thus performed their salah
there. Another group of Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum.) viewed the
instruction literally. They therefore continued and only performed their
Asr salah after having reached Banu Quraizah. Later when Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was informed about this, he did not rebuke
either group. [Sahih Bukhaari]
Thus we find that the difference arose from a point of interpretation.
However, this difference of interpretation is only entertained when it
comes from a person who has in-depth knowledge of Deen and has
attained a mastery in the Qur'an and Hadith and the other related
aspects. At times a difference of opinion occurs due to the different
narrations that are found with regards to a particular aspect. One Imam
gives preference to one narration on the basis of various criteria while
the other Imam, in the light of his knowledge, prefers the other
narration. This is basically the manner in which these differences occur.
However, just as Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not rebuke
either of the two groups in the incident mentioned above, similarly since
the Imams have attained the status of a mujtahid (one who is capable
of deriving the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith), they will not
be blame worthy even if they have erred. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam) is reported to have said: "When a haakim (ruler) passes
judgement, and after having exerted his utmost effort he arrives at the
correct solution, he gets a double reward. And if he errs after having
exerted his utmost ability, he gets one reward." (Bukhari vol. 2 pg.
1092). Ibn al-Munzir (R.A.) while commenting on this Hadith writes that
a ruler will only get this reward if he has thorough knowledge and in the
light of his knowledge he passed judgement. (see footnotes of Sahih
Bukhari; ibid). The four Imams had the ability and necessary knowledge
to practice ijtihaad. Thus they fall under the ambit of this Hadith.
Following One Imam Only
Another point that often comes up is the following: Why is it necessary
to follow one Imam only? Why can one not follow a certain Imam in one
aspect and another Imam in another aspect? The simple answer to this
is: On what basis will one pick and choose, especially since one does
not have the knowledge required to derive the laws. Thus one will not
be in a position to evaluate the deductions of each Imam. Hence it will
obviously be on the basis of what suits one. This is nothing but
following one's desires — regarding which Allah Ta'ala has issued
severe warnings in the Qur'an. Following one's desires sometimes
even leads a person to kufr. Thus great jurists of latter times, among
them Shah Waliullah (R.A.), have reaffirmed that it is wajib for the
masses to follow one Imam only.
Authenticity of Hadith
Here one more point needs clarification with regards to the authenticity
of Ahadith. The general masses are made to believe that a Hadith is
only authentic if it is related in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. This is
a misconception. The authenticity of the Hadith is based on its chain of
narrators, irrespective of whether it appears in any one of the Sihah
Sitta (the famous six authentic compilations of Hadith) or in any other
compilation besides these. Imam Muslim has written in his muqqadama
(introduction to Sahih Muslim) that he has not recorded every authentic
Hadith in his Sahih. Actually, according to Imam Bukhari and imaam
Muslim, there are more authentic Ahadith which are not recorded in
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim than the number of narrations
contained in these two books. The Hanafi madhhab is derived directly
from the Qur'an and Hadith, like all the other madhhabs.
Very often the following question is posed to many people: "Do you
follow the Deen of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) or the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam)?" "Obviously the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam)," comes the instant reply. The second
question is then posed: "Why then do you call yourself a Hanafi?" The
person not well versed is perplexed by this question. Doubts are then
created in his mind. He soon starts gradually drifting towards the
abandoning of taqleed i.e. following one of the four illustrious Imams
viz. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), Imam Shafi'i (R.A.), Imam Malik (R.A.)
and Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (R.A.).
By means of the type of questions that have been mentioned above, a
deliberate attempt is made to create a misconception in the minds of
the unwary — that if you are a Hanafi, you are following the Deen of
Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), NOT the Deen of Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam). This is an absolute fallacy. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.), Imam
Shafi'i (R.A.) and the other Imams did not invent any Deen of their own.
They strictly followed the one and only Deen — the Deen of Islam
brought by Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). Their followers are
hence also following the same Deen — the Deen of Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Why Follow an Imam?
The question that arises here is that why then should one follow any of
the four Imams? This can be answered by posing a counter-question:
"Do you know all the various laws of Deen? Are you capable of
extracting and deriving the laws pertaining to wudu, salah, zakah, etc.
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith? Do you know which Hadith has
abrogated another? Do you have the ability to reconcile between the
various Ahadith which apparently contradict each other? Do you know
which verses of the Qur'an are general in their application and which
verses are qualified by other texts? etc., etc." If one does not have the
knowledge of these aspects, then one definitely does not have the
ability to derive the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith. In that
case the following aayah applies directly to oneself: "Ask those of
knowledge if you do not know." (43:7) Hence when we do not have
the enormous amount of knowledge and expertise that is necessary to
derive the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith, we have opted to
follow one of those great people who had attained that distinguished
mastery in this field, among whom is Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.). Imam
Abu Hanifa (R.A.) is a Tabi'i (one who has seen a Sahabi). He attained
the knowledge of Hadith from approximately 4000 teachers. His piety
was such that for 40 years he performed fajr salah with the wudu of
Isha salah (i.e. he did not sleep the entire night) [Tareekhul Baghdad].
His knowledge, brilliance and righteousness was such that all the great
scholars of his time attested to his mastery. Thus one can be well
assured that such a person is absolutely capable of deriving the laws
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith.
Another reason for adopting one of the Imams as a guide is the
following aayah of the Qur'an: Allah Ta'ala says: "And follow the path
of those who turn to me" (31:15). In order to "turn" to Allah Ta'ala,
two aspects are basic requisites — knowledge and practicing according
to that knowledge. In this regard the four Imams were in an extremely
high category. Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) was regarded by various Ulama
of his time as being the most knowledgeable of the people of that era
(footnotes of Tahdheebut Tahdheeb vol. 1 pg. 451). Makki bin
Ibrahim, who was one of the renowned teachers of Imam Bukhari
(R.A.), was a student of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.). Imam Abu Hanifa
(R.A.) compiled a book of Hadith entitled "Kitabul Aathaar" from among
40,000 Ahadith. Thus those who follow such a guide can be satisfied
that they are strictly following the commands of Allah Ta'ala and His
Rasul (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Difference of Opinion
At this point somebody may ask: "If all the Imams deduced the laws
directly from the Qur'an and Hadith, how is it possible for them to differ
on various aspects?" In order to understand the reality of these
differences, we will have to go back in history right upto the time of the
Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum).
Once Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) had just returned from a
battle when he ordered the Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum) to
immediately proceed to the place of Banu Quraizah — a clan of Jews
who lived on the outskirts of Madina Munawwarah. The purpose was to
lay a siege upon them for having broken the pact that they had made
with the Muslims. In order to impress the urgency of the matter upon
the Sahaaba (R.A.), Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to
them: "None of you should perform your salah al-Asr except in Banu
Quraizah." While the Sahaaba (R.A.) were still en-route, the time of Asr
arrived. Some Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum) felt that they should
perform their Asr immediately. They regarded the instruction of
Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as actually being a command to
proceed very swiftly to their destination. It did not imply that the Asr
salah could not be performed en-route. They thus performed their salah
there. Another group of Sahaaba (radhiallahu anhum.) viewed the
instruction literally. They therefore continued and only performed their
Asr salah after having reached Banu Quraizah. Later when Rasulullah
(sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was informed about this, he did not rebuke
either group. [Sahih Bukhaari]
Thus we find that the difference arose from a point of interpretation.
However, this difference of interpretation is only entertained when it
comes from a person who has in-depth knowledge of Deen and has
attained a mastery in the Qur'an and Hadith and the other related
aspects. At times a difference of opinion occurs due to the different
narrations that are found with regards to a particular aspect. One Imam
gives preference to one narration on the basis of various criteria while
the other Imam, in the light of his knowledge, prefers the other
narration. This is basically the manner in which these differences occur.
However, just as Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) did not rebuke
either of the two groups in the incident mentioned above, similarly since
the Imams have attained the status of a mujtahid (one who is capable
of deriving the laws directly from the Qur'an and Hadith), they will not
be blame worthy even if they have erred. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi
wasallam) is reported to have said: "When a haakim (ruler) passes
judgement, and after having exerted his utmost effort he arrives at the
correct solution, he gets a double reward. And if he errs after having
exerted his utmost ability, he gets one reward." (Bukhari vol. 2 pg.
1092). Ibn al-Munzir (R.A.) while commenting on this Hadith writes that
a ruler will only get this reward if he has thorough knowledge and in the
light of his knowledge he passed judgement. (see footnotes of Sahih
Bukhari; ibid). The four Imams had the ability and necessary knowledge
to practice ijtihaad. Thus they fall under the ambit of this Hadith.
Following One Imam Only
Another point that often comes up is the following: Why is it necessary
to follow one Imam only? Why can one not follow a certain Imam in one
aspect and another Imam in another aspect? The simple answer to this
is: On what basis will one pick and choose, especially since one does
not have the knowledge required to derive the laws. Thus one will not
be in a position to evaluate the deductions of each Imam. Hence it will
obviously be on the basis of what suits one. This is nothing but
following one's desires — regarding which Allah Ta'ala has issued
severe warnings in the Qur'an. Following one's desires sometimes
even leads a person to kufr. Thus great jurists of latter times, among
them Shah Waliullah (R.A.), have reaffirmed that it is wajib for the
masses to follow one Imam only.
Authenticity of Hadith
Here one more point needs clarification with regards to the authenticity
of Ahadith. The general masses are made to believe that a Hadith is
only authentic if it is related in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. This is
a misconception. The authenticity of the Hadith is based on its chain of
narrators, irrespective of whether it appears in any one of the Sihah
Sitta (the famous six authentic compilations of Hadith) or in any other
compilation besides these. Imam Muslim has written in his muqqadama
(introduction to Sahih Muslim) that he has not recorded every authentic
Hadith in his Sahih. Actually, according to Imam Bukhari and imaam
Muslim, there are more authentic Ahadith which are not recorded in
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim than the number of narrations
contained in these two books. The Hanafi madhhab is derived directly
from the Qur'an and Hadith, like all the other madhhabs.
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