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Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim
Re: Raising The Hands Between Prostrations (3) al-salamu `alaykum The following is GF Haddad's response to issues mentioned in one brother's objection to me posting a contribution from brother Haddad. Even though I already posted my personal response to this, I would like to add that books recording the successive generations of scholars in a given madhhab [tabaqat, though the genre is not restricted to just madhhabs] often include people simply because they studied the madhhab or transmitted one or more issues [mas'alah]. Muhya al-Din `Abd al-Rahman bin Muhammad bin `Abd al-Rahman al-`Ulaymi (860 - 928 AH) included many people in his Al-Manhaj al-ahman fi tarajim ashab al-imam ahmad simple because the related a single issue--whether or not it be in jurisprudence. Imam al-Shafi`i is listed here (1.63-75), as are Bishr al-Hafi's sister (1.348-49), Abu al-Qasim al-Junayd (1.219-221), and many others. wa al-salamu `alaykum --musa Q As-Salaamu 'Alaikum brother, A few questions regarding GF Haddad's involvement in teaching us the Hanbali Fiqh, 1) How much of an authority is GF Haddad on the Hanbali Mathhab, while he himself is a Shafi'i? Surely, there is extensive discussion on this issue in nearly all the books of Furoo of the Math-hab, which makes it needless to quote solely from him. 2) Is it appropriate to even mention someone's conclusion, without any criticism, that raising the hands between the two prostrations is bid'ah? When we know that according to another narration from Abu 'Abdillah, one may raise his hands upon every ascent and descent? This also being the selected position of ibn al-Manjaa (as far as I remember, as mentioned in al-Mubdi), and when was the Ijma ever formed and who claimed that Ijma that, such is not to be done, and hence to practice that is a Bid'ah? 3) Being a Shafi'i what would GF Haddad say about Ibn Hajr may Allah be merciful to him and illuminate his grave who inclines towards raising the hands during every descent and ascent in his master piece, al-Fath? 4) Surely the Raajih in the Math-hab, as well as most widely held opinion amongst the past as well as the present Hanabilah, from Sham to Najd, as well as the selected opinion of Ibn Taymiyah, is that hands are not to be raised except at the beginning, and before and after Rukoo. However, isn't labelling this action to be a Bid'ah is somewhat a harsh verdict, considering the points above? Was-Salaamu 'Alaikum A As-Salamu `alaykum: I personally find the claim that there is "another narration from Abu 'Abdillah, [that] one may raise his hands upon every ascent and descent" in support of raf` between the two sajdas misleading when we know that the same statement is followed, in an alternate version, by Ahmad's words "except between the two sajdas." Another narration from Abu Bakr al-Marwazi explicitly states Ahmad said "I *dislike* for one to raise hands between the two sajdas but if he does it is ja'iz." There is need for elementary tanqih and tarjih of the Riwaya here instead of the endlessly evasive adducing of a multiplicity of riwayas. Therefore, if someone does so in their own Salat we do not call their act a Bid`a as much as a defect in their Salat. However, if a person starts teaching people to do this, or writing it in a book he then calls Sifat Salat al-Nabi, then that person is definitely a person of bid`a because he leaves promoting the path of the muttafaq `alayh for something else, out of love for the strange and unusual. There is a rule of the Imams of the Salaf that "Not every Sahih hadith is put into practice." What then when the supposed proofs are not even Sahih? What then when they are not even marfu` hadiths but Companion-reports?? We also know what they said about following strange and unusual positions. Note I did not say there was Ijma` but Ittifaq. However, Imam al-Shafi`i in al-Umm does tend to affirm the Ijma` sukuti of the Sahaba in his description of raising hands before and after ruku` but NOT, he says, between the sajdatayn, in al-Umm (1:103-104). Note that his wording of the hadith of Ibn `Umar that the Prophet - upon him peace - raised his hands "in every ascent and descent" explicitly excludes the ha'ya between the sajdatayn. As for Ibn Hajar there seems to be a misreading of his position. What Ibn Hajar said in the Fath (2:304) is that if one has to achieve a full standing position before pronouncing takbir in the beginning of his third rak`a, then one ought to raise his hands at that time. This is done by many Shafi`i muqallids. As for any suggestion that Ibn Hajar in any way, shape or form inclined towards raising the hands between the two sajdas then - to my knowledge - such would be a falsehood. Allah knows best. As I said before, one should read the discussion in Tarh al-Tathrib for a fuller picture insha Allah. As for the Maadhhab I follow: If my information is correct then I am Hanbali enough. Was-Salam. Hajj Gibril |