All the Imams agree on Aqida and principles of Deen

For the sake of His worship, Allah SWT has given orders to worship Him and He has left the method of worship and their details to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) . He declared the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as the perfect illustration of a virtuous life Uswa Hasana. Worship will be considered correct only when it is done the way the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) did it.

In the weekly lecture at Masjid Abul Hasanaat, Maulana Mufti Syed Ziauddin Naqshbandi Qadri expressed the said views. This week’s lecture was on “Rafa’a yadain (Raising of hands in Salaat) in the light of the Hadith recorded in Zujajah Al Masabeeh.” Mufti Sahab said that the difference of opinion about this matter is only a matter of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).

With Imam A’adham Abu Hanifa (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) and Imam Malik (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him) Rafa’a yadain is only at the time of the first Takbir i.e. only at the time of Takbir tahrima, whereas with Imam Shafi’e and Imam Ahmed bin Hambal (May Allah SWT be well pleased with them), Rafa’a yadain is also before going to ruku and after it.

Mufti Sahab said that in the principles and necessities of Deen, all the Imams are in consensus, but in peripheral matters, there is some difference of opinion. To support their particular opinion, each Imam has the proofs and evidences of it; so in spite of being correct, none of them ever taunted or ridiculed the others and lived with love and mutual respect.

From some quarters, it is being said that Fiqh Hanafi is based only on opinions and analogies, when every Imam has reasons and proofs to follow their opinion. About Fiqh Hanafi, the great Scholar, Mufassir, and Muhaddith of the Subcontinent, Hadhrat Muhaddith-E-Deccan authored a voluminous book in 5 volumes on Hadith, Zujajah Al Masabeeh. In this book, he recorded and presented those Hadith on which Fiqh Hanafi is based.

In Zujajah Al Masabeeh, there are a total of 17 Hadith on not raising hands at any time in Salaat except at the time of takbir tahrima. There is a Hadith in Sahih Muslim:

It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir bin Samurah (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him), that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) came to us and said: What is the reason that I am seeing you that you perform Rafa’a yadain and keep moving your hands like the tails of mischievous horses? Be calm and at peace in Salaat.

It is mentioned in Jame Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawood and Sunan Nasai: it has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Alqama (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him), he said that Hadhrat Abdullah Mas’ud (May Allah SWT be well pleased with him): Should I not lead you in Salaat in the manner of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) ? Hadhrat Alqama (May Allah SWT be well pleased with them) says that after saying this Hadhrat Ibn Mas’ud led us in Salaat and raised his hands at only the takbir tahrima.

Hadhrat Muhaddith-E-Deccan (May Allah SWT shower His Mercy on him) has recorded Hadith from Sahih Muslim, Jame Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawood, Musnad Imam A’adham Abu Hanifa. Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaiba, Mawatta Imam Muhammad, Kitab Ul Aathar, Tahawi, Ibn ‘Adi and many other books which show that excepting takbir tahrima, there is no Rafa’a yadain in Salaat. Other Hadith in which Rafa’a yadain has been mentioned are abrogated (mansukh) in the opinion of Imam A’adham Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik and Imam Shafi’e and Imam Ahmad have based their opinion on those Hadith.