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[Shaykh Ahmad Din Ghakrwi was a powerful scholar, orator, writer and debater. He sought ilm from equally great scholars. He was a prolific debater and is on record for defeating the Hanafis, Barelwis, Qadiyanis, Shi’a and Christians in debates when he started at the age of 20 (1920). He was born in 1900 and authored magnificent books in defence of Allah’s Messenger Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam and refuting Christians and Hindus]
Taqlid leads to the formation of some islamically legislative deficiencies, some of them are the following,
The 1st Deficiency
Taqlid is Shirk in risalah which is synonymous to shirk with Allah. Shah Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi said in Aqd ul-Jid,
“Then emerged the fanatical followers of the four madhhabs who made taqlid of their respective Imams in a manner as if they were sent as Prophets to them (i.e. the fanatical muqallid followers).”[1]
This is Shirk in risalah.
The 2nd Deficiency
The muqallidin distorted and altered texts of the Quran and Sunnah, as I mentioned previously. (The Shaykh cited the example of the Deobandi scholar Mawalana Mahmud al-Hasan forging and distorting words in the Quran and the Deobandi Hanafis altering and distorting words in ahadith).
The 3rd Deficiency
Taqlid creates jealousy and hatred in humans just like the Hanafis went to extreme exaggeration in the virtues of their Imam. The marginal notes to Sharh Nukhbatul Fikr mentions the fanatical extreme to the extent they said in the virtue of Imam Abu Hanifah,
“Allah’s Messenger Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam said he is the light of my Ummah.”[2]
So, they openly slandered the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam and they dishonoured their Imam. Furthermore, they fabricated and forged reports and incidences in the virtue of their Imam. Some of them are,
- The Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam said all the Prophets have pride based on me and I have pride based on Abu Hanifah. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/22)
- Jurjani transmits if there was a scholar of the likes of Abu Hanifah in the Ummah of Musa and Isa they would not have been Jews or Christians (i.e. Abu Hanifah would have converted all of them to Islam). (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/22).
- Imam Abu Hanifah saw Allah 100 (one hundred) times in his dream. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/21). However, Fatawa Qadhi Khan in volume 4 in the chapter of Tasbih and Taslim mentions whoever says he saw Allah in a dream then he is the same as the one who worships idols! (cited from Haqiqah tul-Fiqh (1/133-134).
- Our madhhab is upon the truth while the others are upon error. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/818, 4/44).
- Thabit (the father of Abu Hanifah) took his son, Imam Abu Hanifah to Ali RadhiAllahu Anhu and asked him to supplicate for him. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/26)
Note:
It should be noted Ali RadhiAllahu Anhu was martyred in 40H and Abu Hanifah was born in 80H, meaning he went to him 40 years before his birth!
- Isa Alayhis Salam will judge and give rulings according to the Hanafi madhhab when he will descend and return. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/24).
- The Imam stood on one leg and completed the Quran in one night while at the Ka’ba and a voice was heard saying to him, “You are forgiven, and whoever follows you is forgiven and all those upon your madhhab until the Day of Judgement.” (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/21).
- Someone disrespected Imam Abu Hanifah in the presence of Imam Abdullah b. al-Mubarak and he replied in a roaring voice, “I am amazed at you, you are disrespecting the person who prayed the 5 daily prayers for 45 years with one wudhu and who would complete reciting the whole Quran during the night in 2 rak’ahs.” (Cited from Maqam Hazrat Imam Abu Hanifah (p.60) of Molvi Sarfraz Ahmad Deobandi Ghakarwi).
- It is more virtuous to seek the knowledge of fiqh than reciting Quran. (Durr al-Mukhtar (1/14).
Furthermore, they insulted and belittled Muhammad b. Idris ash-Shafi’i to such an extent that it created overwhelming hatred for the Imam. They wrote,
Allah’s Messenger Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam said, “There will be a man in my Ummah who will be more harmful to my Ummah than iblis and he will be called Muhammad b. Idris ash-Shafi’i.
This is extreme exaggeration and it opposes the Prophets Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam’s Sunnah. There is also no authentic chain from the Companions proving this (cited from Hashiyyah Sharh Nukhbah). [The text of Sharh Nukhbah also mentions the muqallidin would also forge ahadith.
Allah Allah, they were shameless in insulting Imam ash-Shafi’i. In truth, he was from the most trustworthy of people and he was lauded with the title of defender of hadith. I do not know what harsh response the Shafiyyah must have given regarding this.
The 4th Deficiency
Taqlid of individuals resembles the way of the Rawafidh. The Rawafidh went to extremes in the virtue of Ali RadhiAllahu Anhu (refer to al-Kafi) to such an extent that they raised his status more than Musa’s and Isa’s (Alayhimus Salam). This is clear disbelief. Raising the status of non-Prophet to more than the status of a Prophet is clear disbelief. The muqallidin are also like this, they do not see other Imams in a good light except their own as we have shown from the examples in the previous deficiency. The usual diatribe of openly showing respect for all Imams continues but in reality much time is exerted refuting them.
The 5th Deficiency
The muqallid cannot be metaphorically referred to as Ahlus Sunnah in terms of actions. Generally speaking, the muqallid will only accept matters which are part of the madhhab of his Imam, for example the Hanafis do not accept the authentic ahadith in the Sahihayn and the 4 canonical books of hadith because they oppose and contradict their madhhab.
Maliki’s, Shafi’is and Hanbali’s largely only recite Fatihah behind the Imam, raise their hands (Raf ul-Yadayn) and say Amin loudly because it is their Imam’s madhhab. If their respective Imams did not practise these matters, they would also not have accepted them like the Hanafis. These muqallidin do not practise these matters because they are the Sunnah of the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi Wasallam, but rather, they practise them because it is the view and position of their Imams. Therefore, the muqallidin have no right to call themselves Ahlus Sunnah.
We are amazed at Hanafis, who call themselves Ahlus Sunnah and are proud about it but in essence they have no right to call themselves Ahlus Sunnah, rather, they should call themselves Hanafis.
Dear readers, these are just some brief deficiencies of taqlid which I have mentioned in brevity.
(Qudamat Ahlus-Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah Ya’ni Ahlul Hadith (p.603-606) from Majmu’a Rasa’il Mawlana Ahmad Din Ghakarwi.
NOTES
[1] Aqd ul-Jid (p.12)
[2] Shaykh al-Albani, Silsilah al-Ahadith ad-Da’ifah (no.570), this report is a forgery.
