Letters to the Editor

M. Irfan, via email

I’m a regular reader of YMD. I subscribed for it a few years ago. But I saw many contradictory things in your magazine, and a few wrong answers (those may be mistakes). Wa Allahu A’lam. I sent you questions but you didn’t answer them.

Once when a questioner asked you the correct method of offering Salah, and you told him/her to refer to a book and that the best book was that of Sheikh Al-Albani (May Allah have Mercy on his soul). In another issue you supported the four schools of thought and enjoined the questioner to cling to one of them. When I referred to Sheikh Al-Albani’s book – the introduction part of it – I saw a complete refutation regarding clinging to one of the four schools of thought.

YMD

We must have missed your earlier questions otherwise, they would have been answered.

As regard the book on Salah by Albani, we had only advised the book as reference for better understanding of Salah. We did not approve of Albani’s opinions on Fiqh. Fiqh was not Albani’s expertise, and many (if not most) scholars differed with him when he expressed his opinions on Fiqh matters.

May be there are other books in English equal or better than Albani’s on Prayers. But we do not know of them. Therefore, we still advise our readers to refer to this book for bettering their Salah. They might make note of the ahadith (although one or two are weak), as presented in the book, and modify their own Prayers in the light of them. As for Albani’s own opinions, they might be ignored.

In simpler words, take the ahadith and ignore personal opinions.

Now, I have a suggestion to you, when any question comes to you, make four columns, since you support clinging to one of the four schools of thought, and answer with respect  to each madhhab, or at least to two i.e. Hanafee and Shaf’ee, because they’re normally found around here.

YMD

Yours are apparently good suggestions, but it seems they are unworkable because of the absence of four schools within India. Most people are Hanafiyy with a few Shafe`ee. And the Shafe`iyyah dominate in the South, where they lead peaceful lives avoiding religious controversies. Therefore, presenting a single school of Fiqh, i.e., Hanafiyy should suffice.

We also have space problem. Finally, ours is not a scholarly paper. It offers simple guidance, advising its readers to contact trustworthy major scholars of their own school of thought for further guidance, or refer to their own authentic Fiqh books.

I read in Fadaail-e-A’maal that combining two prayers without a valid reason is from Al-Kabaair i.e. Major Sins. In the next sentence it was written that falling ill is considered to be a valid reason and travel is an invalid reason, implying that combining prayers while traveling is an invalid reason. This is completely contradictory to an authentic Hadith in Sahih Muslim. Please clarify.

YMD

Fadaa’il-e-A`maal is not a Fiqh book, and can be ignored when Fiqh questions are dealt with. The book is of the “Raqaa’iq” type, and perhaps one of the most successful ones. Until now there is not another, equal to it in its effects. Therefore, it may be used where softening the heart is the objective. Once a person’s heart is softened, he is in a better state of mind to listen to admonitions. Thus, the book plays an important role in the amazing successes of the Tableeghi movement.

As for Figh matters, one should always refer to the source books, such as, for instance Hidaayah, or, higher books such as Fatawaa Aalamgiriyyah that was prepared during Awrangzeb’s time.

In your specific case, it is quite likely that you do not know Arabic language, therefore, you may refer to Fatawaa Deobandiyyah, or Fatawaa Raheemiyyah, or Fatawa Ashrafiyyah. But here again, you might face difficulties because they cite evidential texts in Arabic. Therefore, the easiest way for you is to consult Muftis of prominent Madrasas such as Deoband, Saharanpur, Nadwa, or Sabeelur Rashaad of Bangalore. You may not be able to sort out these problems on your own because of your inability to consult the source books.

And you claim that it (i.e., Fadaail-e-A’maal) doesn’t have any mistakes. It’s my sincere request that you read it! At least go to www.ahya.org and read with respect to the deviant group, the Jama’ah At-Tableegh, who have neither Tawheed (the basis of Islam and rarely found in your magazine!) in them, nor Sunnah.

YMD

Far from what you seem to have been schooled by misguided and misguiding members of a group which believes in splitting the Ummah, neither is Tableeghi Jama`ah without Tawheed nor is this magazine. You need to consult scholars other than those who have been tutoring you to get at the truth. We see around us young who can be recognized by the anger on their faces. They have ended up with a heart on fire which burns them from within and the flames are visible in their eyes. They are pathetic figures. Young men should beware of them. Religion is for putting the hearts to rest, not for self-destructive rage.

And your saying that it’s permissible to let the lower garment hang below the ankles without pride: I ask you to read the Fatawaa of prominent scholars of Hadith. One such is Sheikh Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him). According to him there are two types of reports in ahadith regarding this issue. One, with pride, and two, without pride. Without pride is less ‘adhaab (refer Saheeh Muslim #106) and with pride is more ‘adhaab.

YMD

Sheikh Albani was not alone in such an opinion. Some of the Deobandi scholars have held this opinion, and still do it. But this is not the opinion of the majority. It would have been good for Sheikh Albani (may he rest in peace) to present Hafiz Ibn Hajr’s discussion as he presented in his famous commentary of Bukhari. Many scholars after Ibn Hajr have thought that perhaps he has presented all the evidences and has done well in reconciling a variety of reports. In common man’s parlance you can say that it is the last word on the topic. Ibn Hajr was both a Muhaddith as well as a Faqih, and this position is well acknowledged by the scholarly community. His conclusion is no other than our statement above.

Although Ibn Hajr was a Shafe`ee, but, as usual, he presents opinions of several other scholars and the discussion is pretty interesting in his work: Fath al-Bari. We recommend that you sit with a scholar who knows Arabic to read out from Ibn Hajr and explain. A mere translation by us, will take laymen nowhere.

What’s your opinion about the Ahl-ul-Hadith?

YMD

We have a very good opinion of the pious among them.

It is amazing that you neither mention your name nor the madrasa you have graduated from. If at all you have.

YMD

It might amaze you more to learn that Sheikh Albani did not graduate from any Madrasa. The list is long .. indeed quite long .. but we named him since you have heard about him and might have read translations of one or two of his books.

Madrasas are no different from colleges. They introduce you to the disciplines, books, and experts of the fields; and then give you a degree. But they cannot make scholar out of a man. That is something for which an individual has to burn his fat for a couple of decades.

It is worth appreciating your works other than the Question & Answers.

YMD

Now, let’s try to recall. Have you made any contradictory remark in this letter itself?

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