General, - * The virtue of remembering Allah (dhikr), may He be exalted; is everyone who remembers Allah little a hypocrite?

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“and they do not remember Allah but little” [an-Nisa’ 4:142] – this phrase is from a verse which speaks of the hypocrites. My question is: is remembering Allah (dhikr) obligatory? If I do not remember Allah, but I pray and do all the obligatory duties, am I a hypocrite? Is everyone who remembers Allah little a hypocrite?
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Remembering Allah, may He be exalted, may be obligatory, as in the case of takbeerat al-ihram (the takbeer said when starting the prayer), or it may be mustahabb.
It says inal-Mawsoo‘ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah(21/222):
The ruling on remembering Allah (dhikr), may He be exalted:
Remembering Allah (dhikr, pl. adhkaar) is something that is liked and is required from everyone, and it is encouraged in all circumstances, apart from exceptional situations as mentioned in Islamic teaching, such as when sitting to relieve oneself, when listening to the khutbah (sermon at Friday prayers) and so on.
The evidence for it being encouraged (mustahabb) is the fact that Allah has enjoined it in many verses, and He has forbidden its opposite, namely heedlessness and forgetfulness. He has connected success to constantly remembering Him a great deal. He has praised those who do that and described them as being those who benefit from His signs, and stated that they are people of understanding. He has told us of the loss of those who are distracted from dhikr by other things. He has told us that the reward of those who remember Him is that He Himself remembers them and mentions them. He has told us that remembrance of Him is greater than everything, and He has described dhikr as being the twin of righteous deeds. He has made dhikr the beginning and end of righteous deeds in many verses, some of which we shall quote here, but we will not list all of them.
In some situations, remembrance of Allah is more highly recommended, as we shall see below.
Dhikr may be obligatory; obligatory adhkaar include some of the adhkaar of the prayer, such as takbeerat al-ihraam and recitation of Qur’an. Obligatory adhkaar also include the adhaan and iqaamah, according to the view that they are a communal obligation (fard kifaayah). Returning greetings of salaam, and saying Bismillah when slaughtering an animal for meat are also obligatory adhkaar. Details on the rulings on each of these may be found elsewhere.
Dhikr may be haraam (prohibited) if it involves elements of shirk (associating others with Allah), such as the Talbiyah of the Jaahiliyyah, or if it contains phrases that are inappropriate when speaking of Allah, such as what they used to say (in the prayer) at the beginning of Islam, “Peace be upon Allah from His slaves.” The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Do not say, ‘Peace (as-salaam) be upon Allah,’ for Allah is as-Salaam. Rather say: ‘At-tahiyyaatu Lillahi wa’s-salawaatu wa’t-tayyibaat(All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah).’” For salaam (peace) is only sought for the one who needs it, but Allah is as-Salaam; so salaam is to be sought from Him, not for Him. Rather He is to be praised for being as-Salaam, such as saying, “Allaahumma anta al-salaam wa minka al-salaam(O Allah, You are al-Salaam (the One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies) and from You is all peace).”
Dhikr may be haraam in certain circumstances, such as saying dhikr during the khutbah (sermon) on Fridays. End quote.
The believer who prays regularly, offering the obligatory prayers on time, is constantly remembering Allah, may He be exalted, as he is reciting the adhkaar that are to be recited during the prayer, and after the prayer, and so on.
Situations in which one should make sure not to forget to recite dhikr include: eating and drinking, entering and exiting. So when a person eats or drinks something, he should mention the name of Allah (by saying Bismillah), and when he finishes it, he should praise Him (by saying Al-hamdu Lillah). When he enters his house he should mention the name of Allah, when he exits his house, he should mention the name of Allah. Similarly, he should consistently recite the adhkaar of morning and evening, and the adhkaar for going to sleep.
As for the hypocrite who conceals disbelief whilst making an outward display of being Muslim, or he is uncertain and has doubts about the religion, he is not keen to remember Allah and does not feel at ease with dhikr, apart from what he does by way of showing off and hypocrisy.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little”
[an-Nisaa’ 4:142].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to the words “And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little”: This is how the hypocrites are in the noblest and best of deeds, namely the prayer. When they stand up to pray, they stand with laziness, because they have no sincere intention concerning it; they do not believe in it, they do not fear Allah, and they do not understand its meaning. Ibn Mardawayh narrated, via ‘Ubaydullah ibn Zahr, from Khaalid ibn Abi ‘Imraan, from ‘Ataa’ ibn Abi Rabaah, from Ibn ‘Abbaas who said: It is makrooh for a man to stand up to pray with laziness; rather he should stand up to pray cheerfully, with eagerness and joy, for he is conversing with Allah, may He be exalted, and Allah is before him, forgiving him, answering him when he calls upon Him. Then Ibn ‘Abbaas recited this verse: “And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness.”
Similar reports were narrated via more than one isnaad, from Ibn ‘Abbaas.
The words “And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness” describe their outward appearance, as Allah says elsewhere (interpretation of the meaning):“and that they came not to As-Salat (the prayer) except in a lazy state” [at-Tawbah 9:54]. Then He, may He be exalted, mentions the real motive in their hearts: “and to be seen of men”. That is, there is no sincerity towards Allah in what they do; rather they only attend the prayer by way of dissimilation and going along with people. Hence they often stay away from prayers in which they are not usually seen, such as ‘Isha’ prayer, when it is dark, and Fajr prayer when it is still dark. It is proven inas-Saheehaynthat the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The most burdensome prayers for the hypocrites are ‘Isha’ prayer and Fajr prayer. If they knew what (reward) is in them, they would come to them even if they had to crawl. I was thinking of ordering that the call to prayer be given, then I would tell a man to lead the people in prayer, and I would go out with men carrying bundles of wood to people who do not come to the prayers, and I would burn their houses with fire around them.”
The phrase “and they do not remember Allah but little” refers to their prayers. They do not focus in the prayer, and they do not understand what they are saying; rather they are distracted from their prayer, and they have no interest in what they could attain of goodness therein.
Imam Maalik narrated from al-‘Alaa’ ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan, that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “That is the prayer of the hypocrite, that is the prayer of the hypocrite, that is the prayer of the hypocrite. He sits watching the sun until, when it is between the horns (that is, the two sides of the head) of the Shaytaan, he pecks out four rak‘ahs, in which he does not remember Allah but little.
This is how it was narrated by Muslim, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasaa’i, from the hadith of Ismaa‘eel ibn Ja‘far al-Madani, from al-‘Alaa ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan. At-Tirmidhi said: It is hasan saheeh. End quote fromTafseer Ibn Katheer(2/438).
Abu Hayyaan (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Al-Hasan said: It is little, because they do not do it for the sake of Allah. Qataadah said: Rather what is meant is that it is little because it is not going to be accepted, and whatever Allah rejects, a lot of it is little, and what He accepts, a little of it is a lot. Others said: It is little in relation to how much they indulge in falsehood, lies and disbelief. Az-Zamakhshari said: It is “but little” because they do not pray at all when they are away from people; they only pray in front of people, and what they pray openly is little, because whenever they have the opportunity to refrain from doing what they have no interest in, they use that opportunity. Or they do not mention Allah in the sense of reciting tasbeeh (saying Subhaan-Allah (glory be to Allah) and tahleel (saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (There is no god but Allah)) except a little. It may be that little means nothing at all. End quote.
But it is not possible that it means nothing at all, because it says “but” or “except”, and there cannot be an exception when there is nothing in the first place. It was also suggested that it is little because their intention (when remembering or mentioning Allah) is worldly gain, because the enjoyment of this world is little. And it was also said that there is something implied and not explicitly mentioned, which is that they do not remember the punishment and reward of Allah except a little, because they are too preoccupied with worldly concerns and they pay no attention at all to matters of the hereafter.
What appears to be the case is that dhikr here refers to remembering and mentioning Allah verbally, and that they rarely mention Allah, unlike the sincere believer, who remembers Allah, may He be exalted, most of the time.
End quote fromal-Bahr al-Muheet(4/110).
This is the situation of the hypocrite. As for the believer who loves Allah and His Messenger, and is certain of the truth of His religion, he inevitably remembers Allah all the time. Even if he only recites a little dhikr, he cannot be a hypocrite in the sense mentioned above, but he is missing out on a great deal of reward and goodness by only remembering Allah a little.
Secondly:
Remembering Allah (dhikr) brings great benefits, such as spiritual well-being, tranquillity and softening of the heart. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest”
[ar-Ra‘d 13:28]
“Is he whose heart Allah has opened to Islam, so that he is in light from His Lord (as he who is non-Muslim)? So, woe to those whose hearts are hardened against remembrance of Allah! They are in plain error!”
[az-Zumar 39:22].
Another of these benefits is attaining great reward by doing a small deed, which is simply moving one’s lips and reciting a few words.
Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his great book,Riyadh as-Saaliheen:
Chapter on the virtue of dhikr and encouragement to remember Allah:
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and the remembrance of Allah is greater”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:45]
“Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you”
[al-Baqarah 2:152]
“And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and with fear without loudness in words in the mornings, and in the afternoons and be not of those who are neglectful”
[al-A‘raaf 7:205]
“and remember Allah much, that you may be successful”
[al-Jumu‘ah 62:10]
“and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)”
[al-Ahzaab 33:35]
“O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance.
And glorify His Praises morning and afternoon (the early morning (Fajr) and Asr prayers)”
[al-Ahzaab 33:41-42].
And there are many similar, well-known verses.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Two words that are light on the tongue and heavy in the balance and beloved to the Most Merciful:Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi Subhaan Allaah il-‘Azeem(Glory and praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah the Almighty).”
And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When I say ‘Subhaan Allah, wa’l-hamdu Lillah, wa laa ilaah ill-Allah, wa Allahu akbar(Glory be to Allah, praise be to Allah, there is no god except Allah, and Allah is Most Great)’, this is more beloved to me than all that the sun rises upon.” Narrated by Muslim.
And it was narrated from him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer(There is no god except Allah alone with no partner; to Him be dominion and praise, and He is Able to do all things)’ one hundred times in a day, will have reward equivalent to that of manumitting ten slaves, one hundred good deeds will be written for him, one hundred bad deeds will be erased from his record, and he will have protection from the Shaytaan all that day until evening comes; no one will do anything better than what he has done, except a man who does more than that.”
And he said: “Whoever says ‘Subhaan Allaahi wa bi hamdihi(Glory and praise be to Allaah)’ one hundred times in a day, his sins will be erased, even if they are like the foam of the sea.” Agreed upon.
It was narrated from Abu Ayyoob al-Ansaari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever says ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, lahu’l-mulk wa lahu’l-hamd wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadeer(There is no god except Allah alone with no partner; to Him be dominion and praise, and He is Able to do all things)’ ten times will be like one who manumitted four of the children of Ismaa‘eel.” Agreed upon.
It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of the dearest of words to Allah? The dearest of words to Allah are:Subhaan Allah wa bi hamdihi(Glory and praise be to Allah).” Narrated by Muslim.
It was narrated that Abu Maalik al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Purification is half of faith, ‘al-hamdu Lillaah’ fills the Balance and ‘Subhaan-Allah’ and ‘al-hamdu Lillaah’ fill the space between heaven and earth.” Narrated by Muslim.
It was narrated that Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: Teach me some words that I may say: He said: “Say: ‘Laa ilaaha ill-Allah wahdahu laa shareeka lah, Allahu akbaru kabeeran, wal hamdu Lillahi katheeran, wa subhaan Allahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa Billah il-‘Azeez il-Hakeem( There is no god but Allah alone, with no partner or associate, Allah is most great, much praise be to Allah, glory be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds, and there is no power and no strength except with Allah, the Almighty, the Most Wise).” He said: These are for my Lord; what is there for me? He said: “Say: ‘Allahumm aghfir li wa’rhamni wa’hdini wa’rzuqni(O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me and grant me provision).” Narrated by Muslim.
…
Then he narrated many other hadiths. This is a big topic.
For more information, please see the bookal-Wabil as-Sayyib min al-Kalim at-Tayyibby Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him).
Whoever reflects upon the immense reward for these few words will understand the virtue of dhikr (remembrance of Allah). It is appropriate for every Muslim, man or woman, to be keen to remember Allah and to keep his tongue moist with dhikr and fill the record of his deeds therewith.
We ask Allah to enable us and you to do that.
And Allah knows best.

General, - * Meaning of the phrase“(Ta‘aala jadduka (Exalted by Your Majesty)” in du‘aa’ al-istiftaah

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Today I received a message which says: “Most worshippers make a mistake in du‘aa’ al-istiftaah (the opening supplication) in the prayer, when they say ‘wa ta‘aalaa jadduka (exalted be Your Majesty)’, with a fat-hah on the jeem. This is a grave mistake, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has no father, no son and no grandfather (jadd)! The correct way is to say ‘jidduka’ with a kasrah on the jeem; what it means is that greatness belongs to Allah.” How sound is this? And what is the correct pronunciation, jadduka or jidduka?
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Praise be to Allah
Muslim narrated in hisSaheeh(399) that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab used to recite these words out loud, saying: “Subhaanaka Allahumma wa bi hamdika, tabaaraka asmuka wa ta‘aala jadduka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka(Glory and praise be to you O Allah, blessed be Your name and exalted be Your Majesty; there is no god but You).”
This has been narrated in marfoo‘ reports (with isnaads going back to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and in mawqoof reports in which the isnaad ends with ‘Umar or other Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
See:as-Sunanby ad-Daaraqutni (2/58);Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah(2996);Sifat Salaat an-Nabi (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), by al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him), p. 93
The scholars of hadith, fiqh, Arabic language and others have stated that the vowelling on this word is a fat-hah, so it is read as al-jadd; they did not mention anything else.
Al-jadd means majesty or greatness.
So what the hadith means is: Exalted be Your greatness.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said inTahdheeb al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Lughaat(3/331):
The phrase in du‘aa’ al-istiftaah, “Wa ta‘aalaa jadduka”, with a fat-hah on the jeem, mean: Exalted be Your greatness.
And it was said that what is meant by al-jadd is independence of means. Both meanings are good, although al-Khattaabi did not mention anything but greatness. Another example is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says, speaking of the jinn (interpretation of the meaning):
“And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness [jadd] of our Lord”
[al-Jinn 72:3].
End quote.
Al-Ba‘li said inal-Matla‘ ‘ala Abwaab al-Maqna‘(p. 46):
[It is to be pronounced as] “Wa ta‘aalaa jadduka”, with a fat-hah on the jeem. End quote.
Al-Bahooti (may Allah have mercy on him) said inKashshaaf al-Qinaa‘(2/478):
[It is to be pronounced as] “Wa ta‘aalaa jadduka”, with a fat-hah on the jeem; What it means is: exalted be Your greatness. End quote.
In Ibn Qaasim’s commentary onar-Rawd al-Murbi‘(2/22) it says:
The word al-jadd, with a fat-hah on the jeem, means greatness, fortune, happiness, and independence of means. The wordta‘aala(exalted be…) means: Great is His… This refers to His being emphatically great. It is indicative of the utmost and ultimate highness: Exalted be Your Majesty, exalted be Your greatness, which surpasses all other greatness; Your might supersedes all other might; Your dominion overrides all other dominion. End quote.
InTawdeeh al-Ahkaam Sharh Buloogh al-Maraamby al-Bassaam (2/169), it says:
Jadduka, with a fat-hah on the jeem and a shaddah on the daal, means: Your greatness, Your might, and Your dominion. End quote.
This word – jadd – appears several times with a fat-hah on the jeem in the Holy Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah.
Allah, may He be exalted, tells us that the jinn said:
“And [it teaches] that exalted is the nobleness [jadd] of our Lord; He has not taken a wife or a son”
[al-Jinn 72:3].
As-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said (p. 890): That is, exalted be His greatness and sanctified be His names. End quote.
Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said (19/8): “exalted is the nobleness [jadd] of our Lord” means: His greatness and His majesty. End quote.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Allah, none can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and the good fortune [jadd] of any fortunate person is to no avail against You.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (844) and Muslim (593).
The scholars said that what this means is: the good fortune, independence of means and status of the fortunate, independent and high-ranking person are all to no avail against You.
Ibn Rajab said concerning the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “and the good fortune [jadd] of any fortunate person is to no avail against You”:
What is meant by the word jadd, with a fat-hah on the jeem, in this hadith is: All that the person who is independent of means possesses of resources will not avail him against You.
End quote fromFat-h al-Baariby Ibn Rajab (7/417).
An-Nawawi said inSharh Saheeh Muslim:
With regard to the phrasedhaa’l-jadd(translated here as fortunate person), the most well-known view is that there is a fat-hah on the jeem. This is the way it was vowelled by the earlier and later scholars.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: Some of them narrated it with a kasrah (jidd). Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jareer at-Tabari said: It is with a fat-hah. Ash-Shaybaani pronounced it with a kasrah, but this is contrary to what is known to those who narrated the reports. It is not known that anyone else said that.
At-Tabari and those who came after him regarded the reports which spell this word with a kasrah as da‘eef (weak). They said: Regardless of the weakness of the report, what this word (i.e., jidd) means is striving hard. In other words, the phrase would mean that the effort of one who strives hard will not avail him against You; all that could benefit him and save him is Your mercy.
And it was said that what is meant is the one who strives his utmost for worldly gain.
It was also said that what it means is hastening to flee; in other words, if a person hastens to flee, his haste in fleeing will not avail him, for He is within Your grasp and subject to Your control and dominion.
The correct and well-known view is that al-jadd, with a fat-hah, refers to good fortune, independence of means, greatness and dominion. What is meant is: if a person enjoys good fortune in this world, his wealth, sons, greatness and power will not avail him against You and his good fortune will not save him from You; rather what will benefit him and save him is righteous deeds, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Wealth and children are [but] adornment of the worldly life. But the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord”
[al-Kahf 18:46].
End quote.
Thus it will become clear that the correct vowelling of the phrase “wa ta‘aala jadduka” is with a fat-hah on the jeem, according to scholarly consensus, and what is referred to is greatness.
It is not correct to pronounce it with a kasrah (jidduka); this is distorting the words of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), because he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pronounced it with a fat-hah and the scholars did not refer to any alternative pronunciation.
Moreover, pronouncing it with a kasrah changes the meaning of the hadith, because al-jidd (with a kasrah) means striving hard or seriousness, which is the opposite of frivolity. This is not what is meant in this hadith.
What anyone who wants to alert people to the mistakes they make must do is make sure of what he is saying before spreading it, especially if it has to do with Islamic rulings and prophetic hadith, so that he will not be telling lies inadvertently against the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and so that he will not be telling them not to do what is right and will be telling them to do it the wrong way, in which case he will become one of“those whose effort is lost in worldly life, while they think that they are doing well in work” [al-Kahf 18:104].
And Allah knows best.
Summary of the answer:
The way this phrase is to be pronounced is “wa ta‘aala jadduka” with a fat-hah on the jeem, according to scholarly consensus, and what is referred to is greatness.
It is not permissible to pronounce it with a kasrah on the jeem (jidduka), because this is distorting the words of the Messenger, who (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pronounced it with a fat-hah and the scholars did not refer to any alternative pronunciation.

Usool al-Fiqh, - * How can we know which hadiths were abrogated and which abrogated others? Isn’t this a source of confusion?

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I have a question regarding abrogations in Islam during the time of prophet Muhammad(PBUH). My question is that how can we be sure that the sahih ahadith we have today were not abrogated afterwards(i.e., sometime after that but before the demise of prophet Muhammad) and there was a new ruling on the matter?...there are many matters in which there were abrogations, matters that we know of so I am thinking that may be there were matters that were abrogated and that which we dont know of?...so how can we follow the sahih and hassan ahadith without knowing for sure that they were not abrogated later in time?
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Praise be to Allah
What is meant by abrogation is when the Lawgiver cancelled out a previous, earlier ruling by means of another ruling that also comes from the Lawgiver, but it came later than the first ruling.
Abrogation may be known in several ways:
1. when the Lawgiver stated that something was abrogated
2. when the Sahaabi stated something to that effect
3. when the ummah is unanimously agreed that a hadith is abrogated
4. when two hadiths contradict one another, and it is not possible to reconcile between them in any way, and it is known which one came earlier and which came later; in that case the earlier hadith is abrogated.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: With regard to abrogation, it is when the Lawgiver cancelled out an earlier ruling by means of a later ruling.
This is the favoured view concerning the definition of abrogation…
Abrogation may be known from several things, including the following:
· A clear statement to that effect from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such as when he said: “I used to forbid you to visit graves, but now visit them.” Narrated by Muslim (977).
· The words of the Sahaabi, such as: The last of the two commands was not to do wudoo’ after eating anything that had been touched by fire.
· That which is known from chronological order.
· That which is known from consensus, such as executing the drinker of alcohol after a fourth offence. This is abrogated, and the fact of its abrogation is known from consensus.
Consensus in and of itself does not abrogate and is not subject to abrogation, but it is indicative of the presence of something that abrogates a ruling. And Allah knows best.
But if two hadiths appear to contradict one another, then it is essential to reconcile between them or to determine which of them outweighs the other.
But that is usually undertaken by leading scholars who combine knowledge of hadith and fiqh, or scholars of usool who are prominent in that field, who are well-versed in subtle meanings. One who meets this description will not have a problem with such matters except rarely, in some cases.
Moreover such cases of contradiction are of two types, the first of which is where it is possible to reconcile between them, in which case that is what must be done, and it is obligatory to accept and comply with both hadiths.
Whenever it is possible to interpret the words of the Lawgiver in a manner that is of greater benefit, then that interpretation should be adopted.
And we should not decide that one report abrogates the other when it is possible to reconcile between them, because abrogation means deeming one of the hadiths to be something that is not to be acted upon.
An example of reconciling between reports is the reconciliation of the hadith “There is no ‘adwa (contagion)” and the hadith “No healthy person should be exposed to a sick person.”
The way to reconcile between them is to note that diseases are not contagious by nature, but Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has made exposure to them a cause of infection. The first hadith denies what the people of the Jaahiliyyah used to believe, that diseases were contagious by nature. The second hadith tells people to avoid that which usually cases harm upon exposure to it, and that harm could only happen by the will and decree of Allah.
The second type is reports in which there is a contradiction in such a way that it is not possible to reconcile between them in any way.
If we know that one of them abrogates the other, we should give it precedence.
Otherwise, we should act upon the one that appears more likely to be sound. In order to know which is more likely to be sound, we need to know which one has been narrated by a greater number of narrators and their status, and other factors that could help us to determine which is more likely to be sound. There are approximately fifty factors, which were compiled by al-Haafiz Abu Bakr al-Haazimi at the beginning of his bookan-Naasikh wa’l-Mansookh. I have compiled them in abbreviated form, but there is no need to mention them here for fear of making this discussion too lengthy.
End quote fromSharh Muslim(1/60-61]
Al-Haazimi (may Allah have mercy on him) said, discussing ways of working out which report abrogates and which is abrogated:
That may be known from a number of indicators, including the following:
· The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) clearly indicate that, such as when he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I used to forbid you to visit graves, but now visit them.”
· Or the wording of the Sahaabi states that, such as the hadith of ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to instruct us to stand up for funerals, then he would remain seated after that, and he instructed us to remain seated.
· Where the date is known, such as the report of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, what if one of us has intercourse with his wife but does not ejaculate? The Prophet said: “Let him wash whatsoever part of his body touched the woman, then let him do wudoo’, then let him pray.”
This hadith indicates that no ghusl is required if one does not ejaculate, and that what makes ghusl obligatory is ejaculation.
When we examine the isnaads of this hadith, some of the isnaads show us that this was at the beginning of Islam, and it remained in effect until some time after the hijrah.
Then we find that az-Zuhri asked ‘Urwah about that, and ‘Urwah replied that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had told him that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do that, and he did not do ghusl; that was before the conquest of Makkah, then after that he would do ghusl (in this situation) and he instructed the people to do ghusl too.
· Where the ummah is unanimously agreed that something is abrogated. This is the strongest sign of abrogation.
If it is not possible to differentiate between them, because the date is unknown, and there is nothing in the wording of the report to indicate that, and it is not possible to reconcile between them, then in that case we should go through the process of finding out which one is more likely to be sound.
The ways of doing so are many; I will mention most of them…
End quote fromal-I‘tibaar fi’n-Naasikh wa’l-Mansookh min al-Athaar(p. 8), by Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Moosa ibn ‘Uthmaan al-Haazimi al-Hamdaani (d. 584 AH). His book is one of the most useful books on this topic.
Thus it will be clear to you that the matter is not difficult. Most of the proven hadiths are not abrogated, and the issue of abrogation only arises in the case of hadiths that contradict one another when it is not possible to reconcile between them. In that case the Lawgiver may state that they are abrogated, or the Sahaabi may say something to that effect, or there may be consensus that the hadith concerning it is abrogated, or the fact that it is abrogated may be known from chronological order.
The scholars of hadith and the commentators on the Sunnah have not omitted any such matter without explaining it, praise be to Allah. So there is no need to confusion and doubts.
And Allah knows best.
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Usool al-Fiqh, - * Reasons for the difference of opinion among the fuqaha’ about reciting behind the imam

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I have read your answer to the question "reciting surah fatiha behind the imam" but i have a confusion in it.
What Ive heard is that imam Maalik lived his life in madinah and learnt religion from there, then why does he suggest that surah fatiha should not be recited when imam recites out loud?
He was born in 93 AH and was the closest in all the imam such as imam Shafi and imam Hunbal to the time of Prophet (peace and mercy be upon him). Then why is there a difference in his teachings and the teachings of the others?
A similar difference is on keeping the hands by ones sides while qiyaam.
Please explain and if possible please give references from mauta imam malik as well.
I understand that imam abu hanifa was the closest to the time of Prophet (peace and mercy be upon him) but since he was in iraq his teachings are different in many matters. But is this true that his students corrected many hhadees when they came to madinah? Like I've heard that one of his students Abu Abdullah corrected nearly 3000 ahadees he learnt from imam abu hanifa when he came to Madinah.
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Praise be to Allah
Firstly:
Reciting al-Faatihah behind the imam in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud is a matter that is subject to ijtihad. What each imam said concerning it is the conclusion to which his ijtihad led him. We mentioned the evidence supporting the view that it is obligatory to recite it, and the evidence quoted by those scholars who disallowed that. Please see the answers to questions no. 66742and 10995.
You may also refer to the books of the Maalikis for more information concerning that.
Secondly:
The matter has nothing to do with Imam Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him) having lived in Madinah or having lived close to the time of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). This could be relevant with regard to the issue of whether the hadith reached him or not, but the deciding factor in this issue mostly has to do with the scholars examining and understanding the relevant text. Inal-Muwatta’(193), Imam Maalik quoted as evidence the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, according to which the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) completed a prayer in which he recited out loud, then he said: “Was one of you reciting with me just now?” A man said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “I was saying to myself, what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me?” So the people stopped reciting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayers in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, when they heard that from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
This indicates that he thought that reciting (behind the imam in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud) was initially allowed, then it was prohibited.
Among contemporary scholars, a similar view was held by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him), who thought that reciting behind the imam in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud was abrogated. We responded to the claims that it was abrogated and explained that the words “So the people stopped reciting…” were not the words of Abu Hurayrah; rather they are the words of Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhri, so they cannot be quoted as evidence. Please see the answer to question no. 231217.
Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted as evidence the command (in the Qur’an) to listen attentively when the Quran is recited, this hadith, and the practice of the people of Medina.
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have mercy on him) said: How could anyone suggest anything that is different from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the clear meaning of the Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and the practice of the people of Medina? Do you not see what Ibn Shihaab said: So the people stopped reciting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayers in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, when they heard him say, “what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me”?
Maalik said: In our view, no one should recite with the imam in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud. So this indicates that this was an inherited practice in Medina.
End quote fromat-Tamheed, 11/34
Al-Baaji said: The words “So the people stopped reciting with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in prayers in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited out loud, when they heard that” mean: They responded to his objection to their reciting the Quran in prayers in which the imam recites out loud by giving up what he told them not to do and by refraining from what he objected to them doing. This hadith is the foundation of the view of Maalik (may Allah have mercy on him), that the one who is praying behind an imam should not recite behind him in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud, because of the reason explained in the hadith for which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told people behind him not to recite when he was reciting out loud. So it seems that reciting out loud was the reason for that ruling.
The evidence for the soundness of Maalik’s view is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“So, when the Quran is recited, listen to it, and be silent”
[al-A‘raaf 7:204].
This implies that all types of recitation and all types of talk are disallowed (when Quran is recited), and everyone should listen attentively when any reciter is reciting, unless there is any evidence for some exception.
Our evidence from the Sunnah is the report narrated by Abu Saalih from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The imam is only appointed to be followed. So when he says takbeer, then say takbeer, and when he recites then listen attentively.” This is a command, and a command implies that something is obligatory.
Our evidence on the basis of analogy is that this is a case where others are following the imam, therefore the recitation is waived in the case of one who is following the imam.
End quote fromal-Muntaqa Sharh al-Muwatta’(1/161)
Our aim here is not to discuss all the views on this issue; rather our aim is to explain that Maalik and other leading scholars reached their conclusions after examining the religious texts; thus it became clear to them that a specific view was the correct view, while other scholars thought that another view was the correct view.
Ash-Shaafa‘i was of the view that it is obligatory for the one who is praying behind an imam to recite in all cases. Think about it. The hadith of Abu Hurayrah tells us that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “what is wrong with me that someone is fighting to wrest the Qur’an from me?” And in the hadith of ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, it says: We were behind the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in Fajr prayer, and the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited Qur’an and stumbled in his recitation. When he finished he said, “Perhaps you recite behind your imam?” We said, Yes. He said, “Do not do that, except for the Opening of the Book (al-Faaithah), for there is no prayer for the one who does not recite it.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (823).
This clearly indicates that it is not allowed to recite behind the imam in a prayer in which recitation is done out loud, except for al-Faatihah; it is excluded from the general instruction to listen attentively, because of the general meaning of the Prophet’s words: ““Whoever offers a prayer in which he does not recite the Essence of the Qur’an (al-Faatihah), it is deficient,” three times, “not complete.” Narrated by Muslim (395).
As for the practice of the people of Medina, that is subject to further discussion. Many of the Sahaabah in Madinah narrated that they recited behind the imam. An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The practice of the majority of the Muslims is to recite behind the imam in prayers in which recitation is done silently and those in which recitation is done out loud. Al-Bayhaqi said: This is the most sound and prudent view. Then he narrated the hadiths about that, then he narrated that with numerous isnaads from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood, Ubayy ibn Ka‘b, Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal, Ibn ‘Umar, Ibn ‘Abbaas, Abu’d-Darda’, Anas ibn Maalik, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah, Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri, ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, Abu Hurayrah, Hishaam ibn ‘Aamir, ‘Imraan, ‘Abdullah ibn Mughaffil, and ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with them all). He said: We narrated it from a number of the Taabi‘een. And he narrated it from ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, Mak-hool, ash-Shu‘bi, Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr and al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on them).
End quote fromal-Majmoo‘(3/365)
Thirdly:
What was said about this issue may be said about other controversial issues, such as holding the hands (on the chest) when standing in prayer. Indeed there is a report from Maalik which suggests that his view is the same as that of the majority.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: There is no report from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) contrary to that, and it is the view of the majority of the Sahaabah and Taabi‘een. This is what Maalik narrated inal- Muwatta’, and Ibn al-Mundhir and others never narrated anything other than that from Maalik.
Ibn al-Qaasim narrated from Maalik that he used to hold his arms by his sides (when praying), and most of his followers adopted that view.
And it was narrated from Maalik that he differentiated between obligatory and naafil prayers (regarding the position of the hands when praying).
Some of them regarded it as disliked to hold the hands on the chest (when praying). Ibn al-Haajib narrated that this refers to when the worshipper holds his hands and leans on them in order to rest.
End quote fromFath al-Baari, 2/224
Fourthly:
Imam Abu Haneefah (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of the foremost scholars, and in terms of fiqh the scholars depend on his knowledge, as ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
He had the utmost respect for the Qur’an and Sunnah, and did not say anything except on the basis of the conclusion he reached after examining the religious texts. So he will receive either a double or single reward (depending on whether his ijtihad was correct or not – the scholar is rewarded for his effort even if his conclusion is mistaken), in sha Allah. Perhaps he missed out on some reports of the Sunnah because he lived far away from Madinah; hence his two companions and his students may have differed from him regarding some issues, if they found out about some report of the Sunnah that did not reach him, and they may have differed from him when their examining of the religious texts led them to a conclusion different to his. We have not come across what you mentioned about one of his students regarding as saheeh the number of hadiths mentioned, etc.
Our advice to you is to seek knowledge, and do not be distracted by differences of opinion among the leading scholars, for all of them are mujtahids who will be rewarded. Examining differences of opinion and the evidence on which views are based can only come after one has become well-versed in knowledge and attained a great deal of knowledge and prominence in many fields, such as Arabic language and usool al-fiqh.
We ask Allah to bless and guide us and you.
And Allah knows best.

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