Ahle sunnathwal Jamath, - Taqleed

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Taqleed can be defined as the acceptance of a Mujtahid’s‘ statements (Fatwa, without knowing his references (evidences).
[Tazeeb, by Imam-Nawai and Irshaad-ul-Fahool by Qadhi Shawkani].
There is a consensus amongst the majority of Muslims that we should follow the four major Imams in matters of Shari’ah. Such as:
· Those matters in which there is no direct, single and clear meaning in sources of Shari’ah.
· When there exists a difference of opinion between the Sahabah upon an issue, the Imams have tried to show the similarities in them.
We only observe Taqleed in matters of fiqh, not in our Aqeedah. The unity of Allah, the finality of the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the Day of Judgement etc – are matters of Aqeedah so they are not concerned with Taqleed.
Some say that it is a form of shirk (polytheism) to observe Taqleed of anyone apart from Allah. In particular, to follow only one Imam is a bid’ah. They say that the evidence from all the Imams should be read and weighed in order that only those verdicts based upon strong evidence can be accepted and weak ones rejected.
The view of the Ahl-us-sunnah wa’l Jamaa is that it is impossible for an ordinary Muslim to go directly to the Qur’an and Sunnah and extract religious laws. This is due to the fact that these sources of knowledge contain many matters which are unclear - thus requiring research into many other sources along with the application of rules which assist in understanding the matter under study. In order to do this, a person needs to possess both a deep and broad knowledge of Islam. Which is both impractical and not incumbent upon each and every Muslim. Allah does not expect all Muslims to become scholars, instead, He orders them to refer to those who have knowledge. Consider the following verse.
And ask those who recall, if you know not. (Surah 16:43)
and in Surah Nisa :
If they had referred it to the messenger and to those of authority among them, then those of them whose tasks it is to find it out would have known the matter, (4:83).
For those who have the necessary pre-requisites, such as being a master of Uloom-ul-Qur’an, master of Ahadith and their principles, Aqaa’id, fiqh principles, Tafsir and its principles, and al-jarhu wa’ ta’deel (the science of Hadith narrators). They are allowed to take ahkaam from the Shari’ah. Such a person can be called a Mujtahid. However, many great scholars who were qualified to perform Ijtihad, followed Imams. For example, Qadi Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad and Imam Zufar were able to perform Ijtihad but followed the opinionof Abu Hanifah,
There are many categories of Hadith such as Mutawaatir, authentic, none authentic, weak and those which are fabricated. Some are Mansookh which means that certain matters were at first permissible but later made impermissible, for instance talking during the Salaah during the early period of Islam was permissiblebut later on made unlawful. This is why Taqleed is a necessity – the scholars have taken all the above into consideration before issuing their verdict.
Rejectors of Taqleed
Those who tried to reject Taqleed like Hafidhhh Ibn Taymiyyah were unsuccessful. He was however not a Muqallid like the ordinary people. However, his works of literature contain influences from the Hambali school of thought. He always preferred his Fatwas to Imam Ahmad’s. His followers also claim that they are not Muqallid to anyone and Taqleed is Bid’ah. But, they always offer Taqleed of Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah and quote Fatwas from his books.
The following is one such example :
Shaykh bin Baaz (the late popular government scholar of Saudi Arabia) wrote one Fatwa against Milad-un-Nabi and another against travelling to the grave of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace). He wrote that it is impermissible to celebrate the Milad, as Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah’s research had stated that this was Bid’ah. Likewise, he stated that to visit the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave impermissible because this was the opinion of Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah.
[Milaad un Nabi and Ziyarat Roza Shareef, by Shaykh Bin Baz].
We can see how Shaykh bin Baaz is blindly depending upon Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah’s research as The Shaykh also (performs) Taqleed to scholars such as, Hafidhh Ibn Qayam, Hafidhh Ibn Kathir, Ibn-ul-Hadi, Shawkani and Albaani.
This is quite astonishing! These people follow their Imams but still claim that they are not blind followers and call the followers of the four Imams, blind followers! In reality, everyone does Taqleed in one way another. Some follow Imam Abu Hanifahh, some follow Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah. Furthermore, when they are told that a Hadith is weak, authentic or fabricated, they accept this, without researching it themselves. Cosequently, they blindly follow Imam Bukhari, Ibn Abi-Hatim, Hafidhh Mizayy, Hafidhh Asqalani, Hafidhh Dhahbi, and Hafidhh Maqdasi. The fact is that these people do not conduct their own research, but ‘blindly’ follow the research of their Scholars.
When rejecters of Taqleed label a hadith as being authentic, weak or fabricated, they actually imitate scholars of hadith who have previously categorised Ahadith into the above groups. Also, the technical terms used by the classical scholars to describe the different Ahadith, such as, mursal, mu’dhal, shad, muallal, azeez, and ghareeb, are not mentioned in the Qur’an or Sunnah. To utilise these terms is also a form of Taqleed. Simmilarly, to accept principles of hadith and Tafsir and also to interpret the Qur’an and Sunnah in the light of these principles is to follow the imams who have developed these sciences. People who do not follow Imams should find out the strength of a hadith directly without referring to any Imam. They should also find new terms to describe the hadith, like mursal, shaaz etc. They should invent their own principles of Hadith and Tafsir and then study the Qur’an and sunnah in the light of these new principles. Only then can they save themselves from shirk and bid’ah.
Doubts raised by the objectors of Taqleed
Those who oppose Taqleed argue that there is no need to follow one particular Imam conduct their own personal research, in the hope that they will find an Imam that has the best opinion. If they think that a particular opinion is wrong they will try and find another until such a time that they follow aspects from all the four Imams. We say that this is not possible because the Imams have already performed thorough research into the Islamic sources and have utilised their own principles to determine the best opinions. Thus, you have to follow one Imams principle. Otherwise, you are using your own principles that are most likely to be that of your desires, such as that which is easy to perform.
Here are some examples: Imam Shafi’ee is of the opinion that if you touch a woman your wudu breaks. Whereas, Imam Abu Hanifah says that this action does not break the wudu. Furthermore, Imam Shafi’ee does not accept the Mursal Hadith unlike Imam Abu Hanifah. If there exists two Hadith, one explaining the Prophet’s (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) words and the other explains the Prophet’s (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) practice, Imam Abu Hanifah accepts the words to have more authority. Whereas, Imam Shafi’ee says that the practices have more authority. From these examples we know that we cannot follow two Imams. So, how can we follow four or more Imams at one time?
Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah says that when a person begins to follow one particular Imam without any valid Islamic reason he begins to follow another Imam, he is actually following his own wishes and not the other Imam and this is Haraam. The great scholars have strongly discouraged for a person to sometimes follow the fiqh of Shafi’ee and at ather times the fiqh of Abu Hanifah.
[Fatwa Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 20, Chapter of Taqleed]
From Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyah’ Fatwa we have understood at one time we should follow one Imam and Taqleed is a necessity.
Some Objections
When the four Imams have not asked ud to follow them, why do we follow them?
When there is no hadith that recommends, following the four Imams. Why do we follow them?
We recite the Holy Qur’an in the manner of the seven Qurraa’. They didn’t say “follow us!” nor did the Ahdith say we should follow them. Did the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) say only follow Bukhari and Muslim? Did the blessed Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) say that Bukhari is the most authentic source after the Holy Qur’an?
What the four Imams meant by saying do not follow us, is, “Do not follow our sayings” We do not follow their sayings but follow the Fatwas they gave after exerting great effort in research from the Qur’an and Sunnah. By saying this they encourage us to follow their deductions, which are guaranteed to be from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Even Imam Muslim and Bukhari did not ask us to follow them. They never told us to accept only the Ahadith written in their books.
Were there four Imams present at the time of the sahaba?
The four Imams of Ahl-us-Sunnah-wa- Jamm’at were not present at the time of the sahaba, the first generation. Just as Bukhari and Muslim were also not present. However, at that early period of Islam, there were those who possessed great knowledge of Islam and could therefore be referred to as scholars or Imams. Many Muslims would resort to them for advice and guidance in Islamic aspects. The foremost scholars at that time were four in number as explained below. They are however, included in the first 3 generations and were people from among the best generations. The Prophet (May Allah bless Him and grant him peace) said, “My generation is the best, then the next, then the next….”
Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim writes that there were four Imams in the time of the Sahaba, “In Makkah there was Abdullah Ibn Abbas, in Madina there was Zaid Ibn Thabit, in Basra there was Anas Bin Malik and in Kufa there was Abdullah Bin Musood. After they Passed away amongst the Tabe'een were four Imams. Again these were famous, in Madina there was Sa’eed Bin Musayb, in Makkah there was Ata Bin Rab'a, in Yamen there was Ta'oos, and in Kufah there was Ibrahim. There were many other Imams but these were the most famous at that time”.
[Alaam-ul-Muwaqqieen, page 10, by Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim].
It is clear that before the four Imams of the Ahl as-Sunnah-wa’l Jam’a, there also existed Imams in the days of the sahabah, who were also a source of religious advice. The details of those Fatwas are written in Kitab Musanif Abdur Razaq and Mussanif Ibn Abi Shaibah.
Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim says that there were many sahaba at the time but mainly Zaid Bin Thabit, Anas Bin Malik, Abdullah Bin Musood, and Abdullah Bin Abbas were the most famous and they used to give a lot of Fatwas.
[Alaam-ul-Mowaqieen, chap On Qay’aas by Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim].
It is the same with the four Imams of the Orthodox Madhabs; Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad. During their time there were many Muhadditheen and Scholars, but people would come to these four Imams as they were the most famous of their time due to their extensive knowledge and reliability.
The four Imams had differences amongst themselves, so why do we still follow them?
Even Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim had differences between themselves. Imam Muslim in his Book; Muslim, in the first part, has criticised Imam Bukhari. There also existed many differences amongst the sahaba. So does this imply that we should not follow any of the sahaba or Muslim or Bukhari as they had differences amongst them?
Why don’t we follow the Ahadith in Bukhari and Muslim, and ignore the Imams?
1) If we should ignore the Imams and depend only upon Muslim and Bukhari, why did both these great Imams follow Imam Shafe’ee?
Imam Ibn Atheer has written that Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim were Shafe’ees
[Jamee’ul-usool, biographies of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim, by Ibn Atheer].
Tajaddin as Subki, has mentioned Imam Bukhari’s name in the list of Scholars belonging to the Shahf’ee School.
[Tabaka Al-Sah'fee by Imam Subkee].
Nawaab Siddeeq Hasan Khan has also mentioned Imam Bukhari in the list of Shafe’ee scholars. [Abjad-ul-Uloom By Nawaab Siddeeq Hasan Khan].
When the Muslim and Bukhari was not enough for them so how can it be enough for ordinary Muslims!
2) Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim did not gather all the authentic Ahadith in Bukhari and Muslim. Many authentic Ahadith have been left out.
Imam Bukhari said: I have left many authentic Ahadith out of Bukhari as the book would have been too large. [Muqadamah Fathul Bari, page 9 by Hafidhh Asqalani].
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir says that neither Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim gathered all the authentic Ahadith. Some of the left out narrations are present in Tirmizee, Ibn Majah, Nasa’i and, Abu-Dawood. Furthermore, Imam Bukhari himself said that he knew of more than two hundred thousand Ahadith that are Musnad.
[Uloom-Ahadith and Tareekh Ibn Kathir, biography of Imam Bukhari].
3) Bukhari and Muslim are not easy books to follow as Hafidhh Asqalani wrote 17 volumes of commentary on Bukhari and Imam Ay’nee wrote 25 volumes on Bukhari. Imam Nawawi wrote a commentary on Muslim. Yet there were some hadith which these great scholars of Islam could not understand. So how can we encourage ordinary Muslims to pickup Muslim and Bukhari and start following them?
4) We should not follow only Bukhari and Muslim otherwise we would become blind followers of Muslim and Bukhari and ignore the hundreds of books of hadith which were written before Imam Muslim and Imam Bukhari were even born!
5) If it is essential to follow only Imam Bukhari or Muslim, then why did Imam Bukhari, himself not follow his own Ahadith narrations? For example:
(a) Hafidhh Asqalani and Imam Ibn Kathir write that Imam Bukhari prayed that
Allah Almighty should take his life, during the period when he was being persecuted by people. (Tahdeeb Al Tahdeeb and Tareekh Ibn Khathir, by Hafidhh Asqalani and Hafidhh Ibn Kathir, Biography of Imam Bukhari).
When, Imam Bukhari also states a hadith that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant Him peace) said that a Muslim should never ask Allah to take his life
[Bukhari, Al Marda]
(b) Imam Bukhari was known to complete the entire recitation of the Qur’an in one night during the month of Ramadhan. This opposes the hadith narration's which he collected himself that mentions that the Qur’an should be completed within 5 to 7 days.
[Bukhari, “Fadaa’il Qur’an”].
Did not the four Imams say “If you find an authentic hadith which goes against what we say, accept the hadith and ignore us”?
It is correct that if an Imam says something, which opposes an authentic hadith, then we should reject his sayings and follow the hadith. But what exactly does an ‘authentic hadith’ mean? Is an authentic hadith that which is written in Bukhari or Muslim? Or is it a hadith, which fulfils the criterion of being an authentic hadith? Or is an authentic hadith that which has been called authentic by the scholars of Ahadith?
If we believe that authentic Ahadith are those only to be found in Bukhari and Muslim, then we would just be blind followers of Imams Bukhari and Muslim. If we say that authentic hadith are those which fulfil the requirements laid down by hadith principles, then we would just be blindly following those scholars who have written down these principles? Also, if we say that authentic Ahadith are those which were claimed to be authentic by Muhaditheen, we would simply be following them “blindly.”
It can be concluded, that if we took any of the above opinions we would still be following someone.
Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah writes that there has never been anyone from among the Imams who has deliberately opposed the sunnah. When we find a statement from an Imam which goes against the sunnah, the hadith in question does not fulfil the requirements of authentication of that Imam. This each Imam has their own sets of rules which determine if a hadith is authentic or weak so what may be an authentic hadith to one Imam may not be recognised as authentic by another
[Rafu’l malaam, pages 15-16, by Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah].
An example can be given by looking at the Ahadith, which Abu Hanifahh received from his teachers who were the sahaba of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] and their students (Tabi’een) (May Allah bless them and grant them peace). As these Ahadith reached Abu Hanifahh through direct narration from the sahabah and their students, no question can be raised as to their authenticity. But when these same hadith reached scholars of later generations the chains of narrators could contain some unreliability. If someone studies a hadith whose narrator is unreliable, and then says that a fatwa of Abu Hanifahhs that is based upon this hadith, is contrary to the sunnah, it would be unfair.
Secondly, whatever the four Imams have said was final. Throughout their lives, the Imams have changed their opinions as they received further information. Also after their deaths, their students would check their respective Imam’s work and modify their opinions to accommodate the new information. Their students, and so on also repeated this again. This structure is known as a school of fiqh (madhhab).
If a fatwa given by a certain school appears to contradict a narration in Bukhari or Muslim, it does not mean that it is against the sunnah as they are following other authentic Ahadith, and therefore, not opposing the sunnah.
Two examples of following blindly
(1) Shaykh Albani writes that the hadith, which is attributed to our Prophet and that states Isa and Imam Mehdi [May Allah bless them and grant them peace] are the same person is completely untrue.
Although Imam Ibn Maajah, Imam Hakim, Imam Abdul Burr and other scholars of Islam have quoted the above hadith in their books. The reason this narration is false is because both Imam Ibn Hajar and Imam Bhaihaqi write that the narrator is Muhammad bin Khalid, who is unknown. Furthermore, Imam Dahabi also considers this hadith to be false. Imam Sagani said that this hadith is fabricated, Imam Sayuti said that the people have fabricated this hadith. Imam Qurtubi considers this hadith to be weak.
[Silsala Ahadith Da’eefa, Hadith no, 77 by Nasir Uddin Albani].
It can be observed from the above how Shaykh Albani takes the opinions of an aforementioned Imam as evidence. Moreover, if Imam Dahabi says this hadith is untrue then Albani says likewise. If Qadi Shawkani says this hadith is fabricated then Albani also says it is fabricated. What one can say about this reserarch, is Albani following Qur’an, Sunnah or the Imams?
If one reads Shaykh Albani’s books it can be observed that Albani is always following Imams. If Albani cannot avoid Taqleed then a simple muslim would definitely need to follow an Imam.
When Albani follows Imams such as, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani, Dhahabi, Asqalani, or Ibn Abi-hatim he is considered a great scholar and a knowledgeable person. Moreover, when someone else follows Imam Abu Hanifah, or any of the other three Imams then they are considered to be ignorant innovators. Therefore, having observed the above, evidence one has to draw a conclusion that people have one set of rules for one set of people and another set of rules for other people.
(2) Shaykh Albani writes that Imam Darmi wrote that there was a great famine in Madinah, the people went to Aisha (Radiall hu anha) to seek guidance. She said to them to go and make a ventilation (a hole) in the roof where our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was buried, when they had done this it started to rain. There was a good harvest and the camels fattened, people named that year as a ‘fruitful year’. This narration is false because one of the narrators is weak, who is Sa’eed bin Zaaid. Imam Ibn Hajar says that this narration is not authentic. Imam Dahbi says Sa’eed’s narration is weak, Imam Saadie says that Sa’eed is unreliable, Imam Nasai says Sa’eed is weak in knowledge, but Imam Ahmed says that Sa’eed is acceptable and the other narrator of this narration is Muhammad Bin Fadaal, who is known to be authentic. However, during the later stages of his life he suffered memory lapse. We do not know whether Imam Darmei took this narration from Imam Muhammad, before or after he started to suffer from memory lapse, therefore we cannot accept this narration as evidence and Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah has refused to accept the above narration. He writes in his book Al-rad Al- Bakarie that the ventilation in the room of our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not present in the lifetime of Aysha (Radiall hu anha). The ventilation came into existence during the time of Khalifah-Walid bin Abdul Malik, hence the above narration is false.
Aisha (Radiall hu anhu) told the people to make ventilation, was her personal option and this is not acceptable.
[at Tawasul,l page no 162 by Nasir aDin Albani].
In the above research it can be seen how Albani is again relying upon Imams and in particular how he is blindly following Hafidhh ibn Taymiyyah. Now we can ask those people who falsely accuse us of following Imam Abu Hanifah and Imam Shafi’ee. We ask them why Shaykh Albani is only following Imam Dahahbi, Imam Asqalani, Hafidhh ibn Tayymiah and Shawkani therefore it can be said that if it is acceptable for Albani to follow Imams then why is it wrong for anyone else to follow Imams.
Let us examine Albani’s research regarding the above four points relating to the narration of Imam Darmi.
The first response to Albani’s research is that he has only quoted the opinion of those scholars who considered Sa’eed bin Zahid to be unreliable. The reason he has chosen to do this is because if he had mentioned the scholars who had praised Sa’eed bin Zahid, then he would have to accept their narrations. This opposed his (Albani) and his Imams (Ibn Taymiah’s) opinion. Let us consider the other opinions of scholars about Sa’eed bin Zahid.
Imam Bukhari mentions that Sa’eed bin Zahid was truthful and a learned man of Hadith.
[Tarik al Kabeer by Imam Bukhari (Biography of Sa’eed bin Zahid].
Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kathir both agree that Imam Bukhari was the one person in the world who knew hadith, texts and narrations better than anyone else.
[Fathawah Ibn Taymiyyah, vol.3, page 200, also Tareekh Ibn Kathir, biography of Imam Bukhari by Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah and Hafidhh Ibn Kathir].
Imam Ibn Abe Hatam says Imam Abu-Zohrah said Sa’eed bin Zahid is a reliable person.
[Jarhoo wa’ taadil, by Ibn Hatam, biography of Sa’eed bin Zahid].
Hafidhh Asqalani writes that Yahya bin Mu’een said that Sa’eed bin Zahid was a reliable peson. Also, Imam Ajali, Imam Abu-Zahrah say that he was reliable. Imam Nabaan bin hilal says Sa’eed bin Zahid was a master of hadith. But Imam Dar Qutn says that Sa’eed bin Zahid was weak
[Tahdeeb al Tahdeeb, by Hafidhh Ibn Hajar Asqualani, biography of Sa’eed bin Zahid].
We are surprised as to why Albani has chosen to discard the opinion of the fact that the forementioned scholars regarding the reliability of Sa’eed bin Zahid. It may have been due to if Albani recognised the authenticity of Sa’eed bin Zahid by Imam Bukhari and Yahya bin Mu’een, he would have no choice but to accept Sa’eed bin Zahid as a reliable narrator and hence the hadith, remembering that the two Imams (Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Kathir) have said that Imam Bukhari is the most learned person of hadith in the world.
The second objection of Albani regarding this narration is that Muhammad bin Fadaal, the narrator of this hadith suffered from memory lapse at later stages of his life .We do not know whether Imam darmi took this narration from Muhammad bin Fadal before or after he started to suffer from memory lapse, therefore we do not accept this narration.
The answer to the above objection is that Muhammad bin Fadaal was a teacher of both Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim. Imam Bukhari took narrations from him. We have a reliable opinion that Imam Bukhari took the narration from Muhammad bin Fadaal before he started to suffer from memory lapse. Furthermore, Imam Daarmi, like Imam Bukhari, was a learned scholar of hadith and was able to understand and judge when to accept a hadith from a narrator.
Albani’s objection can only be valid if we can establish that Imam Daarmi had a habit of taking hadith from narrators that were suffering from memory problems. There is no proof to suggest this.
If Albani insists upon the idea that Imam Daarmi took the narration from Muhammad bin Fadaal, that is, after he started to suffer from memory lapse, then someone else may say that Imam Bukhari also accepted narrations from Muhammad bin Fadaal after he started to suffer from memory lapse as it cannot be established from historical data as to precisely when he started to suffer from memory lapse.
Hafidhh Asqalani has written in his preface to Fathal Bari that Imam Bukhari took narrations from Muhmmad bin Fadaal before he started to suffer from memory lapse. However Hafidhh Ibn Hajaar did not state the period in which Muhammad bin Fadaal started to suffer from memory lapse or to the fact how he knew that Imam Bukhari took narration from Muhammad bin Fadaal before he started to suffer from memory lapse. We are therefore puzzled as to how Albani has established his suspicion on Imam Daarmi regarding this narration. Likewise, others may be suspicious about Imam Bukhari.
(3) The third objection of Albani regarding this narration is that During the rule of Walid bin Malik, the room of A’isha where our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) is buried was rebuiltt with a ventilator in the room. From this it can be seen that the ventilator was not made by the order of A’isha, Therefore, the narration that states that A’isha gave the order for ventilator is false.
However, when Walid bin Malik rebuilt A’isha’s room, the ventilator was made again .So we cannot be certain that the ventilation was in existence before rebuilding of the room.
Imam Ibn Jareer Altabree and Hafidhh bin Kathir write in their Tareekh that during Walid bin Malik’s
Governmental period, that the mosque of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was enlarged and during this extension, Aisha’s room (where our Prophet is buried) was enclosed in the Mosque. But they do not mention anything about a ventilator. Therefore, how can it be said that narration regarding a ventilator is not authentic?
Shaykh Albani says Hafidhh ibn Tamiyyah never accepted this narration. However, Hafidhh ibn Tamiyyah has accepted this narration elsewhere.
Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah writes during A’isha’s time there was a famine in Madina and she opened the roof of her room (where our Prophet is buried) this was done because rain is blessing of Allah and it would therefore fall upon our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) grave. (Iqtida Al-Serat Al-Mustakeem, page 338 by Hafidhh Ibn Taymiyyah).
If this narration was not true then Hafidhh Ibn Tahmiah would have rejected it. But he has not rejected it hence it is acceptable.
(4) Albani says that this was A’isha’s personal opinion.
This can be answered by the following fact that the Sahaba were alive and they did not object to what A’isha did. Therefore she and the sahaba were in agreement. This is evidence for the entire Muslim ummah. Except Albani.
In conclusion we can say that if Albani needs to fallow Imam Dahahbi, Imam Asqalani, Imam Abu Hatam, Imam Ibn Adee, Hafidhh Mizeeh Ibn Taymiyya and Shawkani. Therefore ordinary Muslims also need to follow Imams i.e Imam Abu Hanifahh, Imam Malik ,Imam Shafi and Imam Ahmed.
Secondly Albani research is unreliable because he has chosen to ignore opinions which he disagrees with.
An interesting event that helped the Author!
Once a young man came to me and asked me why I did not follow Bukhari and Muslim only, he then told me to only follow them, rather than any Imam and not to be an innovator.
I answered him by showing him two Ahadith, and asked him to tell me what he understood by them? One narration was from Bukhari and the other was from Muslim. The young man was determined to prove that his interpretation was better than Imam Abu-Hanifah, and Imam Malik, because in their time there was no computer to compile a database of Ahadith.
The two Ahadith’s were:
1) Imam Bukhari says that Amar Bin Maymoon said that I saw a monkey who had just capulated with another monkey, and the other monkeys were stoning them, so I also started to throw stones at them. [Bukhari, chapter ‘Ayyamul-Jaheeliyeh’ by Imam Bukhari].
2) Anas (Radiall hu anhu) says: The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) told Ali (Radiall hu anhu) to go and execute a Muslim man who was accused by the people of committing adultery with a slave girl. When Ali (Radiall hu anhu) found him he was bathing in a lake. He then called to him, when he came out of the lake he had no clothes on. Ali (Radiall hu anhu) saw that this person could not commit adultery as he was an eunuchap Ali (Radiall hu anhu) then let him go. (Muslim Shareef, chapter ‘Tawbah’).
His answer was:
It is clear from this narration of Bukhari that animals should be married according to Islam, and if they commit adultery, they should be punished like humans to make their lives more civilized. Also, from the second hadith, if someone is accused of committing adultery with a woman, he should be killed, but before killing him it should be checked whether he is a eunuch or not.
This is one example of the ijtihaad made by people who encourage others to pick up Muslim and Bukhari and ignore the Imams.

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Al-Quran

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1) WE ALWAYS ASK: Why was I TESTED?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: "Do men think that they will be left alone saying,'We believe', and that they will not be tested? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false." [29:2-3]
2) WE ALWAYS ASK: Why do I never get what I want?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: " It is possible that you dislike a thing which is good for you, and that you love a thing, which is bad for you. But Allah knows, while you know not." Surah Al-Baqarah [2:216]
3) WE ALWAYS ASK: Why was I burdened this way?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: "Allah does not place a burden to a soul greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns." Surah Al-Baqarah [2:286]& " So verily, with every difficulty there is relief: (repeated) Verily, with every difficulty there is relief." Surah Al-Insyirah [94:5-6]
4) WE ALWAYS ASK: Why am I losing hope?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: "So lose not heart, nor fall into despair: For you will be superior if you are true in Faith." Surah Al-Imran [3:139]
5) WE ALWAYS ASK: How can I face it?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: " O you who believed! Persevere in patience and constancy; vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other; and fear Allah that you may prosper." Surah Al-Imran[3:200]& "And seek(Allah's) help with patient, perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a humbly submissive (to Allah)." Surah Al-Baqarah [2:45]
6) WE ALWAYS ASK: What do I get from all these?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: "Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and properties (in exchange) for that they will have the garden (of Paradise)..." Surah At-Taubah [9:111
7) WE ALWAYS ASK: To whom could I depend?
AL-QURAN ANSWERS: "(Allah) suffice me: there is no god but He: On Him is my trust- He the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme." Surah At-Taaubah [9:129]
8) WE ALWAYS ASK: But I can't take it anymore!
AL-QURAN ANSWERS:
"Despairs not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives All sins for He is Often- Forgiving, Most Merciful." Surah Az-Zumar [39:53]

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Personal, - Why late pregnancy?

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There are some factors that affect the occurrence of pregnancy. They include the timing of sexual intercourse, the number of times it occurs, and the exact timing of ovulation, in addition to other factors that will be mentioned later in this article.
Some wives believe that mere abstention from taking contraceptive pills necessarily leads to pregnancy. They believe this because they had previous pregnancies in this manner and believe that this would happen again, without delay. However, physicians advise those who wish to be pregnant to approach gynecologists, at least for immunization against German measles and for checking the levels of folic acid. This is effective in preventing deformities during pregnancy and in discovering any disease that may cause harm to the fetus.
After this is the state of waiting for pregnancy to occur. There are some factors that usually have a positive effect on pregnancy, by the will of Allaah The Almighty.
One of those factors is observing the woman's period of fertility when she is likely to fall pregnant. Modern medical studies have proven that this period continues for six days from the beginning of ovulation, which is estimated to occur in the middle of the interval between two menstrual cycles. Medical studies also mention that there is a 36% chance of conceiving if sexual intercourse happens before ovulation or on the same day it begins. However, chances decrease to only 10% if sexual intercourse takes place four or six days before ovulation starts. That is because sperm may survive for five days inside a woman's body, but this is usually unlikely.
Dr. Suzanne Board says that ovulation usually occurs from the tenth to the eighteenth day of the menstrual cycle. Ovulation is indicated by sticky vaginal discharges that come from the cervix to the vagina. At the beginning of the menstrual cycle, there are quite a lot of these discharges that are of a light and sticky texture. They become more sticky and plentiful at the beginning of ovulation, as they resemble the white of a raw egg.
On the other hand, there are various medical means to detect the beginning of ovulation. Some of them depend on urine tests, and others depend on measuring body temperature which increases considerably on the day of ovulation. However, some physicians do not recommend this and prefer that sexual intercourse takes place before or during ovulation. If sexual intercourse occurs daily from that time on, conception may well occur, by the will of Allaah The Almighty. Still, women are advised not to yearn for pregnancy in the first months of marriage. Some believe that extreme desire may delay conception. If there are relevant concerns, physicians can be consulted to help.
Special Marital Relations
It was believed that the husband's abstention from having sexual intercourse with his wife for a period of time before her ovulation may help her to get pregnant since his sperm would increase in number by the time ovulation begins. This is correct, but it is not practical, for sperm usually fertilizes the egg. Sexual intercourse, however, is necessary when ovulation is about to start or has already begun, but not necessarily every day. If there is sexual intercourse every couple of days, the chances of conception are 22%. However, when sexual intercourse occurs on a daily basis, the chances of conception are then no more than 25%. If the couple have sexual intercourse weekly, the chances of pregnancy decrease to 10%, for the period of fertilization or most of it would be lost when a whole week elapses.
How Does a Woman Know She is Pregnant?
Pregnancy is commonly recognized when the menstrual cycle stops. A woman, nevertheless, can know even before that. Some women mention relevant signs, such as headache, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, swelling in the belly, tenderness of the breasts, light cramps in the muscles, sudden appearance of acne, extreme sensitivity to odors, and repeated desire to urinate. Most of these signs are the result of hormonal changes. Modern blood tests can detect pregnancy a week after fertilization. The ideal method, however, to accurately detect pregnancy is to do a blood test after the cessation of the menstrual cycle. Pregnancy tests can also be done at home. In both cases, 28 days from the beginning of the menstrual cycle must pass so that early tests or examination do not lead to a negative result.
What Happens if Menstruation is Late?
A woman should know that menstruation may be late for natural reasons that should not cause any concern. When a woman stops taking contraceptive pills, her menstrual cycle does not return to normal for three months. If she used to take contraceptive injections every three months, her ovulation may take six months to start occurring again.
Smoking Delays Pregnancy
In Britain, a study carried out on 17,000 women of ages ranging between 25 and 39 years proved that the pregnancy rate among smokers is less by 22% than that of non-smokers. Other studies established that female smokers are more liable to abort pregnancies, compared to non-smokers.
Is Medical Consultation Necessary Immediately After Pregnancy?
Physicians advise women to wait a year for the occurrence of pregnancy if they are under 30. If a woman is over 30, she may go for a medical consultation, since it is quite likely that there is a problem. There is a timeline recommended by doctors as follows: women between 30 and 35 years of age should consult a physician if pregnancy is delayed by 6 to 9 months. Women who are between 35 and 40 years of age are advised to have medical consultation 6 months after marriage. Women who are above 40 should go to the doctor 3 months after marriage. If a woman went for a medical consultation with a gynecologist, she has to continue her visits for at least six months. In other words, she should not be hasty in consulting fertility specialists.
Fertility Problems
A wife should know that the availability of all factors related to pregnancy does not necessarily mean that pregnancy will inevitably occur. This is subject to the power of Allaah The Almighty and His Divine decree. Studies confirm that normal women have no more than 20-40 % potential of conceiving in each ovulation cycle. The egg and the sperm may be too weak to fertilize, or, fertilization may occur, but the fetus may remain for no more than a few days, then it leaves the body without the woman noticing. Therefore, it is better for a woman to wait for pregnancy to happen, not within a month or a few months; rather, she ought to wait for a whole year. This is supported by a statistic that was carried out in the United Sates about women's chances of pregnancy within a year in relation to their age. The results show that women who are less than 25 years old have chances to conceive of up to 96%; women who are between 25 and 34 have chances to fall pregnant of up to 86%; and women who are between 35 and 44 have chances to fall pregnant of up to 78%.
Scientifically Futile Recommendations
There are some mistaken beliefs about fertilization. For example, it is believed that drinking coffee weakens the fertilization process. This is not scientifically proven since more than ten studies have shown that moderate consumption of coffee does not affect fertilization at all. It is also believed that taking Rubitone helps with fertilization. It is thought to have positive effects on the viscous liquid in the cervix helping the sperm to swim up to the uterus. Modern studies say that there is no need to increase this liquid as long as ovulation is natural. Even if it is not natural, there would be no benefit at all from that liquid. A third mistaken belief is that a husband's underpants decrease the chances of fertilization. This depends on the belief that the testicles decrease their production of sperm in a warmer environment. The most recent studies established this to be unfounded.
Even a man who wears tight underpants with a high percentage of polyester in its fabric has sperm rates not less than those of another man who does not wear such underpants.
It should be noted, however, that a man's fertility is affected by 20% due to smoking less than a pack of cigarettes a day, compared to a non-smoker. Therefore, what would be the case if the smoking rate is more than this?
A fourth mistaken belief is that if a woman exercises regularly it will decrease her fertility. This, however, is not scientifically established. Studies would rather say that if the menstrual cycle is regular, there is no reason to stop exercise. If the exercises are difficult while the woman needs them, she can enhance her fertility by eating more and by reducing activity to resume her ovulation cycle.
When to Visit Fertility Specialists?
A woman should not be hasty in this regard. It is preferable that she visits a gynecologist regularly so that the doctor can do an initial examination and study the medical record of both the husband and wife. There should be analysis of the husband's sperm and confirmation of the occurrence of ovulation.
It is important to test the ability of the uterus to host the fertilized egg exactly seven days after the occurrence of ovulation. It is also necessary to test the viscous liquid in the cervix at its due time, according to medical specifications. For an accurate calculation of time, it is preferable that ovulation is observed practically, not to depend merely on the time of the wife's menstrual cycle.
It is also incorrect to depend on the drug Clomid for activating the ovaries. If it does not give the desired results, another more effective drug, such as Pergonal, should be used instead. If there is no progress, there may be problems other than ovulation because fertilization is an intricate process that is beset with many complicated details.
Psychological Mood
Does the psychological mood affect the pregnancy? Can stress delay a woman's conception? It may be said that a woman who suffers no stress conceives quickly. However, some doctors such as Dr. Mark Sware, from New York, opposes this opinion. In the meantime, Dr. Alice Domar from Harvard University emphasizes that psychological states affect the occurrence of pregnancy. Depression, not just normal anxiety, may cause trouble to a woman's fertility. In a study that was carried out in 1995, it was established that a depressed woman may have fertility problems double those of the woman who does not suffer from depression. The less a woman is depressed, the higher her rates of conception.

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Personal, - Nutrition tips for pregnant women

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Most of us consider pregnancy a very ordinary period of life. However, nutrition specialists have not ceased studying it till now in an attempt to draw nutritional plans for pregnant women during this critical time of their life.
The purpose of these plans is to ensure good health for both the mother and the healthy development of the fetus. Therefore, they consider the nine months of pregnancy a period of emergency that requires alertness, serious monitoring and the provision of every possible type of care. This is because this period has many dimensions and it is not just about a woman who is pregnant and afterwards delivers a male or a female baby; rather, pregnancy in the first place is a matter of a body within which another soul is being created and a new body that is going to separate from it. This situation requires caution so as to guarantee the safety of the two bodies from any harm.
1-A mother has to pay attention to her health, as this is a key factor in having a healthy pregnancy. For example, if a woman was suffering from any defect or deficiency in nutrients, then it would surely be doubled during the periods of pregnancy and nursing. Hence, the wife and the husband should take care of their health if they are thinking of having children. It is recommended for those who want to have children to start a new healthy lifestyle and habits, and to give up smoking.
2-Diversity of integrated food is necessary to increase the amount of calories, which come from sugars. Also, integrated diverse food provides the body with proteins, vitamins and mineral salts that are necessary for nutrition. The mother should consume a lot of dairy products, meat, whole cereals, and fresh vegetables. This helps the woman to satisfy the nutritional needs of pregnancy.
3-Red meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese and milk are the main sources of proteins. A pregnant woman who is vegetarian is recommended to eat different kinds of cereals, nuts, pistachios and eggs daily given their nutritional value. Given the fact that vitamin B12 is rarely found in vegetables and is usually found in meat, pregnant women who are vegetarian suffer from deficiency in this vitamin.
4-Mineral salts are usually found in pistachios, sunflower seeds, plant buds, seaweed and seafood, which contains abundant amounts of vitamin B12.
5-Meat contains some calcium, but contains a high percentage of phosphorus, which impedes calcium absorption.
6-For many years, doctors kept advising pregnant women to avoid salt, but now they advise them to consume normal amounts of it. The tendency of a pregnant woman to eat olives and acidic foods might be a result of the body’s need for salt. Although the body needs salt to increase blood circulation, consuming excessive amounts of it causes retention of liquids in the body, high arterial blood pressure and other health problems that might negatively affect the mother and the fetus. Therefore, eating meat, cheese, eggs, escalope and turnip provides the body with its needs of salt and there is no need for eating salted foods such as potato chips.
7-It is better to choose fresh food instead of canned and preserved foods. In addition, a pregnant woman should eat a lot of fresh fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, which prevent constipation which is often developed during pregnancy.
8-A pregnant woman should drink 6-8 glasses or cups of water daily besides milk and herbal tea )not black tea(. The tea that is extracted from the leaves of raspberry is one of the best kinds of tea for pregnant women as it strengthens the uterus.
9-The consumption of stimulants such as tea, coffee and some kinds of soda water )or drinks( must be decreased. This is because it was found that the caffeine in these drinks might be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta or transmitted to the baby through the mother’s milk. The caffeine affects the weight and growth of the baby and causes the child to be smaller than the normal size for his age.
10-Food that contains a high percentage of acids such as citrus fruits or juices increase nausea and the urge to vomit. Eating small amounts of starches and proteins could make the body accept them in a better way. Additionally, eating toast in the morning might alleviate nausea, as well as facilitate respiration and relaxation.
11-At the end of pregnancy )near delivery(, you could consume a good amount of calcium or magnesium, about 1.5 grams of each, to alleviate the pains of the throes of childbirth and muscle spasms. If you are going to deliver your baby by means of a cesarean section, then it is better to have vitamin A and C in addition to zinc, some days or weeks before the operation, as they promote healing.
12-There are many alternative vitamins that are helpful during pregnancy and you could choose the suitable kind after consulting a doctor. If consuming vitamins causes nausea, then you should take it at the end of the day with a meal to avoid this problem.
13-Avoid excessive consumption of vitamin A during pregnancy because it causes damage to the fetus. Liver is among the foods that contain large amounts of vitamin A, so the pregnant woman should eat it at wide intervals.
14-Consumption of fats must be decreased as much as possible and it is recommended for the pregnant woman to cook using corn oil and refrain from using ghee, shortening or butter. This is because saturated fats are high in calories, which causes the pregnant woman to gain weight and accumulate fat. Of course, this makes it difficult for the pregnant woman to lose weight after giving birth. )1 gm of starches or proteins provides the body with 4 calories, while 1 gm of fats provides the body with 9 calories(.

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