| Qur’an and Sunnah does not mean Qur’an and Hadith as a significant number of people today wrongfully believe. Base Your Deen on Quran & Sunnah |
The 20th-Century Salafis sect claims to follow the Quran & Hadith.
Hanafi Madhab (Ulama e Deoband) follows the Quran & Sunnah
The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, said:
Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way.
The Hanafi Madhab (Ulama e Deoband) follows the Quran & Sunnah, which are in accordance with the above hadith.
Hanafi Madhab (Ulama e Deoband) follows the principle that
Every Hadith is not a SUNNAH of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ مُحَمَّد but generally every SUNNAH is a HADITH, which then warrants following. But also As Imam Malik reported, not every Sunnah (AMAL) is recorded…
The Salafis follow the principles of the Quran & Hadith. Now this is problematic, because every Hadith is NOT a SUNNAH.
As ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, the 2nd Caliph said;
By Allah Almighty, I will make it difficult for a man who
relates a hadith different from it (the ‘amal)
20th-Century Salafis vs ACTUAL Salafis
But in reality, the 20th-century Salafis follow Sahih Al-Bukhari (4th generation), Ibn Taymiyya (much later), Albaani (20th century), ibn Uthaymeen (20th century), and Bin Baaz (20th century), who are NOT ACTUAL SALAF.
Whereas the Hanafi Madhab, founded by Imam Abu Hanifa, a scholar from the 2nd generation (Tabi’in), is an ACTUAL SALAF.
***A SALAF is a 1st , 2nd or 3rd generation Muslim. i.e., Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) is the 1st generation; Tabi’in is the 2nd generation; and Taba Tabi’in is the 3rd generation.
| Who are the Main People & Sources. Base Your Deen on Quran & Sunnah |
The key figures in the Salafi movement have never been actual Salafis; they are from later generations and rely on the scriptures of those generations.
The founder of the Hanafi school of thought is a Tabi’in, meaning Imam Abu Hanifa met many Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) during his lifetime.
Imam Abu Hanifa recorded the Prophet’s amal (actions & Sunnah) through his interactions, meetings, and observations of the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم).
Salafis totally rely on Hadeeth for their rulings and practices, which is a secondary source.
The Hanafi madhab relies on both primary and secondary sources because Imam Abu Hanifa met and narrated from the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم), as well as from Hadeeth and other Tabi’in (individuals who had met the Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) in their lifetimes).
The repertoire of sources available to Imam Abu Hanifa (d. 150 AH/767 CE) was indeed expansive and distinctive and, in some respects, more immediate than that available to later generations of scholars.
| Taqleed & Madhhab Base Your Deen on Quran & Sunnah |
20th-century Salafis are anti-taqleed and anti-madhab.
This means they do not follow any of the four great imams (Imam Hanifa, Imam Shafi, Imam Malik, and Imam Hanbal) or their schools of thought. But in reality, yes, they do follow other Imams like Al-Bukhari (4th generation), Ibn Taymiyya (much later), Albaani (20th century), ibn Uthaymeen (20th century), and Bin Baaz (20th century).
In addition, the majority of Salafis either adhere to or incline toward the Hanbali and Shafi Madhhab (without saying it). Compared to the other two schools, the Hanbali and Shafi madhhabs place a greater emphasis on Hadith and the external interpretation of texts.
This relates to the fundamental distinction between Salafis and early Muslims, who prioritise Hadith over Sunnah and place text over the Amaal (actions) of the early Muslims.
Whereas Hanafis follow the Hanafi Madhhab.
A Baseless Question
The anti-Taqleed group poses the following question in an effort to deceive gullible Muslims:
Did the Madh’habs exist when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ مُحَمَّد and Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم) were alive?
In response, one can ask if Bukhari Shareef existed during the lifetime of Muhammad ﷺ مُحَمَّد and Sahabah (رضي الله عنهم).
Because of the above differences in methodology between 20th-Century Salafis and Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah, this then leads to major differences in important issues like Salaah.
Examples: Placing of hands and feet in Salah, saying ‘Ameen’ aloud or silently, 8 or 20 Rakats in Tarawih in Ramadan, and reading Surah Fatiha behind the Imam.
The “living Islam” for the early Muslim generations was the deeds (amal) of the Muslim masses, scholars, and sahaba. These acts served as the foundation for the fiqh, sharia, and rulings of the early Muslim academics who put pen to paper.
Therefore, any Hadith that supported the amal of the people of Makkah, Madina, Kufa, etc. was accepted, regardless of whether it was Sahih, etc.
However, the hadith would be disregarded if it conflicted with the behavior of the majority of Muslims. Why? Because it is impossible for thousands of Muslims to be mistaken or to have been gumrah, deviant so quickly after the Prophet’s passing.
