Sidi Abdullah asked me in an email:

“I was noting that in the recent discussion about Shafi’i fiqh and the Maliki madhab, there was no actual articulation of exactly what people love about Shafi’i madhab.  So I am assigning it to you in, say, 250 words or less, insha’llah.”

My Response:

Wa’alaykum Salam my beloved Sidi Abdullah,

It is interesting that you have asked me this question as I have been working on an article I titled “What They Said about Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī”. I have decided to take this opportunity to utilize the quotes I translated for that article so that I can shed light on this important issue. Though I do not speak for every Shāfi’ī and their personal reasons for choosing this madh-hab to guide them along their path in seeking divine legal knowledge, what I am producing in this response is five objective reasons that do not, in themselves surpass 250 words, though their explanations unfortunately surpass 250 words. I am certain that many Shafi’is will echo the same reasons, and may even add more. The following are the five reasons I chose this school: Imam Ash-Shafi’i’s spectacular learning and teaching career, his authoring of the Risālah as well as other works that have come to us only in pieces, the fact that both Imāms Mālik and Ahmad attested to his immense understanding of law, his mastery of the language, and the overall strength of his school in relying upon hadith.

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From Kitab Ar-Ruh by Ibn Al-Qayyim:

What causes people to be tortured in the grave?

The response to this question is general and specific.

The general response: they are tortured for their ignorance and disobedience, hence no soul is tortured by Allaah which is beloved and obedient to him, nor the body which contained it. The torture of the grave and the nextlife is the result of the anger of Allaah toward his servant. Thus, whoever has angered Allaah on earth without repenting will be tortured during the intermediate stage according to the extent of his anger, and this is affirmed and denied.

The specific response: the prophet (may Allaah send salutations upon him) has informed us of the two men whom he saw being tortured in their graves. One was a tale carrier while the other did not protect himself from his urine. The later neglected obligatory purification while the formed created hostility among people, but was truthful. There is a warning here that a greater punishment awaits one who falsely creates hostility between people, as well as one who neglects prayer where purity from urine is a prerequisite.

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Imam Tajud-Din As-Subki in his Tabaqat reports the following beneath his entry on Abi Ibrahim Isma’il ibn Yahya Al-Muzani:

“And Al-Muzani reported from Imam Ash-Shafi’i that he heard him saying, ‘It is not permitted (لا يحل) for anyone who hears the the hadith of Rasulullah (’alayhis salam) regarding raising the hands at the beginning of Salah, upon bowing, upon rising from bowing to abandon his [exemplary] model of his actions.”

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Alhamdulilah: A sister recently requested that I compile some statements of the Shafi’i jurists regarding the ‘awrah of a woman amongst other women. Some of the quotes within this article have previously been translated by me in other articles on this website. So do not be surprised if you see repetitive quotes. However, I have added new material. The strongest view of the madh-hab, without doubt, is that it is permitted for a woman to look at another woman save for what is between her navel and knees. There is disagreement amongst the Shafi’i jurists regarding what can be exposed in front of a disbelieving woman however.

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 Written by Abul Layth & Edited by Abu Usamah

The following is a response I wrote regarding several issues raised within a post by Umm Yasmin on her blog. I have posted it here for several reasons: a) I am not certain that all of the response would go through on her blog b) there are many points of creed and law that I have made within it that may benefit others that may be interested in these issues c) It is going to take up to much space on her comments, May Allah bless her with good Amin!

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Imam Ibn Kathir records in his “Tabaqat Al-Fuqaha’ Ash-Shafi’iyyin” the following report with a chain starting with him connected to Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Muhammad ibn Idris Ash-Shafi’i from Malik ibn Anas from Az-Zuhri from Abdur-Rahman ibn Ka’ab ibn Malik from his father from Rasulullah (alayhis salaam) who said:

  نسمة المؤمن طائر يعلق في شجر الجنة حتى يرجعه الله عز وجل إلى جسده يوم يبعثه

“The soul of the Mu’min, assuming the form of the a bird, suspends from a tree in Jannah until it is returned to its body by Allah the mighty and majestic on the day he will be resurrected.”

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Sister Umm Muhammad wrote in a comment in one of the posts:

Bismillaah.Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad.
As-Salaamu ‘alaykum all.
A request/suggestion:
I’d appreciate if you could research the technicalities behind the whole “not supporting filth with your person” issue during salah. Alot of sisters pick up their children when they pray, but I refrain from doing so because of the almost constant najasah (my kid’s under 2 yrs).

Bismillah, Alhamdulillah:

Dear Sister Umm Muhammad & all others who face this predicament,

I have searched for this issue in the works of jurisprudence and I feel that I am able to quote for you the statements of the Shafi’i scholars, as well as their argument for the permissibility of holding a child during Salah.

The following hadith is what brings forth this discussion:

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Alhamdulilah for the vastness and beauty of Islam! For those who enjoy comparitive fiqh, you will enjoy the discussion that will continue. For those who do not or who feel that “ikhtilaaf” is not a mercy, then do not read further. Before I begin this discussion I want to get a few things out of the way:

1) This is an issue of what is recommended vs what is not. Not an issue of obligation, thus no one should be cutting throats over this issue. 2) I fully respect the ijtihad of the scholars who deem sadl (hands on the side) to be the verdict of the Maliki school. I simply disagree that this was the established view of the Medinites. 3) This is a discussion regarding this issue, and I expect all those involved to be loving, gentle, and caring.

Now for the crux of the matter. I forward, oh beloved Sidi Abdur-Rahman, that qabd (the act of placing the right hand on the left in Salah) was in fact the view of Ahlul Medinah. It was also considered Mustahabb by Imam Malik and the school. I shall present the reasons below:

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I was reading Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali’s The Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdom (translated by Abdassamad Clarke) and I came across some points on seeking knowledge, that would be a good reminder for everybody, starting with me.

We read on pg. 15, under the section of Intention:

At-Tirmidhi related a hadith of Kab ibn Malik that the Prophet(SAW) said ‘Whoever seeks knowledge in order to argue with foolish people, or to compete with people of knowledge, or to turn people’s faces towards him, then Allah will put him in the Fire’(At-Tirmidhi 265). Ibn Majah related the same meaning from a hadith of Ibn Umar, Hudahfah, and Jabir is, “Do not learn knowledge in order to compete with people of knowledge or to argue with foolish people or to do well in assemblies. For whoever does that, then [beware of] the Fire! The Fire!” (Ibn Majah 253) Ibn Masud said, ‘Do not learn knowledge for three reasons: to argue with foolish people, or to dispute with fuqaha, or to turn people’s faces towards you. Seek from your words and your actions that which is with Allah because it endures and what is other than it will go away

And to add this idea, Imam Zaid Shakir also reminds about the ‘The Proper Approach to Debating”, by quoting the statement of Imam Shafi`i:

Never do I debate a man with a desire to hear him err in his speech, or to expose the flaws in his argument, and thus vanquish him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently supplicate, ‘O Lord, help him so that truth may manifest itself in his heart and on his tongue. If it be that the truth is on my side, may he follow me; and if the truth be on his side, may I follow him.’

May Allah (SWT) purify our intentions to seek knowledge for His Sake!

Written by Abul Layth

Lesson 2: Continuing the Pre-Conditions of Salāh

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This lesson will cover the rest of the issues of Shurūt As-Salāh (the pre-conditions of prayer). The first condition that we will elaborate upon is the necessity of facing the Qiblah. “Facing the Qiblah” includes two sub-issues: not facing the Qiblah due to Extreme peril (al-Khawf , fear) and not facing it in supererogatory Prayers (Tattawwu’ / Nāfil) performed while travelling. The second condition that we will cover is Al-Waqt, that the time for Salāh must be in for the validity of the prayer. This has three sub issues: rain, Hajj, traveling. Then we will briefly go over the necessity of one being pure of Hadath and Najāsah.

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“Shafi’i Salah Fiqh Series; Lesson 1: The First Pre-Condition of Salah, Covering the ‘Awrah”

Compiled by Abul Layth

Updated May 19th 2008

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Introduction

This is lesson one of the SeekingIlm Shafi’ī Salah Fiqh Series. The first lessons will cover the pre-conditions of prayer. Imām An-Nawawī states in his Minhāj that there are five shurūt (pl. of Shart) for Salāh

• 1. Knowing the time for the prayer.
• 2. Facing the Qiblah
• 3. Covering the ‘awrah.
• 4. Being pure from Hadath - طهارة الحدث (ritualistic impurities, i.e. such as passing wind, being in the state of Janābah (sexual defilement), or menstruating, or generally being out of the state of wudhu’).
• 5. Being pure of Najasah - طهارة النجس (impurities, such as feces, dog etc). (See Al-Minhāj)

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