Thursday, August 12, 2010
Ask a Zaidi: Ramadan edition
In this noblest of months we are proud to present "Ask a Zaidi" Ramadan edition. In July's edition of "Ask a Zaidi", the questions and answers focussed on Sufism in Zaidism and the issue of Infallibility of Imams. This month we welcome your questions about fasting or any other topic relating to Zaidism.
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Regarding fasting, is there anything different in Zaidi math-hab compared to Sunni or 12 Imamers? e.g. I know 12er Shi-ites fast a bit longer than sunnis, until it's quite dark. What about Zaidis?
ReplyDeleteSalaam
ReplyDeleteDo Zaydis consider Taraweeh to be permissible ?
Do Zaydis consider this narration authentic ?
http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/7271/taraweeharabicxa0.png
In Musnad Zayd (2:423): "' Imam Ali ordered the one who lead the people in prayer during Ramadan to lead them in twenty rak'at of prayer, in which he gave salam every two rak'at, and rested awhile every four.
Are there any other narrations and books which permit taraweeh ?
Does Majmu Al Kabir/Fiqh have been translated to english? if so,then how can I find it?
DeleteBismillah
ReplyDeleteThank you for your questions!
1. The time to break fast is generally stated to be after sunset. It says in the Tajrîd:
“The time for breaking the fast begins at the setting of the sun. This becomes manifest by the appearance of a star at night.”
2. Regarding Tarawîh: The above quoted hadîth is authentic. It is included in a book of collected ahadith by Allama Muhammad bin Yahya bin al-Hussein al-Huthi. The whole passage is as follows:
-In Jami’ al-Kafi on the authority of al-Qamûsi: “I asked al-Qâsim bin Ibrâhîm (as) praying in congregation during Ramadan. He said: “It is not known. It is related on the authority of Ali (as) that he used to prohibit that.”
-Al-Hasan bin Yahya said: “The consensus of the Progeny of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, that Tarawîh is not the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, nor that of Amîr al-Muminîn (as). ‘Ali used to prohibit that. To them its better to perform the Sunnah prayers individually and the obligatory prayers in congregation.”
-Preceding the discussion on Duha, Abu Talib (as) related on his, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, authority that he used to consider voluntary congregational prayers in Ramadan an innovation.
-Imam Ali ordered the one who lead the people in prayer during Ramadan to lead them in twenty rak'at of prayer, in which he gave salam every two rak'at, and rested awhile every four. For the one who had fulfilled a need, the person would make wudu. He would pray witr with them until the end of the night.
-In the Amali of Ahmed bin Isa (as) that during Ramadan, Abdullah bin al-Hasan used to pray with his family in his house just as one would pray Tarawîh in the mosque.
Abdullah bin Musa said: “It has reached me that my family used to do the same thing.” Al-Qâsim said: “I do that with my family. It is not something transitory.”
-The same is related in Jami’ al-Kafi.
It is evident from the above reports that the prayer of Ali (as) mentioned in the Musnad does not imply that he prayed it in the masjid. The word “masjid” does not appear in the report. Rather, the prayer done with the people was done in one’s home not the masjid.
Allah knows best.
Salam
ReplyDeletei dont understand the combining of prayers can we do it whenever we want?
and also how do we combine them is it like if i want to pray asr and zuhr it would be 8 rakat or do i still do them seperately? And what is the timing to combine your prayer like can i do it right when asr start or is it a specific timing?
And also are we allowed to pray behind the sunni because i know for a fact there is no zaidi mosque here lol
And for ramadan is there anything the zaidis do differently?
Thanks
peace
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteZaydis and Sunnis pray behind each other. There is no rift here, like there is between the Sunnis and 12rs. I know for Sunnis they don't pray behind 12rs. I wonder if Zaydis are okay with praying behind 12rs.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to understand the relation between Sunni schools of fiqh and the Zaydi refer to these clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tuj3QZiMfbw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiPqWvbZcD8
To Muhammad AK, the way I understand it is you can combine thuhr and asr at thuhr time or asr time, and you pray the first 4 raka, then do tasleem, then do the next 4 raka, and this can be done if you work or study and can't stop to do salaat. Same with maghreb and isha, do 3 raka then tasleem then 4. Only shorten the 4 rakas to 2 if you are travelling. As for Ramadan, if you are a Sunni I think you need to fast a bit longer, till you see the first star. Correct me if wrong IR society.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your questions and responses!
ReplyDeleteAs stated, one can combine the prayers whether there be a need or not. One makes the taslimayn between them and one can pray both at the time of dhuhr or asr or both at the time of maghrib or isha.
A Zaydi is allowed to pray behind a Sunni. If it is clear that the imam is a mushshabih (believes that Allah has a body) or a nasibi (one who hates Ahl al-Bayt), it is not permissible to pray behind him.
Some fiqh issues may arise like if the imam wipes over the khuffs (leather socks) or not. According to the Zaydis, wiping over the khuffs invalidates the ritual purity. Therefore, if one saw the imam wipe over his khuffs, then one does not pray behind him. If one did not see the imam wipe over his khuffs, one can pray behind him (even if the imam holds to the legitimacy of wiping over the khuffs).
Zaydis do not pray behind 12ers primarily because the latter wipes the feet rather than washes them. This invalidates ones ritual purity therefore it invalidates prayer behind such person.
As for things done differently, there are really no differences. Zaydis wait a little bit after maghrib before they break fast. And Zaydis don't pray tarawih. Please refer to our reply above.
During Ramadan, one is to engage in much dhikr, recitation of the Qur'an, etc. Please refer to the chapter on Fasting posted by Sis Zaidia.
Allah knows best!
IRS
Salaam
ReplyDeleteI have a question regarding ilm-e-rijal. Brother IRS are you aware of a book titled 'Ra'b al-Sada'. A Sunni scholar told me it sheds light upon musnad Zaydi and majmu, and how it disagrees and has differences with the other zaidi books.
Also have you read 'al-awasim wal qawasim' by ibn wazir(R) ? I heard bn wazir(R) is a prominent figure of zaidi imami thought, and that has a great deal to contribute toward the Zaydi creed.
As for the Fiqhi issues Imam Al Asi has told us not make them into big issues.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKYf6bNCcJA
Hey bro!
ReplyDeleteNo I'm not familiar with those texts although I have heard of Ibn Wazir.
Regarding Ilm ar-Rijal, many of the imams and scholars have engaged in this study. For example, they may weaken a narration if the sanad contains an enemy of Ahl al-Bayt.
Allama Sayyid Majideen al-Mu'ayyidi has a volume of his magnum opus Lawama al-Anwar dedicated to Ilm ar-Rijal. He scrutinizes a number of narrators and states the opinion of the imams regarding them.
To Imam Rassi Society: here is a question posted to me on the "Revert Muslims Association" Facebook page:
ReplyDeletefrom Muhammad Abdullah: salaam, I'm just curious, how the Zaidis reconcile their belief with the Prophet's saying that he will have 12 successors?
We pray that all are having a blessed Ramadan thus far!
ReplyDeleteJust to add to our last posting, there are other scholars who engaged in ilm ar-rijal--both past and present. Sayyid Allama Badr ad-Deen al-Houthi wrote a couple of books on hadith and its sciences. One of his books include a text entirely about az-Zuhri and his narrations.
Regarding the question concerning the 12 imams, this narration is considered an Abbassid concoction. It is believed that this narration was fabricated in order to prevent people from uprisings with imams of Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace. If a person was to claim to be an imam and foment a revolution, people who believed in this report would deny him and cease to follow him believing that a twelth imam has already come.
This is also coupled by the fact that there is no such narration in the books of the Zaydis or Isma'ilis. Neither does it appear in the hadith books of the Ibadis.
It does appear in the books of the Ahl as-Sunnah, however, the fact that there's no consensus regarding the identity of these twelve imams and they have had much more than twelve caliphs demonstrates that this is a concocted hadith.
And Allah knows best!
IRS
Even in Sunni ahadith books, it says that the 12 Calipahs will rule over the Ummah. In history only 2 out of the 12 imams ruled over the ummah. For the 12rs the only way to fulfill the full condition of ahadith is through
ReplyDeletethe process of Ra'jah. Ra'jah in the 12rs belief is that the Mahdi will resurrect 11 imams, and that they will rule over the ummah after that. I personally find this to be a strange belief. However, in their aqeeda you can't even be considered a shia if you reject this belief.
More about rajah in the clip below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un4egr7XzUg
Also from a Mutawir point of view we observe that these 12 calipahs hadith there is:
a) No mentioning of where the Prophet(saws) named any of the 12 except the last one which is Imam Mahdi (as).
b) No claims that the 12 Calipahs will be born like Prophets. In another words it doesn't say that they will be infallible.
c) No mention that that the 12 calipahs are the successors of each other. The ahadith say the 12 calipahs can come till the day of judgment. It doesn't necessary say they will succeed one another.
Also from historical point of view the 12 imams have never numbered themselves from 1-12.
If there is any 12r shia scholar out there that wants to challenge us Sunnis on this belief we welcome him.
Syed Ninowy's student is willing to challenge the 12r Shias on the following topic:
The Divinely Appointed 12 Imams ( no versus anybody, simply the establishment of their validity as a condition of Islam, per Al-Kaw'i and others, as we will see).
Also the condition for this challenge is for the 12r Shias to bring a scholar who has a background in ilm-e-rijal.
If the 12r shia is not a scholar, then he/she should seek one to help him/her so details of the narrators of the Ahadith, dates, places, can be presented. Syed Ninowy student is has a very knowledgeable scholar backing him up, and this is extremely well versed in the sciences of Hadith, and knows the 12r shia narrations extremely well).
Let the 12r shia also know that this is no a joke, nor a silly challenge. This is a totally serious academic challenge, and we intend to prove that the 12'er Imami Shia sect are on the wrong path, and are misguided as far as their three core principals i.e. ( 12 imams, Bid'a, Raj'a).
Brother IRS:
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me what a Tafdeeli Shia is ?
I've heard people accusing Pro Ali Sunnis of being one, but our Shaykhs are against this term.
About not praying behind 12er shi-ites, I would like to say that I personally feel more solidarity towards 12er Imamers than Sunnis (even the ahlus sunna variety) at the moment, and that is because of the current political situation. The sunnis have failed the people of Palestine miserably. Sunnis lost the 6 day war because they were too busy fighting the Zaidi Imams in Yemen. They are neutral towards the zionist/terrorist state of Israel currently occupying Palestine. It is only the voices of the 12er Imamers and the Zaidis who can be heard opposing Israeli Zionaism loudly and vocally. If it wasn't for the 12 Imamer Hizbullah, the Zionists would have overrun Southern Lebanon by now, while the Sunnis stood by watching helplessly. I think the sunnis are cowards. Now we hear that the Saudi sunnis are even co-operating with Israel's evil Mossad organization, to facilitate the bombing of Iran. Moreover, the Itanians have supported the Zaidis in Sa'ada and the sunnis haven't. Therefore, I would rather pray behind a 12 Imamer than a Sunni any day, and I would speculate that Imam Zaid would feel the same way if he saw the current situation in the world. Let's hope that Zaidi ijtihad can move with the times, not like the "ossified" sunni math-habs.
ReplyDeleteSalaam Sister zaida
ReplyDeleteYou have to learn to differentiate between the Wahhabi and Sunnis. Please do not insult us by calling the Wahabi's Sunnis. We ourselves pray behind Wahhabi when there are no Sunni mosques around. Otherwise our Shaykh recommends us not to pray behind them. In fact just like the Zaydia, the fatwa applies to us to that we cannot pray behind Salafis who apply anthropomorphism toward their God and have Nasibi beliefs.
As for 12r Shias in Iran they never had to revolt against the government to get into power. Also who says that government is free from corruption ? Iran calls out for unity but in Iran even minorities such as Jews and Sikhs get more rights than Sunnis. In the realm of politics Sunnis have a much harder time. Shaykh Tahir Ul Qadri from Pakistan ran for elections in Pakistan. He wanted to create a Sunni government, but it failed due to corruption.
Here is a clip on the Sunni attempt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax8vcGse1Ao
As for Sunnis standing up against Zionist here is clip by Imam Al Asi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMiZRsk_-58
As for 12r shias the reason I don't pray behind them is because they consider all non-12rs to be non-momins. If you are a Zaydi or Ismaili you are still considered a non-shia/non-momin in their view. They make a vague reference to the Quran back this up, and if we look at that the tafseer behind this verse it is referring to monafiqeen.
I talked to Syed Ninowy’s student on this issue and here is what he had to say.
Well, you know the whole ummah is at the mercy of the two powers; wahhabi's and radical shi'as. They keep playing with the Muslims, and prevent any meaningful intellectual discourse to self improve ourselves.
May I live to see the day when Muslims are allowed to think freely and considered as momins for doing so.
Bro ProAhlulBayt: I never heard of a Tafdeeli Shia however, i have heard this term used for Sunni Mu'tazilites. They were referred to as such because they held that Amir al-Mumineen 'Ali, alayhi as salam, was superior in virtue. But they also said that this superior virtue was not a condition for the Caliphate.
ReplyDeleteThere WAS a historical trend amongst some early Zaydis who used the argument of tafdeela (superior virtue) to argue for the calpihate of Ali after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. Maybe this is where the idea of a Tafdeela Shia came from!
To Sis Zaidia, I understand where you are coming from! But, the issue of not praying behind someone is related to aqida and fiqh. As we mentioned, because the 12ers wipe their feet as opposed to washing, this is seen as an incomplete ablution. Therefore, it's not valid to pray behind them.
In issues of political solidarity, it's true that the 12ers are more apt to support resistance against oppression. This is the reason of their increasing in numbers in places that have historically never experienced Shi'ism. When you see Nigerians performing the matam and weeping for al-Hussein, alayhi as salam, you know the far reaching effects of the 12er propagation. Their propagation machine is not due to pamphlets or television stations. Rather, because of the stances of 12er groups like Hizbullah and the Iranian govt, people are becoming 12ers en masse!
Brother IRS:
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me about the Zaydia belief of the Mahdi ? How does this man differ from Zaydia imams of today. To a sense the 12r belief of the Mahdi makes sense because he has knowledge of through the silsila of the 11 imams. On the contrary, their concept of hidden imamate is irrational. Allah (swt) has promised the Mahdi victory and rule over the entire Muslim world, while the Zaydi imams only managed to get control of regional areas. Of course from the Ismaili side they had the Fatimids, but they failed to establish their beliefs on the majority of the Muslims.
From Sunni and Shia schools rejection of the Mahdi's madhab equates to kufr.
Also, there is a ahadith which suggests that failing to recognize the imam of the time results to jaliyah. How do Zaydias interpret this ahadith. From the Sunni point of view a Sunni scholar is the imam of the time. Also, this is confirmed in some ahadith of the 12rs too that the imam of the time is an alim.
Regarding the question about Imam Mahdi, alayhi as salaam, the Zaydi belief can be said to be equal to the Sunni belief. We narrate the following statements by the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, and our imams, upon them be peace, concerning the Mahdi:
ReplyDeleteStatements from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny:
- On the authority of Anas: ((There are seven of us who are the nobles of the people of Paradise of the Banu Muttalib: me; my brother, Ali; my uncle, Hamza; my cousin, Ja’far; al-Hasan; al-Hussein; and al-Mahdi)).
- On the authority of Fatima that the Prophet said to her: ((The Mahdi is from amongst your children)).
- On the authority of Ibn Abbas: ((The first seven to enter Paradise will be: me, Ali, Hamza, Ja’far, al-Hasan, al-Hussein, and al-Mahdi Muhammad bin Abdullah))
Statements from Amir al-Muminin Ali bin Abi Talib, upon him be peace:
- ((The Mahdi is from us, Ahl al-Bayt))
- On the authority of Imam Ahmed bin Sulayman: ((The first of us was Muhammad bin Abdullah, the middle of us is Muhammad bin Abdullah, the last of us will be Muhammad bin Abdullah)). The first was the Prophet, the middle was Nafs az-Zakiyya, and the last will be al-Mahdi.
Statements from Zayd bin Ali, upon him be peace:
- On the authority of Abu Khalid: ((He shall be from the children of Fatima. He shall either be from the sons of al-Hassan or the sons of al-Hussein)).
- On the authority of al-Qasim bin Muhammad bin Aqil bin Abi Talib: ((The Mahdi is true. He shall be from us, Ahl al-Bayt…))
Statement from Moulay Idris bin Abdullah, upon him be peace:
- In his letter to the Moroccans discussing the caliph, al-Mahdi al-Abbassi: ((Then a king came after him, his son who was astray. He violated the sanctities, followed his whims…and claimed that he was the Mahdi who was herald by the prophets…))
Statement from al-Qasim bin Ibrahim, upon him be peace:
- (([The Messenger] made clear who the Mahdi was by name, lineage, and duty)).
Statement from al-Hadi Yahya bin al-Hussein, upon him be peace:
- ((…and Allah will answer his supplication…by a man from the Ahl al-Bayt of His Prophet…and Allah will revive it [i.e. the religion] by the barakat of the Pure Mahdi the call of truth. He will declare by means of him the true word…))
--------------------------
Concerning your question about the hadith of recognizing the imam, the Zaydis say that this hadith is a proof of the obligation of the imamate. Imam al-Qasim ar-Rassi, alayhi as salam, said that recognizing the imam means to know him by means of the characteristics that make him an imam.
This is also a proof that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, appointed the imam after his death. How could he have mentioned a hadith of such grave importance to the Ummah but failed to make clear who the imam was after him?!
It seems nonsensical to assume that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, was warning us to recognize an alim who is not obligatory to follow.
Allah knows best!
IRS
To Pro Ahlul bait:
ReplyDeleteI know you are trying to distance yourself from the Wahhabis but the fact is that they do fall under the Sunni umbrella. Consider these points:
1.The Wahhabis are identified as Hanbalis by Western scholars. The Hanbali math-hab is one of the four main sunni math-habs. Even your ahlus sunna group accepts the Hanbali math-hab, while they do not accept the Zaydi math-hab. They accept Hanbalism even though Ahmad ibn Hanbal was jailed for his anthropomorphic views (e.g. that Allah ascends and descends, literally). If the Ahlus sunna group have rejected Hanbalism because of its anthropomorphism, they should let everyone know about it. Last time I was on Sheikh Asi’s website I asked them “What would you say to a new convert seeking a math-hab?” I was told “there are four sunni Math-habs”. Why don’t you ask Sheikh Ninowy this question and see what response you get?
To Pro Ahlul bait, continued:
ReplyDelete2. As Sister Zaidiyah has pointed out, the vast majority of Sunnis today have an overwhelming admiration and respect for Wahhabi scholars and groups, and there are very few Sunnis like yourself who find Sheikh Ninowy’s criticisms of the Wahhabis acceptable. I used to work in a Sunni Islamic school in Australia. I printed out Ninowy’s criticism of the Wahhabis, photocopied it, and distributed it to the Sunni teachers there. These teachers came from all the corners of the globe, and were from all the different math-habs. Not only did they all reject Ninowy’s view, they also persecuted me and mistrusted me from that time on, until I was forced to resign. They thought I was an undercover Shi-ite, but I wasn’t. There was not a single staff member in that school who agreed with, or believed, anything Ninowy had said about Wahhabism. Sad but true.
3. In order to differentiate oneself from the vast majority of Sunni Muslims, and disassociate oneself from the Wahhabis, I think one needs to go further than Sheikh Ninowy has, and identify as a Zaidi.
there should be an acknowledgment that:
ReplyDeleteyes hanbali's and often time mujassima are classified under sunni' umbrella. however, similiarly, the vast majority of ahlus sunnah are ash'ari's and maturidi's, which means anti anthropomorphism and anti-hanbali' beliefs.
2- if you add that to the sufi's who embody ahlul bayt as part of the thaqalayn hadith that they employ, you would end up with a pro anti-anthropomorphism belief coupled with the prioritization of ahlul bayt after the quran.
i think thats what pro ahlulbayt point is.
this latter sunni view, maybe not a zaydi view yet, but principally is the closest to it within the realms of sunni islam, and the most intellctual and spiritual
Salaam
ReplyDeleteIf you are comfortable with Zaydia beliefs I don't have a problem with that. I myself am comfortable for Sunni beliefs. Also recall that the 12rs on shiachat are bashing the Zaydia books and sources. Therefore, don't expect a pleasant welcoming from them either.
As for Imam Ahmad (ra) I am not aware that he was jailed for having anthropomorphic views. On the contrary, he did get into trouble by the Mutazillah government for believing the Quran is uncreated. Shaykh Abu Zahra a prominent Sunni scholar has refuted him. Although he an Asharii, he admitted that the Mutazillah were correct in this area.
Next I have a feeling that you are confusing Ibn Taymiyya with Imam Ahmad (ra).
Well let me tell you Ahlus Sunnah declare Ibn Taymiyya either Kafer or Munafeq to say the least. He, and his line ( up all the way to Bani Ummayah, and down all the way to the current Wahhabi's) are one of the same - with few exceptions. Personally I don't believe in the Deen of Banu Ummayah nor in the Deen of Ibn
Taymiyyah.
Likewise the Wahabis of today declare Ashaaris and Maturidi to be kaffirs as well. Therefore, don't expect a welcoming from them either.
Also let me tell you although wahabis have adopted the Hanbali fiqh they reject his view where he claimed Imam Ali (as) was the greatest among the sahabis.
Lastly, remember the Abbasid King Mansoor was student of Wasil ibn Ata (ra). However, we can't use his tyranny and blame all the Mutazillah for the evil that he had done. Also Al Mamoon was a Mutazillah scholar. However, we can't blame the Mutazillah after for the death of the 8th imam Imam Ali Rida (as).
As for the forums, there are rarely any scholars on them. Therefore, please don't take their word to be binding on Ahle Sunnah.
Bro IRS:
ReplyDeleteJazakallah for pointing out the virtues of the Mahdi. However, can you tell me how this Mahdi will be superior to a Zaydi imam of today. For example you say Imam Ali (as) was the most qualified to lead because he was RasoolAllah's (sawas) best student and companion. Now the Mahdi in all Muslim sources believe him is explicitly appointed by Allah (swt). The 12rs in this way, have a logical point where they claim the 12th imam follows the silsila of the 11 imams. However, the 12th imam's imamate through gaib is illogical.
Also do Zaydis have the same belief for the Prophet Isa's (as) return too ? The 12r Shia scholar Shaykh Saduq agreed with the Ibadis and Ismailis and declared Prophet Isa (as) to be dead. Whereas the later 12r Shia scholars had a different view.
To Pro ahlul bait, I can't remember where I read that he was also jailed for saying that Allah goes up and down literally, but if there is any doubt that he said so, here is a summary of his doctrine from a sunni website:
ReplyDeleteImam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s doctrine (From islamicawakening.com:
1) He would believe in the description that Allah gave to himself in the Quran, or inspired the Prophet with, and affirm them at their face value (Dhahir), while generally negating any resemblance between the Creator and the creation.
2) He would vigorously reject negative theology (Ta’til), as well as allegorical exegesis (Ta’wil), with respect to belief in Allah, which was heavily employed by the Jahmites, Mu’tazilites and the Kullabites (later to be known as the Ash’arites) to justify their philosophical approach to God.
3) He believed that Allah Speaks with letters and sound, for he believed every word and letter of the Quran to be the word of Allah, contrary to the Kullabites, who, in their opposition to the Mu’tazilites, affirmed eternal Speech for Allah, yet still agreed with them in that they believed that the Quran, which is composed of letters, was created.
4) He believed that Allah literally Hears and Sees; that He has two Hands with which He created Adam; that Allah has a Face
5) He believed that Allah literally Rose over the Throne after Creating the heavens and the Earth in six days.
6) He believed that Allah is High above and distinct from His creation
7) He believed that Allah is all Knowing, All Wise, All Power and All Able, and that Allah has His own Will, He Does what He likes out of His Wisdom. Whatever Allah has Written and Decreed upon His creation, must come to pass. Nothing leaves His knowledge, or happens without His Permission or Will.
8) He believed that Allah becomes Pleased when obeyed and Displeased when disobeyed.
9) He would regard the Jahmiyah (followers of al-Jahm ibn Safwan), and the Rafidha (the Imami Shias) who curse the Companions, to be disbelievers (Kuffar).
10) He held that the sinners amongst the Muslims are under the threat of Allah's punishment; that if He wishes He may Punish them or Forgive them; Contrary to theKhawarij. He would not declare a Muslim to be a disbeliever (Kafir) on account of his sins, nor would he exclude actions from Iman unlike the Murjia. Once he was asked about those who declare their belief in the five pillars of Islam, yet refuse to perform them; he said, in reply, they are disbelievers (Kuffar).
11) He believed in the miracles that occurred at the hands of the Awliya (pious Muslims) as a favour from Allah.
12) He believed that Abu Bakr is the best of the Companions, followed by Umar, then the six companions chosen by the latter as Ashab al-Shura (members of Shura council): Uthman, Ali, al-Zubair, Talha, ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awf and Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas; followed by the fighters of Badr from the Emigrants (Muhajirin) and then the Helpers (Ansar).
13) He prohibited discussions on the differences between the Companions or dislike of any of them; for the honour of Companionship with the Prophet – SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa-sallam – is sufficient a virtue to rank them higher than the entire Muslim Ummah until the end of time.
After seeing point number 12) I can tell you that the source you provided above is unreliable. Imam Ahmad (ra) is well known for his belief on superiority on Imam Ali (as). As for other statements I am not to sure. However, I do know he supported that the Quran is uncreated, . Here is where the Mutazillah strongly differ from him.
ReplyDeleteAgain we don't consider him an authority on theology.
Also refer to this article written by a 12r Shia.
Glimpses of Shi'ism in the Musnad of Ibn Hanbal
http://www.al-islam.org/mot/musnad/
From what I've read about the Hanbali school, this is an accurate description of his theological views. Ibn Taimiya was his follower, and so was AbdulWahhab, and so are the Saudi rulers. You and your ahlus sunna can't condemn Ibn Taimiya and at the same time recommend the Hanbali math-hab to new Muslims; they both propogated the same views. The sunni acceptance/tolerance of Hanbali theology as summarized above, is a giant flaw, just as big as the 12ers' "Hidden Imam" flaw. The Zaidi school has no major flaw, and is therefore is a far superior school of thought, to anyone who uses their reason....
ReplyDeleteIf what you stated above is an accurate description of all of Imam Ahmad's (ra) beliefs, then you should blindly accept everything the 12rs say about Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as). Also you claim you are a follower of logic and reason. However, your research has only been based on websites, and personal experience. I never met a Zaydi who was so limited to his/her research.
ReplyDeleteNo, I read about the Hanbali school in books by western scholars at the university library. I photocopied a translation of an early list of credal statements by Abu Zura al Razi (died 264) and Abu hatim arrazi (died 277), given as an example of the Hanbali school, and it is similar to the islamic awakening website one. It says, for example "God is on His Throne and is separated from his creation", and it puts Ali in 4th place in its list of the best persons.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is the prevalence of Wahhabi/salafi websites in English that is causing the swing towards salafism. Those sites have thousands of followers, and don't let non-salafis in to make comments. As for research, it didn't take much research for me to see that Zaidism is the way to go. If you need ten years of research to make up your mind about something so blatantly obvious, that's not my problem! I also converted to Islam without years of research, because of the huge flaws in Christianity and atheism, compared with the obvious superiority and logic of Islam.
And my posts here are designed to provoke discussion, I do not claim to be an academic or even a book-worm. I'd much rather read the Qur'an than read through centuries of man made debates!
oh, and by the way, I got the Hanbali credal summary from the link at the bottom of the Wikipedia page about Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and the article I quoted has had more than 35,000 reads, so there are at least 35,000 people out there you need to talk to if this is not an accurate description...
ReplyDeleteSallam on you . I m a sayyed and want to know little more about zaidia . I know I m reading this article too late , because it shows 2010 and now going 2015 , may be you r here or not . but if any who know more about zaidia . pls well come . specially I like the way of proahlebayt and ur . Allah give u more right path , if possible write me pls shahtauqir@gmail.com
DeleteSallam on you . I m a sayyed and want to know little more about zaidia . I know I m reading this article too late , because it shows 2010 and now going 2015 , may be you r here or not . but if any who know more about zaidia . pls well come . specially I like the way of proahlebayt and ur . Allah give u more right path , if possible write me pls shahtauqir@gmail.com
DeleteWell if you want a good study on the 4 imams Shaykh Abu Zahra was the really good Sunni scholar who wrote about them. In fact, he even wrote a biography on Imam Jafar as Sadiq (as), Imam Zayd ibn Ali (as), Imam Zain Ul Abideen (as) and ibn Taymiyah, but sadly these books are not translated.
ReplyDeleteAlso if Ibn Hanibal was really that bad the 12rs Shias would have never praised him for his good views. Do you ever see a 12r praising ibn Taymiyah ? It never happens. The same case would have applied for this imam.
Also, the Zahiri madhab which died out is highly praised by the Salafis. However, the founder of that madhab Dawud adh-Dhahiri was not liked by Imam Ahmad. In fact he refused to even meet him.
Does Majmu Al Kabir/Fiqh or Musnad Zayd Ra: have been translated to english? if so,then how can I find it?
ReplyDeleteAssalam-O-Alikum
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The blog is composed in basic English with no yearning towards writing.
ReplyDeleteRamadan Singapore
I want to know about zaidite's approach towards prophetic hadith
ReplyDeleteIs there any available on the topic