FAQ in the category of Ahl-i Sunnah Sects

1 Is Athari creed and salafism same thing?Are they trust worthy in aqaid?

Dear Brother / Sister, Sorry for the late answer. Some questions need detailed research. Thanks for your understanding.

First of all, we should state that it is necessary to make a decision based on the conformity of the views of a person with Ahl as-Sunnah, not what or how that person is called.

From this point of view, we should act in accordance with the madhhab of creed and practice we follow. However, we should know that it is permissible to act based on the other madhhabs of creed and practice of Ahl as-Sunnah.

It will be possible to lead a healthy religious life if we make our decisions based on these basic criteria.  

Answer 1:

Salaf lexically means the one who lived earlier, who came before somebody else. In Islamic terminology, it means the scholars who lived in the first period of Islam and who had methods and views of their own. The scholars who lived after them but who adopted the same methods are called salafiyya. Those who lived before are also called salaf al-mutaqaddimun (first period) in order to distinguish between them and those who came after them, who are also called salaf al-mutaakhkhirun (later). 

The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah are divided into two as salaf and khalaf. The scholars who lived before the establishment of the creed sect of Ash'ari are called salaf and those who came after it are called khalaf.

The most distinctive difference between them is as follows: Salaf scholars do not find it appropriate to interpret the verses of the Quran and hadiths related to the metaphysical realm. They accept them as they are and refer the truth about it to Allah. They hold the view that it is not right to make judgments about them based on human mind.

We can say that khalaf scholars started with Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari. He was a kalam scholar; so, the first group of khalaf scholars usually consisted of kalam scholars. According to them, the pure and clear feelings and surrendering that were present in the people of the first period were worn away; so, in order to answer the wrong thoughts put forward by philosophers and groups of wrong ideas, it is necessary to use their weapon, to use human mind to answer the ideas put forward by their minds and to use the method of interpretation to explain the verses and hadiths that are mutashabih (ambiguous, allegorical).

 

However, the movement called Wahhabiyya that exists today claims to be salafi. This group, which dates back to two hundred years ago, is called Wahhabiyya because its founder is a person called Abdulwahhab. They are also Muslims. However, they make a lot of mistakes because they do not take into account the time and place; some of them do not approve Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafii, who are also salaf. They accuse Muslims of unbelief randomly. They recognize Imam Ahmad and Ibn Taymiya as their imams because they find some of their views appropriate; they claim that they follow Hanbali madhhab on the one hand and they say that it is not appropriate to follow a madhhab on the other hand.

We never accuse these Muslims of unbelief. However, we will try to correct their mistakes scientifically. We act based on love; we have no time for enmity.

Answer 2:

Yusuf Qardawi is a scholar of fiqh well known in the Islamic world. He has valuable scholarly works. He may have some fatwas and ideas expressed based on the local conditions and state. In general, he is well-known as a scholar who thinks within the framework of the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah, who knows the world and who wants to serve humanity.

You can benefit from his works. If he has some fatwas that are not in compliance with Ahl as-Sunnah, they are not followed.

Answer 3:

The schools of Maturidiyya and Ash'ariyya, which are two big representatives of Ahl as-Sunnah, agree on the issues that are regarded as the main topics of the science of kalam. Both madhhabs were contemporary but they tried to put forward their own ideas in different places with the help of the methods of the science of kalam. However, it is normal that there are some differences among their viewpoints related to some issues of kalam when they express or explain their views and ideas.

The scholars of both schools tried to prove the issues related to the creed presented by the Quran and the issues related to creed within the context of this understanding and realization through some logical and rational evidences. For, their basic thought was that reason and the verses of the Quran and sound hadiths never contradicted. According to them, if there seems to be a contradiction or controversy at first glance, it is necessary to search the data of the resources very well.    

Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi tried to propagate the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah. Both imams agreed on the outcome of the issues they explained but it is known that there were some differences between the methods of the science of kalam of both groups. Doubtlessly both kalam scholars tried to prove the understanding of belief/creed presented by the Quran through logical and rational evidences. Ash'ari and Maturidi were brought up in different cultural spheres but their aims and the fields they struggled in were the same. That is, their aim was to defend, explain and present the principles of the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah in the best way and to prove the wrong understandings and realizations of the People of Bid'ah through the Quran, hadiths and rational evidences. 

According to what Taşköprizâde states (d. 968/1561), there are two leaders of Ahl as-Sunnah in the science of kalam. One of them is Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, who is a Hanafi and the other is Abu’l-Hasan al- Ash’ari, who is a Shafii. (Taşköprizâde, Miftahu’s-Sa’ada, Cairo 1968, p. 151)

Many scholars say that the differences between Ash'ariyya and Maturidiyya are not very big, that the differences originate from their methods, and that these issues are secondary issues rather than basic issues. They do not have so big differences as to describe each other as the people of bid'ah and deviation. (Beyâzîzâde, Ahmed Efendi, Isharatu'l-Maram min Ibarati'l-Imam, Egypt 1949, p. 8-9.) After all, these two schools are not regarded as the same but it is not possible to regard them as different. There are some Ash'ari kalam scholars who adopt some views of Maturidi school and some kalam scholars who adopt some views of Maturidi school. We can mention scholars like Ibnu'l-Humam and Mustafa Sabri as examples.  We can include many other scholars in the list because their place and references are within the scope of Ahl as-Sunnah. Then, they are the same in terms of their structure and essence but different in terms of their form and appearance.

Abu Nasr Tajuddin Abdulwahhab b. Ali b. Abdi'l-Kafi b. Ali b. Tamam as-Subki (d. 771/1370)15 mentions the differences between Maturidis and Ash’aris in his book Tabaqatu’sh-Shafi’iyyati’l-Kubra, (Cairo 1965), III/377-389 as follows:

“There is disagreement related to only thirteen issues between Tahawi and Ash’ari. The number of the differences between Ash’aris and Maturidis is only thirteen. Seven of them are related to words (form). Only six of them are related to meaning (content). The disagreement over these thirteen issues cannot be described as opposition." (as-Subki, Tajuddin Abdulwahhab b. Ali, Tabaqatu'sh-Shafi'iyyati'l-Kubra, Cairo 1965, III/378.)

THE UNITY OF METHODS AND PRINCIPLES OF MATURIDIYYA AND ASH'ARIYYA

Maturidi and Ash'ari had a moderate and reasonable way among groups like Hashawiyya, Mushabbiha and Mujassima and the rationalistic group Mu'tazila. Both scholars assumed a moderate way between Jabriyya and the extreme group of Rafizis and defended the belief of Ahl as-Sunnah; they both reached almost the same result in terms of method and madhhab.

It is natural to reach the same conclusions in madhhab when the same method is used. For, madhhab is nothing but the result of the method. It is known that Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari has profound knowledge about Islamic groups and sects. His book called "Maqalatu'l-Islamiyyin" is the greatest evidence for his knowledge regarding the issue. For, after gathering the disagreements of Muslims regarding creed in his book, he criticized the bid'ah views, primarily Aristotelianism, and philosophical views. Besides, he never ceased to be objective when he reported the views and mentality of madhhabs. [Taftazani, Kelâm İlmi ve İslâm Akâidi, trnsl. by Süleyman Uludağ (Mukaddime, elli yedi madde) İstanbul 1982, p. 40-51]

The works of Ash’ari, which reached today, are weaker than those of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, his contemporary, in terms of kalam culture and terminology. However, he is regarded as one of the founders of Sunni kalam school. In terms of his kalam views, Ash'ari proves the issues of creed through rational evidences and through verses of the Quran and hadiths. He deals with the issues the attributes of Allah and prophets angels, reckoning, punishment and reward within the framework of the Quran and hadiths. He does not regard his mind as the judge in order to interpret verses of the Quran and hadiths or to judge based on their apparent meanings. On the contrary, he regards the mind as an instrument to confirm the apparent meanings of the verses of the Quran and hadiths. (İsmail Efendizâde, Risala fi’khtilafati’l-Maturidi wa’l-Ash’ari, İstanbul 1287)

On the other hand, Imam Ash’ari was brought up in the presence of Mu'tazila views; he spent some part of his life spreading those views; therefore, he knows the mentality and philosophical methods of Mu'tazila very well. Due to this knowledge and thought, he is regarded as one of the scholars who tries to silence Mu'tazila by rejecting them using their own methods and weapons and criticizes them. (Şeyhülislâm Esad Efendi, Risala fi’khtilafati’l-Maturidi wa’l-Ash’ari, İstanbul 1287, p. 278-287.27)

Maturidi was brought up in a Sunni environment. He gives mind great importance without going to extremes. He regards both the mind (reason) and the Quran and hadiths as separate resources of knowledge. (al-Jabi, Bassam Abdulwahhab, al-Masailu'l-Khilafiyya bayna'l-Ashaira wa'l-Maturidiyya, Beirut 2003) For, he tries to make use of both the mind (reason) and the Quran and hadiths when he explains the Quran with the Quran. He tries to prove the principles of the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah through the evidences of the mind (reason) and the Quran and hadiths. On the other hand, it is possible to see the same method in Ash'ari related to the issues of the principles of creed.

Both Maturidi and Ash'ari reached the same conclusions regarding the issues like Allah's pre-eternal speech, attributes, ru'yatullah (seeing Allah), the deeds of His slaves, the state of those who commit major sins and intercession; and they determined the general principles of madhhabs

ACCORDING TO ASH'ARIS, MALENESS IS NOT NECESSARY FOR PROPHETHOOD

The issue of prophethood is one of the most important issues among the principles of Islam. In the history of Islamic thought, prophethood has been understood differently by various schools. Therefore, there is a disagreement between Maturidis and Ash'aris on the issue of the gender of prophets. Both schools of All as-Sunnah accept that prophets are male.  However, Ash'aris hold the view that prophets can also be female. Maturidis do not accept this view.  For, Maturidis, who say, "prophets can only be male", show the following verse as evidence:

"Nor did We send before thee (as Messengers) any but men, whom We did inspire― (men) living in human habitations.”(Yusuf, 12/109; see also an-Nahl 16/43; al-Anbiya 21/7.)

Imam Ash’ari and a few scholars who adopt the apparent meanings of the verses and hadiths concluded that Hz. Maryam was a prophet based on some verses. (Aal-i Imran, 3/42; Maryam 19/16-19) Those who hold the view that Hz. Maryam is a prophet base the difference between a rasul and a nabi on the following definition: "a nabi is a person who receives revelation from Allah whether he is appointed to convey the religion or not."(Bağçeci, Muhittin, Peygamberlik ve Peygamberler, İstanbul 1977, p. 73, ff)

Accordingly, the six women whose prophethood is in question are Hz. Hawwa (Eve), Hz. Sara, Hz. Hagar, the mother of Hz. Musa (Moses), Pharaoh's wife Asiya and Hz. Maryam. (Zabidi, Tajrid Sarih Translation and Explanation, trnsl by Kamil Miras, Ankara 1971, IX/150) However, Maturidis regard the revelation related to women mentioned in the Quran like revelation sent to other beings; that is, they say it is not revelation related to prophethood. They say what is sent to these women is probably a grant.

CONCLUSION

The disagreements are not related to creation, qada and qadar (destination), kasb (acquisition) and similar issues; they are generally secondary issues.  Maturidi's followers sometimes leave their imams and follow Ash'ari; similarly, Ash'ari's followers sometimes oppose their leaders and follow Maturidis. It should not be concluded that Ahl as-Sunnah madhhabs differ from one another acting upon the secondary differences; for, the main differences originate from principles and methods. It should also be known that Ahl as-Sunnah madhhabs agree unanimously on the issues that are wajib, permissible and impossible. However, they disagreed on some methods and principles that led them to these issues. When Ahl as-Sunnah mahhabs are searched carefully, it will be seen that they consist of three groups: Ahl al-hadith, those who base their way on mental thought, and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and Ash'ari, on whom these two madhhabs agree.

Regarding the issues that are controversial between Maturidiyya and Ash'ariyya, which are the two biggest kalam schools of Ahl as-Sunnah, there has been a continuous struggle, in which both schools presented their evidence in the form of thesis and antithesis. In addition, each controversial issue was tried to be proved by presenting some evidences based on the Quran and hadiths.

The issues discussed by these two schools originate from the importance Islam gives to freedom of thought. Then, it is possible to reach the following conclusions:

1. These views of both madhhabs were not expressed randomly or as a result of personal ideas. It is seen that the views and issues put forward do not have any relevance with the practical lives of their followers, that they are of no use to their lives, that they do not cause any disagreements in practice and that they remained as ideas and views.

2. Maturidis did not always support one party and Ash'aris did not always support the other party. That is, it is necessary to be very careful about these issues and not to separate them as these and those, which will cause serious misunderstandings and mistakes. We can and must think that both of them are under the same roof and agree that these materials will lead us to the same conclusion. For, there are Maturidi scholars who adopt the same view as Ash'ari scholars regarding almost every issue and vice versa. To give an example, we can say that in the Ottoman madrasahs, which are known to follow Maturidiyya, the books of Ash'ari scholars were studied for many years; they never avoided saying, "My view is the same as this or that group." 

3. Ash'aris and Maturidis think of the same thing but they express it differently. The meaning is the same but the words are different. It is possible to see it as an indication of Islam's range of freedom of thought. Religious freedom means the existence of discussions. For, the understandings of people are different; their perceptions and the solutions they put forward have always been different. The thoughts of some people like "you shall accept religion as absolute", "you shall not talk about religion" and "you shall not discuss it" are groundless claims. Such a thought is the product of ignorance. There has not been any issue that has been discussed as much as religion in the world. The issues we have mentioned briefly above and these discussions should be evaluated within the wide range of the freedom.

The issue that makes us happy is that Ash'aris and Maturidis have never accused each other of unbelief and heresy though there are some controversial issues between them. Both groups have remained within the boundaries of Ahl as-Sunnah; they even seem to be united in the course of time in terms of thought. Disagreement might even be a means of mercy rather than a problem. The problem occurs when disagreement is transformed into conflict.

(see Dr. Halil TAŞPINAR, Mâtüridiye ile Ash’ariyye Mezhepleri Arasında İhtilaf mı? Suni Dalgalanma mı?, Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, Volume X/1, p. 213-250, Haziran 2006).

Answer 4:

Jamaluddin Afghani

Known as a foreseeing and broadminded scholar, Jamaluddin Afghani (1254-1314 / 1836-1897) is one of the people who awakened the east. He instilled the idea of freedom into the Islamic world and awakened Muslims. He was both a writer and a preacher. He had two aims:

To awaken Islam, to make reforms and to show the way of civilization.

To save the Islamic countries from the political and economic influence of the Europeans.

He tried to save Muslims from the darkness of ignorance and the quagmire of heedlessness. 

He was an implacable enemy of invaders. There are various views about his nationality. He went to Egypt but he could not stay there for a long time and went to Istanbul in 1286/1870. He preached in big mosques. He gave lectures at the university. He was sent to Iran by Abdulhamid II. However, Iranians refused his offers about the Islamic Unity.

Unfortunately, one of mistakes that are sometimes made in the Islamic world is the issue of takfir (accusing another Muslim of unbelief, blasphemy). Jamaluddin Afghani was also accused of unbelief. Mehmet Akif rejects it and says, "The most difficult thing in Islam is calling a person an unbeliever; however, we find it very easy to accuse a person whose virtues, knowledge, luck and fame we cannot stand or whose ideas and style of thinking we do not find appropriate. ( Mehmet Akif, Sırat-ı Müstakim, issue 91, Cumadalawwal 1328 / May 1326)

In conclusion, Jamaluddin Afghani is an important person who tried to make the Muslims who lived in the same period as him get rid of mistakes and backwardness. (For detailed information, see Osman Keskioğlu, “Cemaleddin Efgânî”, Ankara Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, issue 1962, Ankara 1963, p. 91 ff..; Hamid İnayet, Arap Siyasi Düşüncesinin Seyri, İstanbul 1997, p. 95 ff)

Muhammad Rashid Riza

Rashid Riza is a student of Abduh. He is an ardent supporter of Jamaluddin Afghani. It is known that he has no different views from theirs. There is one thing that distinguishes him from other innovators: to improve the caliphate and restore it to its state in the first period of Islam. According to him, the salvation of Muslims lies in removing the caliphate from Turks and giving it to Arabs again and establishing a system that enables an Arab to be elected a caliph. (Hamid İnayet, Arap Siyasi Düşüncesinin Seyri, İstanbul 1997, p. 178-180)

It is necessary to emphasize the following issue again: caliphs are neither angels nor prophets, who are innocent. They may do right things and they may do wrong things. It may originate from the structure of the society one lives in, some people he is influenced from and the different psychological structure that he is in. What is appropriate for the structure of the society he lives in might not be appropriate for another society. We should view the issue from this point and evaluate modernism and salafiyya with their pluses and minuses      and we should take the religious sensitivities of people into consideration. Doubtlessly, Islam addresses all centuries and all societies.  However, it is necessary to present it in accordance with the understanding of each century. What needs to be taken into consideration while doing it is to present it in accordance with the Quran and sound sunnah. Those who will do it are reasonable and rational people. Therefore, it is not possible to exclude the mind and science, which is a product of the mind.

2 What is the importance of Ahl-i Bayt affection in Islam?
3 What is the condition of the ones who do not adhere to sects? Can you explain?

For the answer, please click the link given below.

What is the condition of the ones who do not adhere to sects? Can you explain?

4 What does Ahl as-Sunnah mean and what are its properties?

In the religious literature, Ahl as-Sunnah means a great majority (90%) of the Islamic community that regards the Prophet (pbuh) and the Companions as their models. It is generally known as "sunnism" in short. This group is also called "Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah" because it is attached to the Sunnah and does not deviate from the spirit of jama'ah (congregation).

The signs of having the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah

1. A person needs to believe in the six principles of belief, that is, the existence and oneness of God, that He has no partners, that there is nobody like Him, and His angels, books, prophets, the states in the hereafter and that the good and the bad were created by Allah. (These principles are included in "Amantu".)

2. He needs to believe that the Quran, which is the last book of Allah, is Allah's word.

3. A believer must not doubt his belief.

4. He must believe in the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and love all of his Companions, who had the honor of seeing the Prophet alive. He must not criticize any of his four caliphs, his Ahl al-Bayt, who are his closest relatives, and his respectable wives.

5. He must not regard the believers who accept the orders and prohibitions of Allah but who ignore them due to laziness as unbelievers. 

6. He must not accuse of unbelief the people who say they are Ahl al-Qiblah and believe in Allah and Hz. Muhammad but who have a wrong creed.

7. He needs to believe that the Ascension (Miraj) of the Prophet (pbuh) took place with his body and spirit.

8. He needs to believe that believers will see Allah in Paradise. 

9. He needs to believe that prophets and righteous slaves of Allah will intercede on the Day of Judgment.

10. He needs to believe that boons and torture in the grave will take place in the spirit and the body and that the spirits in the grave can hear what the living people do and say.

11. He needs to believe that the karamah of saints is true.  

12. He needs to believe that sending the rewards of reading the Quran, giving sadaqah, and all kinds of worshipping to the spirits of the dead would be beneficial to them, relieve their torture or remove it.   

AHL AS-SUNNAH

Ahl as-Sunnah is the group that is attached to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), the way of his Companions, adopts their religious way and method, agrees on the Book and the Sunnah, avoids disagreement and division, and depends their decrees on the Book and the Sunnah, not the mind, regarding the issues of disagreement in the religion. Those who follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) are called Ahl as-Sunnah; those who regard his Companions as fair and just and follow their methods in religion are called Ahl al-Jama'ah; they are referred to as "Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l- Jama'ah" together.

The Islamic community called "Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l- Jama'ah" has two distinctive features: to follow the Sunnah and jama'ah. The Sunnah includes the words and deeds of the Prophet (pbuh) and his approval of deeds or words along with his ethical and human attitudes. However, regarding our issue, it is not important to mark off the Sunnah in this sense and to determine which types are binding to what extent. The disagreements of the Islamic fiqh scholars on the bindingness of the types of Sunnah in terms of fiqh and the different methods of approach originating from these disagreements are all differences that occurred within the framework of Ahl as-Sunnah.  The term "Sunnah" generally appears as a distinctive feature of the communities in the sense of method, way and line to follow. Accordingly, Sunnah is defined as follows: The way and method that ensures the formation of the belief system and creed of a community (ummah) gathering around a faith and creed. People agreeing on this method and applying it was called as jama'ah. (Shahristani, al-Milal wa'n-Nihal, (marginal notes of al-Fisal), I, 47) It is also used in the Quran in this sense: "Many were the Ways of Life that have passed away before you: travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who rejected Truth." (Aal-i-Imran, 3/137). "No turning off wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing)" (Fatir, 35/43). The sunnah mentioned in this verse means the way, method determined by Allah in the creation and management of the universe. Since forcing is not in question for Allah, this meaning is given by the word custom in the Islamic thought.  

Sunnah means using the way of the Prophet as a base for the formation of the Islamic community, that is, the ummah, and following the way of the group of Companions who follow the way of the Prophet unanimously. What ensures the theoretical and practical formation of the Islamic ummah is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Allah states in the Quran that it is necessary to be subject to the Prophet and obey him for it: "A similar (favour have ye already received) in that We have sent among you a Messenger of your own rehearsing to you Our signs, and purifying you, and instructing you in Scripture and wisdom, and in new Knowledge " (al-Baqara, 2/151). Purifying mentioned in the verse was interpreted as to learn what is haram and halal from the Quran; wisdom was unanimously accepted as the Sunnah. 

The Quran accepts the decree of Allah and the decree of His Messenger as two basics for determining fard and wajib, halal and haram: "The answer of the Believers when summoned to Allah and His Messenger in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say "We hear and we obey": it is such as these that will attain felicity ." (an-Nur, 24/51)

Hz. Prophet (pbuh) said, "Whatever I have commanded you do it, and whatever I have forbidden you, refrain from it." (Muslim, 412, Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 1) To follow the Sunnah is a religious obligation. Ignoring the sunnah by saying the Quran is enough for us is a kind of treason that is the common trait of all groups of bid'ah throughout history. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) ordered us to avoid those people who will emerge in the future and who have no religious worries:"Yet the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say, 'Keep to the Quran; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited." Beware! I have been given the Qur'an and something like it." (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 6, Ahmad b. Hanbal, IV, 131).

Imran b. Husayn (r.a.) addressed a man who said, 'the Quran is enough for us; there is no need for the Sunnah' as follows: 'You idiot! Can you find in the Quran the decree that the noon prayer is four rak'ahs and that it is necessary to read the Quran silently? The Quran left many things ambiguous; the Sunnah clarified them.' When Abdullah b. Masud (r.a.) said "Allah damns those who change the form of their nature", a woman asked him, "Does it exist in the Quran?"  Abdullah b. Masud said, "Yes, of course. Do you not read the following verse: "So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you '' (al-Hashr, 59/7; Abdullah b. Zayd, Sunnatu'r-Rasul Shaqiqatu'l-Qur'an, p.54).

Hz. Prophet ordered us to follow his Sunnah and his Companions. The Companions are likened to stars that lead people to the true path if they are followed. He said: "Those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty (bid'ah) is an innovation, and every innovation is an error." (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 5)

The following is stated about the Companions in the Quran: "The vanguard (of Islam)― the first of those who forsook (their homes) and of those who gave them aid, and (also) those who follow them in (all) good deeds― well― pleased is Allah with them, as are they with Him: for them hath He prepared Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever: that is the Supreme Felicity " (at-Tawba, 9/100) That Allah praises the Companions implies that the ummah coming after that needs to follow them and they need to be like them in order to be praised. We also see that the group of Tabiun, the generation after the Companions, are also included among those that Allah praises. The Prophet (pbuh) explains this in a hadith as follows: "The best of my followers are those living in my generation (i.e. my contemporaries) and then those who will follow the latter." (Bukhari, Fadailu's-Sahaba, 1) That the Companions  are praised buy Allah and His Messenger and that the generations after that are included in this praise as long as they follow the Companions show that the jama'ah the Prophet advises people to follow in his hadiths is the jama'ah of the Companions and Tabiun.

Hz Prophet (pbuh) said, "I advise you (to follow) my Companions, then the ones following them and then the ones following them. After that, lies will be common." In another hadith, the Prophet says, "Allah's hand of mercy is together with jama'ah." (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 7) That Hz. Prophet (pbuh) advised jama'ah and that the group that would be saved from torture of Hell (firqah an-najiyah) would be jama'ah makes it necessary to determine who is included in it. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) said, "My ummah will be divided into seventy-three groups; all of them are people of Hell except one." When he was asked, who would be in this group, he said, "those who are in my way and in the way of my Companions." In another narration, he said, "jama'ah". Hz. Prophet (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith: "My ummah will not agree on misguidance. When you see a disagreement, I advise you to join the biggest group (sawad al-azam). " (Ibn Majah, Fitan. 8) Sawad al-azam is interpreted as the group that agree on adopting the method of the straight path. (Ibnu'l-Athir, an-Nihaya, II, 419).

Hz. Prophet ordered us to follow jama'ah, sawad al-azam. Jama'ah is the Companions in the first period of Islam and righteous scholars in the periods after that. When Abdullah b. Mubarak was asked who jama'ah was, he said, "Abu Bakr, Umar." When they said they died, he said, "Such and such people." When they said they died, he said, "The jama'ah of Abu Hamza as-Sakkari." (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 7) Imam Tirmidhi states the following: Scholars defined jama'ah as follows: "People of fiqh, people of ilm and people of hadith are jama'ah." (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 7). In this sense, it is not possible for the jama'ah of scholars to deviate. As a matter of fact, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Indeed, Allah will not gather my Ummah upon misguidance, and Allah's Hand is over the jama'ah, and whoever deviates, he deviates to Hellfire." (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 7)

According to the definition of Shahristani, "jama'ah is a group of people that agree on a sunnah and method unanimously." (Shahristani, al-Milal, 1, 47)

In the history of Islam, the word jama'ah became famous in the year when Hz. Hasan delivered the caliphate to Hz. Muawiya. This year was called "sanatu'l-jama'ah" (year of unity) because it ensured the unity of Muslims. When the Prophet (pbuh) died, the Muslims had a fully secured and organized social structure. However, the incidents that occurred after Hz. Uthman was martyred (d.35/656), caused some new questions to form in the minds of the Muslims. Some Companions were killed and the issue of the caliphate was on the agenda. Issues related to creed like what the state of the Muslims who were killed was and the effect of qadar on these incidents started to be talked about. After the issue of the caliphate between Hz. Ali and Hz. Muawiya and the consequent wars and battles, political conflicts started to occur between the followers of both parties. Jews, Christians and Fireworshippers started to become Muslims; the issues in their cultures; and discussions about their correspondence in the Islamic decrees started. These issues caused big dissensions due to the extremism in the parties. The majority of the Companions followed a moderate way and they tried to maintain the unity of the community by trying not to become an extreme side of the political issues. The first representatives of this group are Abdullah b. Umar (74/693); Ibrahim an-Nahai (96/714); Hasan al-Basri (110/728) and Abu Hanifa (150/767). The first person who spoke as the representative of the views of the central group by expressing his views about the groups that emerged is Hasan al-Basri. He has an important place in the formation of the principles of the ideas and creed of Ahl as-Sunnah. He put forward certain views on the issues of politics and creed of that period. He criticized the Umayyad administrators and stated that it is not appropriate to obey a cruel administrator regarding all issues. "There should be no obedience to a created being if it involves disobedience to the creator" (see Bukhari, Jihad, I; Muslim, Imara, 39; Abu Dawud, Jihad, 40, 87; Nasai, Bia, 34; Ibn Majah, Jihad, 40; A. b. Hanbal, Musnad, I, 94, 409). Acting upon the hadith above, he stated that one does not have to obey the administrator if he ordered something that would necessitate disobeying Allah. (Mas'udi, Muruj adh-Dhahab, 111, 201). Hasan al-Basri stated that it was the duty of the Muslim scholars to warn the administrators and to remind them about hellfire. However, he did not accept to oppose them by the sword (by fighting) and stated the following: If the issues you mention necessitate the torture (penalty) by Allah, people cannot change the penalty of Allah by their swords. If they are trouble, it is necessary to wait for the decree of Allah patiently.

Hasan al-Basri accepts that the authorities might be oppressors and he interpreted the phrase those charged with authority in the verse "Obeythose charged with authority among you" (an-Nisa, 4/59)  as scholars by taking into consideration the advice of the Prophet (pbuh) that it is necessary to follow the scholars during the times of mischief. In the periods that followed, the scholars and Islamic jurisprudents determined the spiritual dynamics of the Islamic ummah; and people gathered around them. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsiru'l Qur'an'il-Azim, II, 303). He dismissed Wasil b. Ata, who put forward some new views about the end of those who commit major sins and the issue of qadar, from his assembly of fiqh lessons; he regarded the Kharijites' accusing some Companions of unbelief acting upon the claim that they committed major sins a sign of nifaq (hypocrisy) and refused the group of Ghulat ash-Shia (the extremists who cursed the four caliphs).

The community that followed the state of the Companions before mischief occurred and that adopted the attitude of the majority of the Companions after mischief occurred and after Muslims were divided into sects used the terms Ahl as-Sunnah, Ahl al-Haqq, Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Istiqamah, Ahl al-Hadith, Ahl al-Jama'ah, Ahl al-Hadith was-Sunnah and Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah in order to distinguish themselves from other sects. The person to use the term Ahl as-Sunnah first was Muhammed b. Sirin (d.110/728); the person to use the term "Ahl al-Haqq wal-Jama'ah" first was Abu'l-Lays as-Samarqandi (d.373/898). Beginning from the second century after the Migration, the term started to be used in the form of "Ahl al-Haqq wal-Istiqamah",  "Ahl as-Sunnah wan-Naql " and "Ashab al-Hadith". In fact, this community is not a sect; it is the majority that follows the way of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions. In the periods that followed, the term "Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah" became more common and accepted since it contained the common points in the other terms. Ahmad b. Hanbal (241/855) used a similar term: "Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah  wal-Athar". (Ibn Abi Ya'la, Tabaqatu'l-Hanabila, Cairo 1952, I, 31). Among the books that are available today, the term "Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah " exists in the book called "Sharhul-Fiqhil-Akbar" by Abu'l-Lays as-Samarqandi (373/898). "Ahl as-Sunnah" emerged as the movement of maintaining the integrity of the ummah and defending the Sunnah after the emergence of bid'ahs and various ideas in religion. Ahl as-Sunnah is a reaction against the sects of bid'ah and a movement of determining their place in religion, determining answers to the religious issues put forward by them and the stance of the Islamic community against bid'ahs.  

Hz. Prophet (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith: "The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the fire except one sect. It is jama'ah." (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, I; Tirmidhi Iman, 18; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 17; Ahmad b. Hanbal, 11, 332, 111, 145; Hakim, Mustadrak, IV,430). Hakim says this hadith complies with the conditions of Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim). Ten Companions reported this hadith from the Prophet (pbuh).  Hz. Abu Bakr and. Hz. Umar stated that Muslims would be divided into such groups. (Baghdadi, al-Farq, p.8.9). As it is stated in the hadith above, Muslims were divided into sects. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) asked his ummah to avoid novelties, that they were bid'ahs and that each bid'ah will lead man to Hell. (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 5). Bid'ahs are the innovations that occurred afterwards and that the Companions and Tabiun did not do and that were not necessitated by religious evidence. A person who has a creed contrary to the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah but who is of Ahl al-Qibla is called a bid'ah person. They are the groups of Jabriyya, Qadariyya, Rafizis, Kharijites,  Muattila (Mu'tazila) and Mushabbiha: Each of them is divided into twelve groups. They are seventy-two sects altogether. (Sayyid Sharif Jurjani, at-Ta'rifat, p.40. 43). Bid'ah means to believe in the opposite of the things that are known to come from the Prophet (pbuh). However, it is regarded bid'ah when it originates from a doubt and when it is based on some evidence, not because of obstinacy. Nobody who turns to the qiblah (performs prayers by turning toward the qiblah) can be accused of unbelief. If this opposition is due to an interpretation or doubt, they cannot be accused of unbelief. However, if a bid'ah person insists on believing in a bid'ah despite clear evidence, he exits the religion of Islam. For instance, not to accept resurrection or that the universe was created afterwards. If a person tries to interpret it based on a doubt, he cannot be accused of unbelief even if his doubt is wrong. For instance, the words of those who say it is not possible to see Allah because of His magnificence and glory. Nobody who turns to our qiblah can be accused of unbelief due to a bid'ah that is based on a doubt. However, denying a definite decree of the religion that is accepted among the essentials of the religion is undoubtedly unbelief. For instance, a person who does not believe that this realm was created afterwards and that the dead bodies will be revived exits the religion.  

A person who denies the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr and Umar and who curses them does not exit the religion if he does so based on a doubt. A person who claims that Hz. Ali is Allah and that Jibril made a mistake exits the religion. For, it does not emerge from a doubt or ijtihad; it is denial due to his own desires. Ignorant bid'ah people like the group of Mu'tazila who do not accept that there are extra meanings on the attributes of Allah, that torture in the grave and intercession are valid, that those who commit major sins will exit hell and that Allah will be seen are not accused of unbelief but they are regarded to have deviated. For, the evidence of the Quran and sound sunnah regarding the issue is clear but Ahl al-Qiblah are not accused of unbelief. On the other hand, there is consensus that their witnessing is accepted. However, the witnessing of an unbeliever against a Muslim is not valid. The issue of regarding sins as mubah is unbelief is explained as follows: If it is due to obstinacy and without evidence, it is unbelief. Denying due to religious evidence is not excused. Allah knows the hearts of His slaves best. (Ibn Abidin, Raddu'l-Mukhtar, 1, 560, 561). Our belief related to the issues of creed is determined through definite evidence, verses and hadiths; therefore, creed is not an issue of doubt and hesitation. A person who follows a fiqh madhhab should know that a mujtahid may be wrong or right about an issue and another mujtahid may be wrong or right about another issue. However, this decree is not valid related to the issues of creed. It is not possible to say the people of bid'ah may be right or we may be right. Ibn Abidin explains the issue as follows: What is meant by our creed is the issues that are wajib to be believed by every Muslim without imitating anyone. Our creed is the madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. Ahl as-Sunnah are Salafis, Ash'aris and Maturidis. The last two sects are almost the same in terms of creed. There are minor differences related to a few issues. Some say the disagreement between them is related to words. What is meant by our opponents are the bid'ah people whose creed leads to unbelief and whose creed does not lead to unbelief. Examples of bid'ahs that lead to unbelief are stating that the realm was pre-eternal and denying the prophethood of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh). Examples of bid'ahs that do not lead to unbelief are claiming that the Quran is maqhluq (created) and that Allah does not will bad deeds for His slaves. (Ibn Abidin, Raddu'l-Mukhtar, 1, 48, 49,). It is necessary to try not resemble to Rafizis and the people of bid'ah and to oppose them. It is not permissible to resemble the people of bid'ah. It is not appropriate to try to be like them and to imitate their bad states. (Ibn Abidin, Raddu'l-Mukhtar,V, 472).

After explaining these general decrees about the people of bid'ah, we can deal with the issue of the emergence of the sects of bid'ah: Their first emergence is during the caliphate of Hz. Ali.

Shahristani (549/1154) divides Islamic sects into four main groups as Qadariyya, Sifatiyya, Kharijites and Shiites, stating that the seventy-three sects emerged from them. (Shahristani, ibid, 1, 15)

Ibn Hazm (d.457/1065) divides Islamic sects into five as Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, Mu'tazila, Murjia, Shiites and Kharijites; after stating that Ahl as-Sunnah is the people of the truth and the other as the people of the wrong, he defines Ahl as-Sunnah as the Companions, the notables of Tabiun, the people of hadith and the ones who followed them. (Ibn Hazm, al-Fisal, II, 113).

Kharijites, which emerged as the first bid'ah sect during the caliphate of Hz. Ali, emerged as a political group first. Shiites emerged as a result of the agitations by Ibn Saba of Yemeni, who was a Jew, with the claim of being supporters of Hz. Ali.

The influence of Abdullah Ibn Saba in the first emergence of Shiities cannot be denied. Ibn Saba was a Jew from Yemen. He appeared to be a Muslim in order to destroy Islam from inside in accordance with the plan of Yemen Jews; he tried to put the aberrant views he took from the cultures of Jews and Fireworshippers into Islam. He is the first person to include the concepts of walayah (guardianship), wasayah (successor being appointed by the predecessor), rij'ah (returning of some of the dead people to this world) and divine right. Shiite scholars accept this destruction by Ibn Saba. An- Newbahti, a notable Shiite scholar, is among them.

Related to these incidents that became widespread in the Islamic land beginning from the second century of the Migration, the imams who emerged among these views of politics, religion, creed and fiqh in order to defend the way of Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) and his Companions systematized the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah and struggled against the people of bid'ah. Hasan al-Basri (110/128) is regarded among the first scholars who systematized this movement. It is necessary to regard Abu Hanifa among the pioneers of this school since he manifested the principles of Ahl as-Sunnah creed. Abu Mansur al-Maturidi (d.333) and Abu'l-Hasan al-Ash'ari (d.324), who are Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah scholars known by their different methods from salafis, had a special role in the maturation of the thought that followed the Sunnah.  

Political and social conditions also played a role in the emergence of Islamic sects. In certain periods of history, Sunnism, Shiism and Mu'tazila became dominant over the others and each became the official sect of the state at certain periods. This rivalry caused, sectarian bigotry, hostility and conflicts.    

In the course of time, some differences of opinion occurred among the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah. However, the elements that all of them based their views on have been the Quran, the Sunnah and clear and sound mind in compliance with these two resources. There have been some differences of opinion related to details, not main principles. Most of these differences are based on words.  

Ahl as-Sunnah was known as Ahl as-Sunnah al-Khassah at first. After that, it became known as Ahl as-Sunnah al-Aammah. In fact those who did not become involved with the issues that were not mentioned by the Quran and the Sunnah and that the Companions and Tabiun did not express their views on and who accepted the verses and hadiths as they were without interpreting them were called Ahl as-Sunnah al-Khassah, Ahl at-Tawhid and Salafiyyah. On the other hand, those who dealt with the issues of creed about which there were no verses or hadiths and no views of the Companions and Tabiun through a new method and interpreted them when it was necessary were called Ahl as-Sunnah al-Aammah, like Ash'ariyya and Maturidiyya (İzmirli İsmail Hakkı, Yeni İlmî Kelâm, p.97).

The scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah, primarily Imam Ash'ari and Imam Maturidi, and the other scholars like Imam Ghazali, Fakhruddin ar-Razi, Saduddin Taftazani, Sayyid Ali al-Jurjani and Ibn Taymiya strengthened the creed of Ahl as-Sunnah with evidences based on both reason and verses and hadiths; they struggled against Mu'tazila  and other madhhabs and sects of bid'ah, rejected their ideas that were contrary to the Book and the Sunnah and refuted the aberrant, groundless and wrong views of Aristotle and the Muslim and Greek philosophers who thought like him.

In short, Ahl as-Sunnah is divided into three as Salafiyya, Maturidiyya and Ash'ariyya in terms of method. As it was mentioned above, Salafiyya is the madhhab of those who accept verses and hadiths as they are without interpreting or likening them. For instance, while interpreting the verse "Your Guardian-Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He established Himself on the Throne (of authority)" (al-A'raf, 7/54), Imam Malik writes the following: "Istiwa (establishing) is known; its quality (nature) is unknown. It is bid'ah to ask questions about it." He did not interpret it or liken it to anything. (Qurtubi, Tafsir, V11,217-218) Ahl as-Sunnah al-Aammah, represented by Imam Maturidi and Ash'ari, interpreted the mutashabih (ambiguous) verses with the purpose of freeing Him from being likened to His creatures. For instance, they interpreted the phrase "He established Himself on the Throne" as "He became dominant on the Throne"; they interpreted the phrase Allah's hand as Allah's power and mercy.

There are some disagreements based on words between Maturidis and Ash'aris. The disagreements are said to be between thirteen and fifty. (Bekir Topaloğlu, Kelâm İlmi, 146).

On the other hand, madhhabs are connected with one another in terms of the issues of politics, fiqh and creed. There are different tendencies within the same madhhab. For instance, most of the Sunnis are Hanafi in terms of the issues related to fiqh and deeds. The great majority of Hanafis are Maturidi related to the issues of creed. Among Ahl as-Sunnah, most of Shafiis and Malikis are Ash'ari in terms of creed while Hanbalis are generally Salafi.

Scholars like Abu Hanifa, Malik, Shafii, Ahmad b. Hanbal, Maturidi, Ash'ari, Abu Bakr al-Baqillani, Abdulqadir al-Baghdadi, Imamu'l-Haramayn al-Juwayni, Imam Ghazzali, Fakhruddin ar-Razi and Nasiruddin al-Baydawi are among the notables of Ahl as-Sunnah.

Some scholars like Ibn Taymiyya and Ibnu'l-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, who preferred the way of Salaf, tried to revive and spread the madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah al-Khassah, known as Salafiyya in the last centuries. The majority of the Islamic world follows the madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah al-Aammah, which is known as Ash'ariyya and Maturidiyya, regarding creed.   

According to Abdulqadir al-Baghdadi, Ahl as-Sunnah consists of eight groups:

1- Kalam scholars who do not fall into the errors of ahl al-bid'ah.

2- Great mujtahid fiqh scholars including Thawri, Awzai, Dawud az-Zahiri and their followers.

3- Hadith scholars.

4- Scholars of sarf (morphology), nahw (grammar), lexicology and literature.

5- Imams of qira'ah (reading the Quran) and tafsir scholars who are loyal to the view of Ahl as-Sunnah.

6- Sufis (mystics) who are attached to Shari'ah.

7- Muslim mujahids who do not deviate from the way of Ahl as-Sunnah.

8- The people living in the countries where Ahl as-Sunnah creed is dominant (al-Baghdadi, al-Farq baynal-Firaq, p.313-318; Bekir Topaloğlu, ibid, p.109-110)

Sunnism, which forms the majority of the Islamic world, is not only a name, attribute or madhhab but also a living style, which is applied to life in full compliance with the Book and the Sunnah.  

The midway in creed is the way of Ahl as-Sunnah. The main feature of the ummah of Muhammad (pbuh) is moderation. God Almighty states it as follows: "Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced" (al-Baqara: 2/143).

According to a sound narration from Jabir b. Abdullah, the Prophet (pbuh) drew a line on the ground; then, he put his hand on it and said : 'This is the path of Allah. Then he drew lines to its right and to its left. Then, he said, "These are different ways, upon each of which is a devil calling to it. Then, he recited the following verse: "Verily, this is My Way leading straight: follow it: follow not (other) paths " (al-An'am, 6/153) (Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 2; Darimi, Muqaddima, 23; Ahmad b. Hanbal, Musnad, 1/435). Hz. Prophet (pbuh) pointed at the deviations to the right and left in the religion and stated that the true path was the path of Ahl as-Sunnah in the middle.

Imam Tahawi summarizes the way of Ahl as-Sunnah as follows: This religion is the midway between two extremisms, between denial and embodiment, between pre-determination and determinism, between hopelessness and overconfidence, between fear and hope. Our religion is like that apparently and esoterically. The views of the aberrant ways and rejected madhabs like mushabbiha, mu'tazila, jahmiyya, jabriyya, and qadariyya that opposed Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamaah were studied by Ahl as-Sunnah scholars and they were given convincing answers based on evidence. (Tahawi, Sharhu Akidati't- Tahawiyya, 586-588).

5 Can you give an example of a practice in four Madhabs which can be like water explained below in the description?

The true madhhabs should look at one another in the form of "Musawwiba".

Regarding the views put forward about an issue, some scholars say that only one of those views is true and that there cannot be more than one truth. However, there are also some scholars who say that there can be more than one truth. 

The scholars who accept that there can be more than one true view about an issue are called "the people of Musawwiba", and the view put forward by those scholars is called "the way of Musawwiba ".

According to those who support the way of Musawwiba, all mujtahids are right and all madhhabs are true. The views and fatwas of mujtahid scholars are in accordance with the consent of Allah even if they are contrary to one another. 

According to those who support that there is only one true view, only one of the mujtahids who have different ijtihads regarding an issue is right and the others are wrong. They gain rewards since they have made ijtihad but their views are not true. Only one of the views regarding an issue is in accordance with the consent of Allah, the others are not. Therefore, they are wrong.

The view claiming that there is only one true view and that the others are wrong is called "the way of Mukhattia". Displaying this way and approach is called "takhtia". Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states in his work called Sünuhat that the people of Mukhatiia say, "My madhhab is true; there is a possibility of being wrong. Other madhhabs are wrong; there is a possibility that they may be true."

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi , who adopts the way of "Musawwiba" and expresses this view in some of his books states that those who hold the view of "takhtia" might lead the majority of the people who do not have sufficient religious knowledge to wrong ways. He states that these people cannot discriminate between the interpretations about the basic conditions of the religion in the views of those who have a takhtia approach and their views about ijtihad; therefore, they can generalize the takhtia approach by mistake or due to delusions; such a practice will cause great dangers.   He describes takhtia approach as an illness originating from fondness of one's self. The indication of this illness is "the monopolistic mentality", that is, the approach, "this is the only truth".  He states that the people of takhtia are responsible for the occurrence of such a negative state and that they cannot see the all-encompassing and inclusive properties of the Quran and the fact that the Quran addresses all layers of the community.

For instance, in the Near East culture, eating insects is normal but it is disgusting in our culture. Which one can we say is true and which one is wrong? They are true in their own cultures.

Therefore, it is permissible to eat insects in Maliki madhhab but it is not permissible in Hanafi madhhab. Is it not more appropriate and better to say both (Hanafi and Maliki) of the decrees are right instead of saying one of them is wrong but it might be true and the other is right but it might be wrong?    

The musawwiba approach disallows bigotry based on madhhabs by saying, "the decrees of all true madhhabs are true and right in terms of their own positions and conditions."

Regarding the issue of wiping (mash) the head while making wudu, according to Hanafis, it is enough to wipe one-fourth of the head, according to Shafiis, it is enough to wipe the head with one finger but according to Malikis, it is necessary to wipe the whole head. For the Muslims who live in the poles, the appropriate one is the fatwa of Shafiis; for the Muslims who live in Africa, the appropriate one is the fatwa of Malikis and for the Muslims who live in mild climates, the appropriate one is the fatwa of Hanafis.     

In this case, there is not only one truth but three. The view of all three madhabs seems to be right based on the geographical conditions. Then, the true views may be more than one regarding the details of the religion. Therefore, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Difference of opinion in my ummah, that is having different madhhabs, is mercy." (see Kashfu'l-Khafa,1/64)

Another determination of Nursi about the approach of takhtia is that this approach is the origin of the feeling of having bad thoughts about others and partiality. An approach in the form of regarding all of the views and thoughts of others as wrong will eliminate the unity and fraternity in the community. It destroys solidarity, unity of hearts, mutual love and respect. There is a very essential and important duty: to have good thoughts about others, to love and to form unity.

6 Did Ash’ari and Maturidi follow Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafii?

1. Abu Hanifa’s kalam and fiqh thought was transferred to the Transoxiana region through his students. The teacher line of Maturidi, who received knowledge from scholars belonging to Hanafi madhhab, reaches Abu Hanifa through Imam Muhammad.

It is stated by Abul-Muin an-Nasafi that Maturidi, who is characterized as the person who knows the views of Abu Hanifa best among Hanafi scholars, contributed greatly to the spread of Hanafi madhhab, especially in the field of creed.

In addition, it is shown as a distinctive feature that the scholars in the region are Hanafi in both fiqh and creed. Non-Hanafi scholars such as Tajuddin as-Subki also describe Maturidi as a member of Abu Hanifa’s madhhab.

While classifying the Islamic madhhabs, the basic principles of each madhhab were taken as basis. Differences in opinions other than those basic principles do not constitute an obstacle to belonging to that madhhab.

Abu Hanifa’s distinctive feature regarding the issue is that he describes belief as the confirmation by the heart and makes the distinction between deeds and belief clear. According to him, the faith of a believing believer does not increase or decrease as his deeds increase or decrease.

Although especially Hanafi fiqh scholars consider expressing belief with the tongue necessary as a pillar of belief, the fact that Imam Maturidi complied with Abu Hanifa in this regard, and that he regarded only confirmation by the heart as a pillar of belief shows that he fully followed Abu Hanifa’s creed. The fact that he mentions Abu Hanifa’s work “al-Alim wal-Mutaallim” also shows that he benefited from it.

It is also known that he read Mabsut written by Imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani on fiqh issues.

When his views in Maturidi tafsir are examined, it is seen that he benefited from the views of Abu Hanifa and his close students.

Therefore, Alauddin as-Samarqandi, who annotated Maturidi’s work called “Tawilatul-Quran”, stated that this work was on the way of Abu Hanifa and his students in terms of fiqh methodology and practice.

2. Imam Shafii attended the lessons of Malik b. Anas and was his student until his death. After leaving Madinah, Imam Shafii lived in Baghdad for a while, and during this period, he attended the lessons of Muhammad ash-Shaybani, one of Abu Hanifa’s students, read and debated his works. He supported the views of the Companions of Hadith against Ahl ar-Ray in particular and contributed to their strengthening.

Imam Shafii, who started to form his original thought after going to Egypt, avoided imitating completely the views of his teacher, Imam Malik, to whom he held fast before.

In Imam Shafi’s thought, devotion to divine revelation was accepted as the basic principle. He regards the Sunnah as an inseparable part of revelation along with the verses of the Quran; he argues the necessity of knowing the Arabic language with its subtleties in order to draw conclusions from them. Methodologically, he did not stand close to the science of kalam.

He devoted his life to the science of fiqh; it is reported that he was not pleased to be mentioned with the science of kalam. He criticized Mutazilah, which dealt with and supported the science of kalam in his period.

Contrary to Abu Hanifa, he argued that belief would increase and decrease regarding the issue of “increase and decrease in belief”, which was also an important discussion topic of the period. If belief had a structure that would not increase or decrease, there would be no difference among people in terms of virtue.

The branch of Ahl as-Sunnah kalam extending to Ash’aris emerged after him.

Imam Ash’ari became close to Hanbali madhhab after leaving Mutazilites but he adopted the kalam method of scholars such as Abdullah b. Kullab and Harith al-Muhasibi and provided the development of Ahl as-Sunnah kalam through that intellectual structure. After him, as powerful scholars such as Baqillani, Ibn Furak, and Abu Ishaq al-Isfarayini followed his madhhab, it was transformed into a systematic structure called Ash’ariyya and became widespread.

It does not seem possible to talk about Shafii’s contribution to Ash’ari’s kalam system because, as we have briefly explained, Imam Shafii took a stance against the method of kalam.

The fact that the scholars of Shafii madhhab in amal (deeds) adopted Ash’ariyya as the method of kalam related to fiqh caused the mentioning of those two madhhabs together.

Belonging to Ash’ariyya was not limited to Shafii madhhab; it developed in an eclectic structure, including Maliki and Hanbali scholars too.

In conclusion:

- Abu Hanifa was influential on Imam Maturidi and the scholars who were members of Maturidiyya madhhab both in terms of creed and fiqh practice.

- Imam Shafii’s relationship with Ash’ariyya is limited to the belonging of the scholars of Shafii madhhab in fiqh practice.

References:

- Abul-Muin an-Nasafi, Tabsiratul-Adilla, Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı, Ankara 2003.
- Ahmet Ak, Matüridiliğin Hanefilikle İlişkisi, Milel-Nihal Dergisi, Vol. 7, May-August 2010.
-Yusuf Şevki Yavuz, Eşariyye, DİA, XI, 447-455, İstanbul 1995.

7 Will you explain the concepts of Ahl as-Sunnah and Ahl al-Bayt?

When it is viewed from the point of view of the groups that are affiliated with Islam but have very different aspects, there are generally two different mentalities. The first one of them is Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah and the second one is Ahl al-Bid’ah.

Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is defined in the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as “those who follow the way that I and my Companions follow”. (Majmauz-Zawaid,1/189) Therefore, those who do not adhere to that creed are regarded as people of bid’ah. They consist of seventy-two sects. Mutazila, Jahmiya, Qadariyya, Shi’a and similar ones are among them.

Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah have two different madhhabs (sects) of creed: Ash’ari and Maturidi. There is no difference between them in terms of basic principles. There are some small differences in details. Therefore, both represent the same group.    

The evidence that we are on the way of the Quran and the Sunnah is the path followed by the madhhab scholars called Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. As it is known, this great congregation, containing scholars each of which shines like a bright star, previously consisted of twelve sects. Then, four of them remained. It is very unlikely that a school composed of such great scholars - as a community - will make mistakes. As a matter of fact, the Prophet states the following in a hadith:

“My ummah will not agree on misguidance.” (Majmauz-Zawaid, 5/208)

Islamic scholars mention the hadith above as evidence that Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are on the right path. (For more information, see Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 1; Tirmidhi, Iman, 18; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 17; Ibn Hanbal, 2/332)

We should not forget that following the line of Ahl as-Sunnah, which forms the vast majority of the ummah, includes the greatest, genius scholars, and adopts the line of the Quran and the Sunnah as a road map, is a much more logical way than putting yourself at risk by following marginal groups. There is no point in deviating into byways when the vast street awaits you.

Ahl al-Bayt is the name of the descendants of the Prophet born of his daughter Fatima.

It is sheer ignorance to think that Ahl al-Bayt is outside Ahl as-Sunnah.

Hz. Ali and Hz. Fatima are among the most important personalities of the Ahl al-Bayt. Since Ahl as-Sunnah means to follow the path of the Prophet (pbuh), who else can be from Ahl as-Sunnah if those two blessed people, who are the closest to and most beloved people of the Prophet (pbuh), are not from Ahl as-Sunnah?

Each of the twelve imams from Ahl al-Bayt was a famous scholar who was highly respected when they lived.

After Hz. Ali, the imams of the Ahl al-Bayt were Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn. It is not possible to say that those two people, who are the masters of Paradise and two roses that the Messenger of Allah smelled, were not from Ahl as-Sunnah, that is, they were outside the way on which the Prophet and his Companions followed; no Muslim would make such a claim.

- After Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn, the chief imam of Ahl al-Bayt was Zayn al-Abidin. The real name of this person, who was the son of Husayn, was Ali, the name of his grandfather. Along with his knowledge and wisdom, he was at the peak in terms of worshipping and sainthood; therefore, the scholars of the period gave him the nickname Zayn al-Abidin (the adornment/rose of the worshippers). That he became famous for praying one thousand rak’ahs of nafilah prayers every day - day and night - (see Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, 7/304) is an indication that he deserves that nickname. It will be sufficient to look at the sources to see how the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah, especially Imam Zuhri, the teacher of the hadith scholars, narrated hadiths from Zayn al-Abidin and how they praised him. (see Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, 7/304)

- Imam Muhammad Baqir is Zayn al-Abidin’s son. He is an Ahl al-Bayt imam famous for his knowledge, wisdom and taqwa. Ishaq as-Sabui, Zuhri, Ibn Ata, Awzai, Ibn Jurayj and Makhul, who are among the stars of Ahl as-Sunnah scholars, narrated hadiths from him; hadith scholars such as Ibn Sad, Nasai and Ijli praised him (Ibn Hajar, ibid, 9/350-352), which nullifies the words of others.

- Imam Jafar Sadiq, who is Imam Muhammad Baqir’s son, is famous for his loyalty. Abu Hanifa, one of the Imams of Ahl as-Sunnah, was his student and narrated hadiths from him; Imam Malik said,

“I visited him from time to time; whenever I saw him, he was praying, fasting or reading the Quran. I have never seen him narrate a hadith without wudu.”

Thus, he witnessed Imam Jafar’s loyalty and taqwa. Do they not show that this blessing person is from Ahl as-Sunnah? (For scholar’s praises for him, see Ibn Hajar, ibid, 2/103-105)

Should it not be regarded insanity to accuse that honorable person, who is respected by the scholars and saints of that period, of not following the way of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his grandfather?

The imams of the four madhhabs, especially Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Shafii, and many other Ahl as-Sunnah scholars were accused of being Shia because of their respect and love for Ahl al-Bayt and were tortured by some state authorities of the period. In fact, Imam Shafii opposed those cruelties and declared his love for Ahl al-Bayt by saying, “If loving Ahl al-Bayt is regarded as Rafidite (an extreme branch of Shia), let all humans and jinn know that I am a Rafidi”. Is it possible for us take into account the fallacies of Ahl al-bid’ah - based on Kharijites and Wahhabis - related to Ahl al-Bayt by ignoring the testimony of the four madhhab imams, who represented Ahl as-Sunnah throughout history?

To sum up, the imams of Ahl al-Bayt are from Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. The title of “Ahl al-Bayt” is not a deficiency for them; on the contrary, it is a degree that will elevate them to the sky. They may have different ijtihads on some issues. As a matter of fact, the imams of the four madhhabs have different ijtihads too.

We should regretfully state that since some Shia groups who supported Ahl al-Bayt slandered them and wrote wrong things in their narrations from Ahl al-Bayt, Ahl as-Sunnah scholars (not because of those imams) evaluated the hadiths and news they narrated from Ahl al-Bayt with caution. Some other groups made efforts for the treacherous goal of eliminating Ahl al-Bayt imams by making false interpretations and judgments about them because they acted with the Umayyad and Kharijite mentality.

Unfortunately, some bad people today still have that mentality. In fact, the attitude of some Shiites who display their hatred against Hz. Umar in the form of love of Hz. Ali is wrong; similarly, those who display their hatred against Shiites who love Hz. Ali and Ahl al-Bayt in the form of loyalty to Ahl as-Sunnah are also on the wrong path.  

May our Lord not make us deviate from the true direction. Amin!

8 Will you answer the claim that the narration saying, “My ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects” is not reliable?

The following is stated in another hadith narration: 

“My Ummah will be divided into seventy-two sects; only one of them will be the people of salvation.” When he was asked who they were, he said, “They are those who are in the congregation.” (Ahmad b. Hanbal, 3/145; Zawaid, 6/226) The following statement is included in another narration: “They are those who are on the path that I and my companions follow.”

There are different narrations with different chains of narrators. Some of them are weak and some are sound. The narrations that the scholars who have analyzed the hadiths regarding the issue call weak are different from the narrations that are sound.

One of those sound narrations is as follows:

“Jews were divided into seventy-one (71) sects; all but one will enter Hell. Christians were divided into seventy-two (72) sects, all but one will enter Hell. And this ummah will be divided into seventy-three (73) sects, all but one will enter Hell.” (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 1; Tirmidhi, Iman, 18; Ibn Majah, Fitnah, 17; Ibn Hanbal, 2/332)

Tirmidhi reports that this hadith narrated from Abu Hurayra is sound (see Tirmidhi, ibid.) Al-Mundhiri also attracts attention to Tirmidhi’s explanation. (see Tuhfatul-Ahwazi, the explanation of the hadith in question)

However, this narration of Tirmidhi does not include the addition, “All but one will enter Hell.” Tirmidhi uses the expression “hasan, gharib, mufassar (interpreted by the narrator)” for the narration with this addition. (ibid)

Ibn Taymiyah, who is known for his meticulousness in analyzing hadiths, considers this hadith to be sound and uses it as evidence regarding the issue. (see Majmu’ Fatawa-Shamila-1/285)

Hakim narrates this hadith in a very short form and states that it is sound: “My Ummah will be divided into seventy-odd sects, the largest of which will do things according to their own desires, making what is halal haram and what is haram halal.” (Mustadrak, 4/430)

As it is understood from the explanations above, it is not possible to say that this hadith is fabricated. Although there are weak narrations, there are also narrations that are accepted as sound by many scholars.

The determination of the sects mentioned in the hadith is a difficult issue. The Prophet (pbuh) defined firqah an-najiyah (saved sect) as “those who are on the path that I and my companions follow”. Given that, it would not be appropriate to exclude more than a hundred sects today by calling them the others. Undoubtedly, there may be groups that directly contradict the principles of belief in Islam. Our scholars have tried not to declare those who do not think like them as unbelievers throughout history.

Do we, who consider ourselves Ahl al-Sunnah, not make any mistakes? In this century, the “brotherhood of belief” envisioned by the Quran is more important than in any other century. It is necessary to strongly avoid attitudes that will damage it, and not to discuss controversial issues. We accept Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia and Shiites in Iran as Muslims, and we refer their mistakes, if any, to Allah.

In an era when irreligious movements are shoulder to shoulder attacking the common belief principles of all the heavenly religions, it is obligatory for Muslims not only to ensure unity among themselves, but also to join hands with the sincere religious groups of the heavenly religions to fight against unbelief and debauchery, and to defend the basic principles of the true religion. While hundreds of currents around an atheist, materialist philosophy - just to eradicate the principles of the true religion and replace them with all kinds of immorality - have allied and united, so to speak, in the religion of irreligion, it is necessary and essential for the members of the true religion to unite for the sake of defending the truths of the true religion, for the sake of Allah, and not to see one another’s faults. Otherwise, it would be like fighting against the bite of a mosquito while ignoring the attacking dragons.

9 Will you mention the basic principles of Ahl as-Sunnah?

Ahl as-Sunnah is a term that means “those who adopt the path followed by the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions related to the fundamental issues of the religion”.

Ahl al-Bid’ah is a phrase meaning “groups that emerged after the Age of Bliss and that adopted certain faiths and deeds that are not based on any religious evidence”.

It is possible to summarize the basic features of Ahl al-Bid’ah in four points.

1. Not being familiar with the spirit of the nass (verses of the Quran and sound hadiths) and the basic orientations of Islam, or being under the influence of foreign cultures and interpreting nass based on distant interpretations.

In addition, it is also considered within this feature to be stuck with the outward meaning of some verses and hence hadiths, without considering the Quran’s unique style and logic, and the features of the Arabic language, and to make the preconceived and subjective views dominant in the interpretation of the nass.

Ghazzali, who aimed to draw these two extreme views, which can be summarized as “blind allegiance to nass or mind” to the moderate line, wrote the book named “al-Iqtisad fil-Itiqad “.

2. Not having good intentions about the Companions, who constituted the first generation of Islam in terms of both belief and practice, and who passed the last divine religion on to the next generations in terms of thought and action, and not valuing their narrations, understanding and practices, especially concerning religion.

3. Assuming a negative attitude against the verbal and actual sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). Those who reject some hadiths that they cannot reconcile with their own views though they are compatible with the general character of the Quran and the basic orientations of Islam on the grounds that they are not mutawatir, and those who fabricate hadiths to support their madhhab views or those who narrate such hadiths are also included in this group.

4. Breaking away from the religious understanding of the majority (jama’ah, jumhur al-muslimin) that formed beginning from the Companions, accusing the opposing groups of unbelief with minority psychology, and regarding the basic decrees of the religion as debatable.

If the basic principles of Ahl as-Sunnah are known, it will be easier to understand on what issues those who do not comply with it differ from the Ahl as-Sunnah.

The basic views of Ahl as-Sunnah and the indications showing that a person is not from Ahl al-Bid’ah can be briefly summarized as follows:

1. Allah exists and is one.

2. There are angels.

3. The (divine) books are true.

4. The Quran is the word of Allah; the Quran is a miracle.

5. Prophets are messengers of Allah; prophethood is true.

6. Muhammad (pbuh) is the messenger of Allah. Muhammad is the last prophet.

7. Resurrection is true. There is resurrection after death.

8. Paradise and Hell have been created and are eternal.

9. Qadar (destiny) exists.

10. It is Allah who creates good and evil.

11. Allah knows the future.

12. Hadith-sunnah is a source of the religion. Hadith-sunnah is Allah’s approval.

13. Companions are the most virtuous people after the prophets.

14. There madhhabs and they are true.

15. A person who commits a major sin does not become an unbeliever.

16. He who dies as a believer will not remain in Hell forever.

17. There are miracles and they are true.

18. There are karamahs and they are true.

19. Ru’yah (Seeing Allah) is true and it will happen.

20. There is intercession and it is true.

21. Paradise is grace and Hell is justice.

22. There is life in the grave and it is true.

23. The miracle of Miraj (ascension) is true.

24. There are signs of Doomsday.

25. The prayer of the living for the dead is true.

26. Wiping over khuffs is true.

27. A person who says I am a Muslim cannot be called an unbeliever.

28. Muta marriage is haram.

29. Allah is free from space and time.

30. Only Allah knows ghayb (the unseen/unknown), and if He wishes, He can inform His prophets and saints about it.

31. The spirit does not die. The spirits of the dead unbelievers and Muslims hear.

32. Visiting graves is permissible.

33. Tawassul is permissible.

10 Will you give information about Shafii madhhab? When did Shafii madhhab originate? Who is its founder? What are his views? Will you explain it shortly?

SHAFII MADHHAB

The fiqh school that is attributed to Imam Shafii (d. 204/819).  

The full family name of Shafii is Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. Idris al-Qurashi al-Hashimi al-Muttalibi b. Abbas b. Osman b. Shafi' ; he was born in Ghazza in 150 H. He is the ninth descent grandson of Abdu Manaf, who is the fourth ancestor of Hz. Prophet (pbuh). Imam Shafii's year of birth coincides with Abu Hanifa's year of death (d. 150/767).

His father Idris went to Ghazza, Palestine, on business and died there. Two years after his birth, his mother took him to Makkah, their hometown. He memorized the whole Quran at a very young age. He learned poetry and literature in the tribe of Huzayl, whose members spoke fluent Arabic. Then, he was taught by Muslim b. Khalid az-Zana, the mufti of Makkah; he became knowledgeable enough to issue fatwas. He was about fifteen years old then. After that, he went to Madinah. The mujtahid Imam Malik b. Anas (d. 179/795) was a master in fiqh there. When Malik saw that Imam Shafii read al-Muwatta, which was Imam Malik's work, by heart, he was astonished. Imam Shafii narrated hadiths from Sufyan b. Uyayna, Fudayl b. Iyad, Muhammad b. Shafii, his uncle, and others.

He took the books of Iraqi fiqh scholars from Muhammad b. al-Hasan. He had religious discussions with them. He met and talked to Ahmad b. Hanbal (d 241/855) in Makkah in 187 H and in Baghdad in 195 H. Thus, he learned about Hanbali fiqh, its method and issues of nasikh (abrogating) and mansukh (abrogated). Then, he put forward his views, which are known as "the old madhhab of Imam Shafii" in Baghdad. He went to Egypt in 200 H and compiled his views, which are known as his "New Madhhab". He died there in 204/819 and was buried in a place called Qarafa.

Imam Shafii formed fiqh methodology first and wrote his book called "ar-Risala" on this issue. His work called al-Hujja includes his views in Iraq and his works "al-Umm" his views in Egypt.

Imam Shafii was an absolute and independent mujtahid; he was an imam in fiqh, hadith and methodology (usul). He followed a method that combined the fiqh of Iraq and Hejaz. Ahmad b. Hanbal stated the following about him:

"Shafii was the person who was the best regarding Allah's book and the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah among people." (Wahba az-Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami wa Adillatuh, Damascus 1405/1985, I/36, 37)

The Methodology of Shafii Madhhab

It is based on the Book, the Sunnah, Consensus and Analogy as evidence. Shafii rejects "Istihsan" (Juristic Preference), which is accepted by Hanafis and Malikis. He says, "Anyone who does istihsan imposes a shari'ah himself." He also refused to accept Masalih al-Mursalah (Public Interest) and Amal al- Madinah (the Practice of the People of Madinah) as evidence. The people of Baghdad gave him the nickname of "Nasir as-Sunnah" (Helper of the Sunnah).

Four Iraqi friends of Imam Shafii reported his "old madhhab" from him. They are Ahmad b. Hanbal, Abu Thawr, Za'farani and Karabisi. The following Egyptian friends of his reported his "new madhhab" included in al-Umm: al-Muzani, al-Buwayti, ar-Rabiul-Jayzi, ar-Rabi' b. Sulayman and others. In Shafiis, the views on which fatwas are based are the views of the new madhhab. For, Imam Shafii abandoned his old views and said,

"I will not forgive anyone who reports them from me."

However, about fifteen simple issues are exempted. On the other hand, it is stated that Imam Shafii said,

"When a hadith is sahih (sound) it is my madhhab. In that case, if my word is contrary to a hadith, discard my word." (az-Zuhayli, ibid, I/37; Muhammad Abu Zahra, Kitabush-Shafii, 149 ff)

Tadwin (Documentation and recording of Hadith in written form) of Fiqh Methodology by Shafii

Certain rules of methodology were observed in deducing decrees from verses and hadiths and settling daily religious problems related to details since the period of the Companions. In the period of the first mujtahid imams, oral naskh (abrogation) rules, information related to methodology like absolute, conditional, general, particular were used in making decrees. However, they were not written in the form of a book. Imam Shafii wrote about the issues of methodology in his book "ar-Risala" for the first time. For, Shafii found the wealth of fiqh that was transferred from the Companions, Tabiun and the fiqh scholars before him ready; he followed a uniting role with the knowledge of Madinah fiqh he received from Imam Malik and Iraq fiqh from Imam Muhammad. Since he knew the fiqh of Makkah, where he was brought up, very well, he developed the ability of determining the general methods of fiqh due to his sound infrastructure and formed the methodology of fiqh.

It is not strange that fiqh was written before methodology in madhhabs. For, the main topic in decrees is fiqh. Usul is a science of methodology and it exists naturally like the quality of the mind distinguishing between the right and wrong. For instance, when there are two verses that contradict each other regarding the same issue, the one that was sent down later abrogates the previous one and a particular decree limits a general decree. 

Shafii deduced decrees from verses and hadiths since he knew the language very well and he learned the issue of maskh since he was brought up in Makkah, where the knowledge of Abdullah b. Abbas, who was known as the translator of the Quran was taught.

The methodology of Shafiis is also called the methodology of mutakallimun (kalam scholars). For, their studies related to methodology are fully theoretical. Having a madhhab did not affect their methodology. For instance, Shafii does not accept ijma' as-sukut (consensus that was not objected). However, al-Amidi (d. 631/1233) prefers ijma' as-sukut in his book called "al-Ihkam" though he follows Shafii madhhab. [al-Amidi, al-Ihkami Usulil-Ahkam, Cairo (nd), I, 265]. This methodology is described as "the methodology of mutakallimun" because it made use of the methodology and topic of the science of kalam and it had philosophical and logical aspects. For instance, the issues like whether the good and the bad can be known by the mind, which is a topic of kalam, and whether the prophets had the attribute of ismah (innocence) before they became prophets were discussed.   

The oldest and most important three books written with the methodology of Shafiis or kalam scholars are as follows:

1) "Kitabul-Mu'tamad" Abu'l-Husayn Muhammad b. Ali al-Basri (d. 463/1071), who is from Mu'tazila school, 
2) "Kitabul-Burhan" written by Imamul-Haramayn al-Juwayni (d. 487/1085), who is from Shafii school
3) "Al-Mustasfa" written by Imam al-Ghazzali (d. 505/1111)

Fakhruddin ar-Razi (d. 606/1209) summarized these three books and made some additions, calling this work "al-Mahsul ". The work of Sayfuddin al-Amidi (d. 631/1233) called "al-Ihkam" is a combining book and a summary like that one. Afterwards, Sirajuddin al-Urmawi (d. 682/1283) summarized "al-Mahsul" in his book called "at-Tahsil" and Tajuddin al-Urmawi (d. 656/1258) summarized it in his book called "al-Hasil". Shihabuddin al-Qarafi (d. 684/1285) wrote a small book called "at-Tankihat" including some basic knowledge and rules that he deemed important from these two books. Abdullah b. Umar al-Baydawi (d. 685/1286) did something similar.

Ibn Hajib (d. 846/1442) summarized al-Amidi's book al-Ihkam in "Muntaha as-Sul wal-Amal". Then, he also summarized this work in his book called "Mukhtasarul-Muntaha". Afterwards, explanations were written for these summaries.

The Resources on which Shafii Fiqh is Based

Imam Shafii determined the evidences on which he based his ijtihads as follows in "al-Umm":

"Ilm (knowledge) is divided into several degrees. The first is the Quran and the Sunnah which is fixed. The second is consensus on issues about which there are no decrees in the Book and the Sunnah. The third is the words of some Companions. However, there must not be any contradictions among these words of the Companions. The fourth is the words that are controversial among Companions. The fifth is analogy. This is basically based on the Book and the Sunnah. Knowledge is acquired from the highest of these degrees." (ash-Shafii, al-Umm, Cairo 1321-1325, VII/246)

Accordingly, Shafii school accepts the Book and the Sunnah as the main source of the Islamic law. For, the other evidences are basically based on these two evidences and they cannot be contrary to these two. Shafii accepts the Book and the Sunnah which is fixed as evidence of the same degree. For, the Sunnah completes the expression of the Quran and expands its short statements; it also explains some subtleties that some people cannot understand. Accordingly, the Sunnah needs to be in the same degree as the thing that it explains in terms of knowledge so that it will be in the explanatory state. Many Companions regarded hadiths like this.

However, this state does not mean that Imam Shafii regards the Sunnah as equal to the Quran in all aspects. For, the Quran is the word of Allah, and the Sunnah is the words, deeds and consent of the Prophet (pbuh). The Quran is read with the purpose of worshipping but the Sunnah is not read with this purpose. The Quran is definite with tawatur but most of the Sunnah is not based on tawatur. According to Imam Shafii, the Sunnah is like a branch of the Quran. Therefore, it takes its strength from the Quran, supports it and completes it. Accordingly, the one that explains and the one that is explained should be equal to each other. However, the Sunnah must be sound for it. Therefore, ahad and mursal hadiths are not as strong as the former. On the other hand, Shafii states clearly that the Sunnah is not at the same level as the Quran in determining the principles of faith. (M. Abu Zahra, İslâm'da Fıkhı Mezhepler Tarihi, Trnls. by Abdülkadir Şener, İstanbul 1978, p. 336, 337)

Shafiis Accepting Ahad Hadith as Evidence

The hadith that is narrated by one, two or more Companions and that does not meet the conditions of mashhur hadith is called "ahad hadith". Hanafis divide hadiths that have no interruption in their chains of narrators into three as mutawatir, mashhur and ahad. According to the majority of mujtahids, the Sunnah is divided into two as mutawatir and ahad. Mashhur sunnah is not a type of its own but like ahad sunnah. For, in mashhur sunnah, the number of the narrators of the first level does not reach the number of tawatur. According to the majority, ahad sunnah is divided into three as gharib, aziz and mustafid. Gharib means a hadith that has only one narrator in all three levels or in any level. Aziz hadith means a hadith that has two narrators in all three levels or more than two narrators in one or two levels but two narrators in one or two levels. Mustafid hadith means a hadith that has three or more narrators in all three levels.

When Imam Shafii accepts ahad hadith as evidence, he regards it enough if the chain is sound and uninterrupted. He does not look for conditions like the narrator of the ahad hadith to be a fiqh scholar and to act in accordance with the hadith, and the hadith to be in compliance with general rules like Hanafis or to be in accordance with the practice of the people of Madinah like Malikis.  

When Imam Shafii defends hadith, he puts forward that ahad hadiths should also be accepted as evidence using the following evidences:

1. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) sent single messengers, which did not reach the number of tawatur, to call tribes and nations to Islam. Nobody objected to it saying that the number of the messengers is not enough.

2. Judgments are given based on the witnessing of two people in the cases regarding property and blood. (see al-Baqara, 2/282). However, two is not a number that is enough for tawatur.

3. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) allowed even encouraged the people who heard hadiths from him to narrate it to others even if the listener was only one person. The following is stated in a hadith:  

"May Allah illuminate a person who hears a word from me and narrates it to others!" (Tirmidhi, Ilm, 7; Abu Dawud, Ilm, 10; Ibn Majah, Muqaddima, 18; Manasik, 46; Ahmad b. Hanbal, I/437, V/183).

On the other hand, the Prophet asked those who listened to the sermon during the Farewell Hajj to convey what they heard to the others stating that it was possible for those to understand the decrees better than those who conveyed them. (Bukhari, Ilm, 9, 10, 37; Hajj, 132, Sayd, 8; Adahi, 5; Maghazi, 51; Fitan, 8; Tawhid, 24; Muslim, Hajj, 446; Qasama, 29,30; Abu Dawud, Tatawwu', 10; Tirmidhi, Hajj, 1; Nasai, Hajj, 111).

4. The Companions narrated the hadith of the Prophet (pbuh) from one another singly; they did not lay it as a condition for a hadith to be narrated by several people.  (Abu Zahra, ibid, 339, 340)

Imam Shafii Accepting Mursal Hadith as Evidence

A hadith that has an interruption in its chain is called "Mursal Hadith". When somebody from Tabiun skips the Companions and when somebody from Tabau-Tabiin skips the Tabiun or Companions and narrates a hadith as if they heard it from the Prophet (pbuh) directly, it is called mursal hadith. Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik accept hadiths like that if the narrator is a trustable person without laying any other conditions.

Imam Shafii accepts a mursal hadith if the person from Tabiun is a famous one like Said b. al-Musayyab of Madinah and Hasan al-Basri of Iraq and one who met and talked to many Companions. In addition, he lays it as condition for the hadith to have the following properties: 

1. A mursal hadith must be supported by another hadith that has the same meaning and full chain.
2. A mursal hadith must be supported by another mursal hadith that is accepted by scholars. 
3. A mursal hadith must be in compliance with the words of some Companions.
4. Scholars had to accept that mursal hadith and most of that had to issue fatwas based on it.

However, if a mursal hadith contradicts with a hadith that has full chain, the latter is preferred. (M. Abu Zahra, Usulul-Fiqh, Darul-Fikril-Arabi print 1377/1958, nd, 111,112)

Example from practice:

The following is reported from Hz. Aisha (d. 58/677):

"Some food was given to Hafsa as a gift. We were both fasting but we broke our fast with that food. Then, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) arrived. We told him about the situation. The Messenger of Allah said,

"It is all right. Perform fasting another day for it. "

This hadith is mursal because az-Zuhri (d 124/741) reported it from Hz. Aisha but he did not hear it from Hz. Aisha in person; he heard it from Urwa b. az-Zubayr. (ash-Shawkani, Naylul-Awtar, IV, 319). Therefore, Imam Shafii does not act based on this mursal hadith and says a person who breaks a nafilah fasting does not have to perform it another day.

On the other hand, he accepts the following hadith reported by Zuhri because its narrator Said b. al-Musayyab is famous:

"When a person who pawns something does not pay his debt, the thing that is pawned does not cease to be his property. The yield and damage of the thing that is pawned belongs to the person who pawns it." (Ibn Majah, Ruhun, 3; Zaylai, Nasbur-Raya, IV/319-321)

According to this hadith, something that is pawned is like an entrusted thing. If it is harmed without a deliberate act or mistake of the person to whom it is entrusted, the debt of the person who pawns it does not decrease. (Zakiyuddin Sha'ban, Usulul-Fiqh, Trnsl. by İbrahim Kâfi Dönmez, Ankara 1990, 80,81)

Shafii not Accepting Ijma as-Sukut as Evidence

Ijma (Consensus) is divided into two as clear and sukuti. There is no disagreement about the former being evidence. Ijma as-Sukut (consensus that was not objected) means one or more than one mujtahid expressing their view regarding a religious issue and the other mujtahids living in the same period hearing it but keeping silent without supporting or opposing it. According to Malikis and the last view of Imam Shafii, ijma as-sukut is not regarded as evidence. For, the mujtahids keeping silent about an issue may mean that they agree with it but it may originate from some other reasons. The reasons for keeping silent might be not making a decision about the issue yet, refraining from the mujtahid who has expressed his view and fearing that he might be harmed when he expresses his view. In brief, the existence of ijma cannot be mentioned unless agreement occurs. Al-Amidi, who is a Shafii scholar accepting ijma as-sukut, uses the term "evidence based on zann (view/probability)". (M. Abu Zahra, ash-Shafii, Trnsl. by Osman Keskioğlu, Ankara 1969, p. 252 ff.)

Shafii School Opposing Istihsan

Istihsan (Juristic Preference) means a mujtahid having a decree about an issue and then abandoning that decree and giving another decree based on evidence like a nass (verse, hadith), ijma, obligation, hidden analogy, tradition or public interest necessitating him abandoning his decree he gave regarding similar issues based on his own view.

Imam Shafii opposes istihsan and wrote a booklet called "Ibtalul-Istihsan" regarding the issue. He writes the following in this work:

"All of these I mentioned as the decree of Allah, His Messenger and the community of Muslims show that it becomes permissible for a person who wants to be a judge or mufti to issue fatwas based on only binding evidence. This can be only based on the Book, the Sunnah, a view expressed by scholars without any disagreement or analogy to them. Fatwa cannot be issued with istihsan. Istihsan is not binding; it does not have any of these meanings."

It is possible to find similar statements in Shafii's books called "Jimaul-Ilm", "ar-Risala" or "al-Umm".

Hanafis used istihsan a lot and Malikis followed them in this issue.

Imam Shafii opposed istihsan saying, "A person who makes istihsan imposes a religion on his own." He based his view on the following evidence:

1. Religious decrees are based on verses and hadiths directly or indirectly through analogy. If istihsan is included in one of them, there is no need for another term. Otherwise, it is concluded that God Almighty left some gaps in some issues, which contradicts the following verse:  

"Does Man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)? " (al-Qiyama, 75/36)

2. Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is ordered in the Quran; obedience to the desires of the soul is forbidden; reference to the Quran and the Sunnah is demanded when there is a disagreement. (an-Nisa, 4/59)

3. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) did not give fatwas with istihsan and did not speak out of his own desire. When he was asked about the person who said to his wife, "You are like my mother's back to me", he did not give a fatwa but waited until the verse of "Zihar" (al-Mujadala, 58/1-4) was sent down.

4. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) did not approve of the Companions who killed a polytheist who took refuge in a tree based on their own view and of Usama when he killed a person who said, "La ilaha illallah" out of fear of death.

5. Istihsan does not have a rule and a criterion that will compare the truth with the wrong. If it is allowed, many different fatwas regarding the same issue will occur.  

6. If an understanding that is based on the mind only occurs, it would be permissible for those who did not have the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah to use this method. (ash-Shafii, al-Umm, VI/303, VII/271 ff.; Abu Zahra, Usulul-Fiqh, 271 ff.)

However, it is necessary to view the istihsan that Imam Shafii rejects as "making a decree based on personal desire and subjective thought without basing it on any religious evidence." It is doubtless that such an istihsan is not accepted by Hanafis. As a matter of fact, in Hanafis, it is necessary for the issue to be something religious and based on one of the six evidences below for istihsan to be made:

1. Istihsan based on verses and hadiths: For instance, it is forbidden to sell something that is not available (Abu Dawud, Buyu', 70), but salam, which is a deal "in which money is paid in advance but the products are delivered later", is allowed (Abu Dawud, Buyu', 57). Here, analogy (qiyas) is abandoned and istihsan is made based on the second hadith.

2. Istihsan based on consensus. For instance, "aqd al-istisna" to order something from an artisan to do or make is based on consensus. For, no scholar has opposed it for centuries.    

3. Istihsan based on an obligation or necessity. For instance, a well that gets dirty is regarded as clean when some of its water is drawn. (Ibnul-Humam, Fathul-Qadir, I/67 ff.; Ibn Abidin, Raddul-Muhtar, I/147 ff)

4. Istihsan based on hidden analogy. For instance, according to the established rule, when some land is sold, its rights of easement are not transferred to the buyer spontaneously unless a special condition is laid. Regarding the issue, the analogy of foundation/endowment to selling is open analogy and its analogy to renting is hidden analogy.  Foundation is compared through the method of istihsan and the principle of the rights of easement (drinking water, taking water, passage, etc) being transferred to the foundation has been adopted. (Zakiyuddin Sha'ban, Usulul-Fiqh, 168)

5. Istihsan based on tradition. According to the established rule, a foundation needs to continue forever. This means foundations can be related to real estate only. However, Imam Muhammad ash-Shaybani decreed that things like books that are traditionally given to foundations are contrary to analogy but could be given to foundations. Acting upon this principle, fatwas were issued for cash foundations.

6. Istihsan based on public interest. According to the established rule, agricultural partnership ends when one of the parties dies According to the analogy to rental contract. However, if the landowner dies before the crops have grown, the contract is regarded to have lengthened up to the time when the crops are harvested in order to protect the interest of the worker. (Zakiyuddin Sha'ban, ibid, 171).

In conclusion, when the understanding of istihsan of Hanafis and Shafiis are studied carefully, it will be seen that there is not an important difference between them. For, one of the evidences mentioned above is always present in the foundation of the issues in which Hanafis apply istihsan. As a matter of fact, according to what al-Amidi states, Imam Shafii used this method by using the term istihsan regarding some issues. The following statements of Shafii can be given as examples regarding the issue: "I regard it appropriate for mut'a to be thirty dirhams", " I regard it appropriate for the owner of the right of preemption to use it within three days." (al-Amidi, al-Ihkam, III/138).

Shafii accepting the words of the Companions as evidence

Some Shafii methodologists say that Shafii regarded the words of the Companions as evidence in his old madhhab but abandoned this view in his new madhhab. However, it is seen in "ar-Risala", which is his book reported by Rabi b. Sulayman al-Muradi, who narrated his new madhhab, that he used the words of the Companions as evidence. (ar-Risala, Halabi edition and Ahmad M. Shakir publication, Cairo 1940,p. 597).

In addition, Shafii states the following in his book al-Umm, which includes his new madhhab:  

"There is no excuse for those who know the Book and the Sunnah; it is necessary to act accordingly. If there is no decree in the Book and the Sunnah, we refer to the words of the Companions or one of them. If we cannot find an indication to the word that is closer to the Book and the Sunnah regarding the controversial issue, it is better for us to act in accordance with the word of Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman. If there is evidence that a word is closer to the Book and the Sunnah, we will act in accordance with it." (Shafii, al-Umm, VII/246)

Parts of the Ilm of Shari'ah

According to Imam Shafii, the ilm of shari'ah is divided into two:

1. Definite ilm which is based on nass (verses and hadiths) that indicates decrees certainly.

2. Zanni (speculative/probable) ilm based on probable thought. Ahad hadiths and analogy are included in this part. If mujtahids cannot deduce definite decrees from nass, they are contented with the ilm that is acquired through probable thought. 

Shafii abrogated the books he wrote in Baghdad with the books he wrote in Egypt. He said,

"I do not allow anyone to report the books I wrote in Baghdad from me."

There are various views about an issue in Shafii's both old and new books. Sometimes, two or three analogies are made but the preference is left to the reader. We can give the example of the agricultural products that are sold without giving zakah. If a person sells his fruits or cereals without giving zakah and the buyer finds out later that zakah has not been given for them, the following three situations are in question:

a. Does the buyer have the right to annul the selling contract for the whole products or only the part whose zakah has not been given?
b. The rate of zakah is one-tenth if the land is watered by rain and one-twentieth if it is watered by some tools. Does the buyer have the right to choose here? 
c. Does the buyer buy the part that remains after zakah is subtracted with the whole money, or does he annul the deal? Shafii states that all views can be right.

It can be said that the multitude of views in Shafii madhhab helped this madhhab to develop. For, the door of preference is always left open in this madhhab. (Abu Zahra, İslâm'da Fıkhî Mezhepler Tarihi, 354, 355)

The Spread of Shafii Madhhab

Shafii madhhab spread especially in Egypt. For, the imam of the madhhab spent the last part of his life there. This madhhab spread also in Iraq because Shafii started to spread his views there first. It spread to Khorasan and Mawaraunnahr through Iraq and it shared fatwa and education with Hanafi madhhab in these countries.   However, Hanafi madhhab was dominant in these countries because it was the official madhhab of the Abbasid administration. When Ayyubis came to power in Egypt, Shafii madhhab became stronger; it had the biggest authority on the people and the state. However, during the era of Kolemens, Sultan Zahir Baybars stated that qadis should be appointed based on four madhhabs and it was applied. However, even in this era, Shafii madhhab had a position higher than the other madhhabs in this region. For instance, the authority to appoint qadis to the cities in the provinces and the right to control the wealth of orphans and foundations belonged to Shafii madhhab only. 

When the Ottomans became dominant in Egypt, Hanafi madhhab became superior. Afterwards, when Muhammad Ali Pasha became the ruler of Egypt, he abolished acting officially in accordance with the other madhhabs.  

Shafii madhhab entered Iran, too. Today, it is next to Shiite school in Iran.

Today, the number of people belonging to Shafii madhhab in the east of Anatolia, Caucasia, Azerbaijan, India, Palestine, Ceylon and Malay Muslims is quite high. In the Indonesian islands, the only dominant madhhab is Shafii madhhab. (Abu Zahra, ibid, 358 ff.)

Author:

Hamdi Döndüren (Prof.Dr.)