hanafi

False allegations and accusations levelled against the Ulama of Deoband

Q: I am a Sunni Muslim following the Hanafi school of thought and I reside in a small state of India where the population of Muslims is only 8% i.e. approximately 220,000, almost all which identify with the Sunni sect and follow the Hanafi madhab. In matters of spiritual and religious guidance we laymen consult our local imams, most of who acquired their education from other states and almost all of them follow the teachings of Darul Uloom, Deoband, India.

However, after reading some published text materials on religion and many online lectures, I am very confused as these writers and orators claim to be of the Sunni sect, following the teaching of Hajarat Imam Abu Hanifa in case of Fiqh, etc. but differ a lot from what the imams at our local mosque preach. Most of us highly regard the writer of ‘Heavenly Ornament’ Hajarat Asraf Ali Thanwi Mujaddid e Alf thani, along with the ‘Tablighi’ movement, ShahWali Ullah,etc. and condemn the teaching of Abul Ala Maududi, Dr. Zakir Naik, Ahmed Deedat, etc. These scholars however, contradict our imams and condemn Asraf Ali Thanwi Mujaddid e Alf thani and his elk as heretics (innovators) while accepting Maududi. I am very confused on whose words to take as I have no source for authenticating what our local imams preach or what the orators and the published text suggest. Although not much, I do understand that our Nabi (pbuh) declared that the group that holds firmly to his way and the way of the Sahaabah (ra) are the rightly guided ones. However each claims to be this ‘rightly guided ones’ all the while endorsing different and conflicting ideologies.

In light of the above conflicts, I am at a religious dilemma as to which one may be the right one to follow. I shall be highly obliged if you advise me on this matter and help me identify the way of the ‘rightly guided ones’. Kindly intimate me which one Hanafi madhab is the right group?

Beginning of Asr time according to Hanafi Mazhab

Q:

1. There are two times for the starting of Asr Salah. The earlier time is according to the Sha'afi madhab, and a later time is according to Hanafi madhab. I recently came to know that even for us as Hanafis, it is wajib to perform Zuhr salah before the start of Sha'afi Asr time, to be on the safe side and avoid the risk of our Zuhr Salah being Qaza. Is this correct?

2. If a Hanafi performs Asr Salah when the time has started according to Sha'afi madhab but according to Hanafi madhab the time has still not entered, is his Salah valid? Does he have to repeat the Salah? (This is a very common problem in many Western countries where Hanafis print out Salah timetables from the Internet and the Asr time displayed there is according to Sha'afi madhab. So these people then perform Asr salah before the Hanafi time).

3. In some non-Hanafi countries, Asr Salah is performed in the Masajid before the Hanafi time. In this case, a Hanafi person has two choices, either to perform Salah with Jamaat before the Hanafi time or to offer it alone later on. What should he do?

4. There is a time before starting of Zuhr salah when it is prohibited to do Sajda or perform any Salah. I was under the impression that this time lasts for only ten or fifteen minutes before Zuhr. However, I came across a Salah timetable where it mentions the 'Makruh' time before Zuhr. For Durban, South Africa for 3rd April, this Makruh time has a duration of 38 minutes, lasting from 11.22 a.m till 12.00 pm. Is this correct?

Which mazhab should one follow?

Q: My question is regarding which madhab to follow? Growing up I was told that I am a Shafee. My mother is a Hanafi and I have only been trained in the Hanafi Madhab. We also live in South Africa which is a majority Hanafi country. Kindly advise on how should I proceed with my religious obligations?