Q: I have a lot of confusion from few months and it’s affecting my mental health. Please help me to come to a conclusion.
My brother married to a Salafi women (extreme) and she always has an argument with us that we are following a wrong path and all Muslims have to do research in order to come to a right path just like non Muslims have to do research in order to find the truth of Islam. She claims that we Muslims also have do research in order to come to true the path. She always shows the hadith from Bukhaari ,etc. to prove her point and to be honest by looking at the hadith she seems correct to me and moreover my brother is also inclining towards Salafism now.
Some of the arguments that our family had with her as follows:
(1) Women's prayers are similar to men and she shows a hadith where the prohet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) told to read as you see me praying
(2) You can't do qurbani on Muhammed's (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) name as it is biddah and she tells the logic that Muhammed (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) doesn’t need sawab of it
(3) Zakatul fitr in cash
(4) Quran recitation for the deceased
(5) 1 rakat witr can also be read
(6) Combining salah for travel and important works
(7) Masah on cotton socks as she told that Allah wants ease for us but scholars have made it difficult by laying down so many conditions to it. (I personally feel quite attracted by these logics as washing the feet outside is very difficult for wudhu so if we take her opinion it will bring a lot of ease)
(8) 3 talaq is one as she said Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) has imposed it to three as it has always been one at the time of prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and she shows a Hadith that clarified her point to these clearly.
And many others rulings, etc.
One thing I want to mention that my family is not religious or you can say not much knowledgeable into these type of stuff and they are easily influenced by it and I am the youngest member of my home so no one listens to me.
And recently I noticed that 80 percent of the top famous Islamic scholars also belong to Salafi fiqh and more and more people of my surroundings are becoming Salafis (recently my whole uncle's family became Salafi's). They also have the same argument saying that imaams are not prophet’s and they can make mistakes and they always say the quote's of an imaam that if the hadith is saheeh then that is my madhab.
Basically they are trying to say that there are lot of mistakes in fiqh especially in Hanafi fiqh saying that Imaam Abu Hanifa didn't have much resources in his time nor did he travel so much so he gave rulings just on the basis of Quraan mostly that is why there are a lot of contradictions in ther rulings with the Saheeh Hadith.
They also say that the 4 imaams followers are doing the similar thing what the Arabs used to do in jaahiliyat that following their elders blindly without any proof . I don't know but I find their arguments quite attractive that we should follow Saheeh Hadith and Quraan.
I also done research myself but I couldn’t judge which one is correct. When I read or listen to Salafi scholars, they seem correct and when I listen to Hanafi scholars, they seem correct to me. What to do now? Please help.
Am I following the right path by being a strong DEOBANDI HANAFI follower or am I on the wrong path? Please guide me and give answers based on rationality and not just that you are following Hanafi so Hanafi will be correct. As a Muslim, should I research about it and not merely believe just because my grandfather follows Hanafi fiqh?
A: Since you are not knowledgeable in these deeni masaa'il, we advise you not to enter into any debate or discussion with her. This will lead to you entertaining doubts in your deen or you becoming confused in many matters or you becoming inclined towards the path which she is following.
Whenever she wishes to commence any type of discussion with you, then inform her that you will refer to your ulama for guidance in this matter.
Below are the answers to the questions you have posed.
1. Women's salaah is different to men's salaah in regard to the postures. This has been proven through authentic Ahaadith. We have prepared a complete book on this topic as well as a newsletter, to view the book and the newsletter, you may refer to the following two links:
a) Womens salaah kitaab
b) Women's salaah newsletter
Those who claim that women's salaah is the same as men's salaah, they present the following Hadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) as their proof. Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said, "Perform salaah in the manner you see me performing salaah." (Bukhaari #631)
However, they do not understand that this address of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) was directed to the men and not to the women, as it is authentically proven in the Ahaadith that Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) performed salaah while wearing a shawl and when he went into sajdah, his armpits were exposed. (Saheeh Bukhaari #807)
If a woman has to perform her salaah in this manner, while wearing a shawl and her armpits become exposed in sajdah, will her salaah be valid? All the four Imaams are unanimous that her salaah will not be valid and this goes against the Ahaadith that explain that a woman should cover her entire body when performing salaah.
2. Doing a nafil qurbaani for Allah Ta'ala and then conveying the reward to Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is a very great and meritorious deed. It is reported regarding Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) that (every year, at the time of qurbaani,) he would slaughter two sheep; one on behalf of Hazrat Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) and the other on behalf of himself. When asked (why he would slaughter on behalf of Hazrat Rasulullah [sallallahu alaihi wasallam]), he replied, “Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) had told me to do so, thus I will never forego this action so long as I live.” (Sunan Tirmidhi #1495)
3. Sadaqatul fitr can be given in cash or kind. Both are permissible according to the Hanafi Fuqahaa. The Hanafi Fuqahaa have extracted this ruling from the Mubaarak Ahaadith. For further details, you may refer to Saheeh Bukhaari, Chapter on goods, 2/116
4. Giving Sadaqah or making dua or doing any good deed and conveying the rewards to the deceased is established. Similarly, reciting the Quraan Majeed and conveying the reward to the deceased is permissible. You may refer to the following link: https://muftionline.co.za/node/12620
5. Performing three rakaats of witr salaah is established in the hadith of Muslim Shareef (#763).
6. Combining two salaah during a journey is permissible according to the Hanafi Mazhab in this way that the one salaah will be performed in its last time and the following salaah will be performed in its beginning time. Performing two salaahs in one salaah time is not permissible according to the Hanafi Mazhab as it opposes the clear verse of the Quraan Majeed.
Allah Ta'ala says:
إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَـٰبًا مَّوْقُوتًا (النساء: 103)
Indeed prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times.
7. Making masah on ordinary cotton socks is not permissible according to all the four imaams. We have prepared a book on this topic. You may refer to the following link to view the book.
https://ihyaauddeen.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Masah_on_socks_det…
8. Three talaaqs were always counted as three talaaqs in the time of Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam , the time of the sahaabah and the centuries that followed. Saying that Hazrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) was the first person to regard it as three is incorrect. Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) had dedicated an entire chapter in his kitaab to establish that three talaaqs will be counted as three.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Checked & Approved: