Fatwa ID: 08842
Answered by: Maulana Sakib Shadman
Question:
According to the Hanafi madhab the Witr is only three rakaats! How to explain the existence of a hadith about 1 rakaat of the Witr? 5,7,9 rakaats? Are there evidences about raising hands before reading the Dua Qunut as we usually hands at the beginning of any prayer? Why do Shafi followers not raise?
- If we perform four rakaats before the Zuhr 2 by 2 it is not counted as Sunnah Ratibah but how to explain 2 rakaat of Sunnah muakkadah before the Zuhr from Ibn Umar?
3. If following to one Madhab is better why a Hanafi follower takes another opinion in some situations, or a Shafi follower take a Hanafi opinion during the Hajj that ablution is not broken because of touching a female? Does it mean that any fatwa which cause some difficulties for worshipping wrong?
For example, if an Imam discovers that he forgot to take ablution and he will remember about it only after two taslims according to the Hanafi madhab his prayer and the prayer of the congregation will be invalid.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
While there are numerous opinions on how Salatul Witr is to be performed, the Hanafi jurists have ruled that the strongest opinion is that Witr prayer consists of Three Rakats with one Taslim (Salam) at the end, and that Qunoot should be performed before Ruku.
The early Fuqaha (jurists) of Madinah held this view and agreed by consensus that Witr is 3 rakats with one Salam at the end. Umar Ibn Abdul Aziz (RA) also followed this Fatwa, as did several Taabi’een such as Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, Saeed bin Al-Musaiyyb, and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad. Thus so many jurists from amongst the early generations considered this to be the strongest opinion, hence the Hanafi jurists also agreed with their concensus.
Furthermore, the Hadith of Aisha (RA) states that the Prophet (SAW) prayed Witr as three Rakats, and the Hanafi jurists have deemed this Hadith to be most suitable for practice due to the fact that Aisha (RA) lived with the Prophet (SAW) and observed his performance of Salatul-Witr which he prayed at home. According to Fathul Qadeer, there was a time in which Witr was prescribed as consisting of 5 Rakats but that practice has been abrogated and the final commandment was to pray Witr with 3 Rakats.
Our evidence for performing Qunoot before the Ruku of the 3rd Rakat is that according to the Hadith of Abdullah Ibn Masud and Abdullah Ibn Umar (RA), the Prophet SAW used to perform Qunoot before Ruku. The Hadith of Anas bin Malik (RA) does state that the Prophet SAW performed Qunoot after Ruku. However according to our interpretation, this was the practice for only for one month, until this practice was abrogated and Qunoot was prescribed before Ruku.
The reason for raising the hands when saying the Takbeer for the Qunoot is to indicate that the person praying is shifting to another state. In other words, even though he remains in Qiyam, his state has changed from reciting Qira’ah to reciting the Dua of Qunoot. So one raises their hand to indicate the shifting from one prescribed act of Salah to another. Raising one’s hands during the Takbeer of Qunoot was also the practice of Abdullah Ibn Masud (RA) who was one of the top jurists from amongst the Sahabah (RA)
With the Sunnah of Dhuhr, we practice upon the Hadith of Aisha (RA), which indicates that the (emphasised) Sunnah is to pray 4 Rakats before Dhuhr.
The Prophet (SAW) would generally pray his Sunnat prayers at home, hence his own wife (RA) would have more accurate knowledge of how many Rakats the Prophet (SAW) prayed before Dhuhr compared to Ibn Umar (RA) since she lived with him. Hence we practice upon the Hadith of Aisha (RA).
It is not better to follow one Madhab; rather it is compulsory. Instead of questioning the Madhab, one should accept that the jurists of the Hanafi Madhab are much more knowledgeable than us, and so their rulings are more accurate than that of the layman who reads a few Ahadith without having proper grounding in the sciences of how rulings are derived.
We adhere to the Hanafi Madhab strictly. Hence if the Imam discovers after the prayer that he did not have Wudhu during Salat, he must inform the Muqtadis and instruct then to repeat the prayer. This is without exception.
The reason why Shafis take the Hanafi opinion during Hajj (i.e. a person’s Wudhu is not broken due to touching the opposite gender during Tawaf) is because it is near impossible not to make contact with the opposite gender during Tawaf. However this does not mean that Hanafis should take the opinion of another Madhab whenever it is convenient for them. Hence you must stick to one Madhab and not question the Jurists who derived the rulings for the respective Madhab.
References:
(وَإِذَا ظَهَرَ حَدَثُ إمَامِهِ) وَكَذَا كُلُّ مُفْسِدٍ فِي رَأْيِ مُقْتَدٍ (بَطَلَتْ فَيَلْزَمُ إعَادَتُهَا) لِتَضَمُّنِهَا صَلَاةَ الْمُؤْتَمِّ صِحَّةً وَفَسَادًا (كَمَا يَلْزَمُ الْإِمَامَ إخْبَارُ الْقَوْمِ إذَا أَمَّهُمْ وَهُوَ مُحْدِثٌ أَوْ جُنُبٌ) أَوْ فَاقِدُ شَرْطٍ
ص591 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – فروع اقتداء متنفل بمتنفل ومن يرى الوتر واجبا بمن يراه سنة – المكتبة الشاملة
١٧٥٨ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعَوَّامِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ الْمُرَادِيُّ قَالَ: ثنا خَالِدُ بْنُ نِزَارٍ الْأَيْلِيُّ، قَالَ: ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ السَّبْعَةِ، سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ , وَعُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ , وَالْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ , وَأَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ , وَخَارِجَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ , وَعُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ , وَسُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ يَسَارٍ , فِي مَشْيَخَةٍ سِوَاهُمْ أَهْلِ فِقْهٍ وَصَلَاحٍ وَفَضْلٍ وَرُبَّمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي الشَّيْءِ فَأَخَذَ بِقَوْلِ أَكْثَرِهِمْ وَأَفْضَلِهِمْ رَأْيًا. فَكَانَ مِمَّا وَعَيْتُ عَنْهُمْ عَلَى هَذِهِ الصِّفَةِ: «أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ» فَهَذَا مَنْ ذَكَرْنَا مِنْ فُقَهَاءِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَعُلَمَائِهِمْ قَدْ أَجْمَعُوا أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ ثَلَاثٌ لَا يُسَلِّمُ إِلَّا فِي آخِرِهِنَّ , وَتَابَعَهُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ عُمَرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ , وَلَمْ يُنْكِرْ ذَلِكَ مُنْكِرٌ سِوَاهُمْ وَقَدْ عَلِمَ سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ مَا كَانَ مِنْ وِتْرِ سَعْدٍ , فَأَفْتَى بِغَيْرِهِ , وَرَآهُ أَوْلَى مِنْهُ وَقَدْ أَفْتَى عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ بِذَلِكَ أَيْضًا , وَقَدْ رَوَى عَنْهُ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَابْنُهُ هِشَامٌ فِي الْوِتْرِ مَا قَدْ تَقَدَّمَتْ رِوَايَتُنَا لَهُ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ. فَهَذَا عِنْدَنَا مِمَّا لَا يَنْبَغِي خِلَافُهُ لِمَا قَدْ شَهِدَ لَهُ مِنْ حَدِيثِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ فِعْلِ أَصْحَابِهِ , وَأَقْوَالِ أَكْثَرِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَ عَلَيْهِ تَابِعُوهُمْ
ص296 – كتاب شرح معاني الآثار ط مصر – باب الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
قَالَ (الْوِتْرُ ثَلَاثُ رَكَعَاتٍ لَا يُفْصَلُ بَيْنهنَّ بِسَلَامٍ) لِمَا رَوَتْ عَائِشَةُ ﵂ «أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﵊ كَانَ يُوتِرُ بِثَلَاثٍ»
ص426 – كتاب العناية شرح الهداية بهامش فتح القدير ط الحلبي – باب صلاة الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَا صَرَّحَ بِهِ فِي رِوَايَةِ الْبَجَلِيِّ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ خَشْيَةَ أَنْ تُكْتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ. وَعَنْ الْقَرِينَةِ الْمُدَّعَاةِ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْتَقِرَّ أَمْرُ الْوِتْرِ فَيَجُوزُ كَوْنُهُ كَانَ أَوَّلًا كَذَلِكَ. وَفِي مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ﵂ «أَنَّهُ ﷺ كَانَ يُصَلِّي مِنْ اللَّيْلِ ثَلَاثَ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يُوتِرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ بِخَمْسٍ لَا يَجْلِسُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا إلَّا فِي آخِرِهَا» فَدَلَّ أَنَّ الْوِتْرَ كَانَ أَوَّلًا خَمْسَةً، وَأَجْمَعْنَا عَلَى أَنَّهُ يَجْلِسُ عَلَى رَأْسِ كُلِّ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَهُوَ يُفِيدُ خِلَافَهُ.
ص426 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب صلاة الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
(وَيَقْنُتُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ) وَقَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ ﵀ بَعْدَهُ لِمَا رُوِيَ «أَنَّهُ ﵊ قَنَتَ فِي آخَرِ الْوِتْرِ» وَهُوَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ. وَلَنَا مَا رُوِيَ «أَنَّهُ ﵊ قَنَتَ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ»
ص428 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب صلاة الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
وَمَا فِي حَدِيثِ أَنَسٍ «أَنَّهُ ﷺ قَنَتَ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ» فَالْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ كَانَ شَهْرًا فَقَطْ بِدَلِيلِ مَا فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ «عَاصِمٍ الْأَحْوَلِ، سَأَلْتُ أَنَسًا عَنْ الْقُنُوتِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ نَعَمْ، فَقُلْتُ: أَكَانَ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ أَوْ بَعْدَهُ؟ قَالَ قَبْلَهُ، قُلْتُ: فَإِنَّ فُلَانًا أَخْبَرَنِي عَنْكَ أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ بَعْدَهُ، قَالَ كَذَبَ، إنَّمَا قَنَتَ ﷺ بَعْدَ الرُّكُوعِ شَهْرًا» انْتَهَى وَعَاصِمٌ كَانَ ثِقَةً جِدًّا وَلَا مُعَارَضَةَ مُحَتَّمَةٌ فِي ذَلِكَ مَعَ مَا رَوَاهُ أَصْحَابُ أَنَسٍ، بَلْ هَذِهِ تَصْلُحُ مُفَسِّرَةً لِلْمُرَادِ بِمَرْوِيِّهِمْ أَنَّهُ قَنَتَ بَعْدَهُ، وَمِمَّا يُحَقِّقُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ عَمَلَ الصَّحَابَةِ وَأَكْثَرِهِمْ كَانَ عَلَى وَفْقِ مَا قُلْنَا: قَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ الدَّسْتُوَائِيِّ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ إبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ أَنَّ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ وَأَصْحَابَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كَانُوا يَقْنُتُونَ فِي الْوِتْرِ قَبْلَ الرُّكُوعِ.
ص429 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب صلاة الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
﴿فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ﴾ (وَإِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقْنُتَ كَبَّرَ) لِأَنَّ الْحَالَةَ قَدْ اخْتَلَفَتْ (وَرَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ وَقَنَتَ) لِقَوْلِهِ ﵊ «لَا تُرْفَعُ الْأَيْدِي إلَّا فِي سَبْعِ مَوَاطِنَ» وَذَكَرَ مِنْهَا الْقُنُوتَ (وَلَا يَقْنُتُ فِي صَلَاةٍ غَيْرِهَا) خِلَافًا لِلشَّافِعِيِّ ﵀ فِي الْفَجْرِ لِمَا رَوَى ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ «﵁ أَنَّهُ ﵊ قَنَتَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ شَهْرًا»
ص434 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب صلاة الوتر – المكتبة الشاملة
٩١٩٢ – حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، ثنا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، ثنا عَبْدُ السَّلَامِ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ لَيْثٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، «أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ كَانَ يُكَبِّرُ حِينَ يَفْرُغُ مِنَ الْقِرَاءَةِ، ثُمَّ إِذَا فَرَغَ مِنَ الْقُنُوتِ كَبَّرَ وَرَكَعَ»
ص243 – كتاب المعجم الكبير للطبراني – باب – المكتبة الشاملة
رَوَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ﵂ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ ثَابَرَ عَلَى اثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً مِنْ السُّنَّةِ بَنَى اللَّهُ لَهُ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ، أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ قَبْلَ الظُّهْرِ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَهَا، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْمَغْرِبِ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ، وَرَكْعَتَيْنِ قَبْلَ الْفَجْرِ» فَاتَّضَحَ أَنَّ ضَمِيرَ فَسَّرَ الْمَرْفُوعُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ.
ص441 – كتاب فتح القدير للكمال بن الهمام ط الحلبي – باب النوافل – المكتبة الشاملة
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
