Differences Among Madahib, Rules About Migration, Avoiding Nikah Between Two Eids, Reincarnation

Q 1. Since we have four Madhahib and there are differences among them, which one I should follow? Should I adopt one that my parents have or study all of them and choose one according to my understanding or consider all of them correct and try to adhere to the Qur’an and Sunnah as much as possible?

As you must be aware that this is a very common problem here in the U.S. as most of Indo-Pak Muslims are Hanafi and our brothers from Middle East/East Asia belong to other Madhahib. I think no one has the authority to say who is wrong and who is right, but what should I do? To which madh’hab I should belong? How should I know that? Please guide me, (and my other brothers/sisters who have same problem). I am hanging around this problem for a long time. I consider all of them correct and would follow all of them as much I can, but I don’t know whether it is right or wrong. It is why I am asking for Allah’s guidance through you. Thank you very much for your help. May Allah bless you for this great effort. (S. Ahmad)

A 1. All the four great Imams tried their best to follow the Qur’an and Sunnah. They had some differences among them either because they did not receive some Ahadith or did not consider them authentic, or they differed in their methods of interpretations. We trust all of them and respect them. Many scholars in the past wrote books explaining the reasons that led to the differences of opinions among the Imams. Imam Ibn Taymiyah wrote his famous book “Raf’ al-Malam ‘an al-A’immat al-A’lam” (Removal of the Blame Against the Great Imams). Shah Waliullah of Delhi wrote his great work “Al-Insaf fi Bayan Asbab al-Ikhtilaf” (The Fair Explanation of the Causes of Differences). There are many other books on this subject.

The Sahabah and Sahabiyyat -may Allah be pleased with all of them- also had some differences. During their time, Muslims used to go to any one of them to seek his/her opinion and used to follow them. In the early period Muslims were quite flexible in the matters of the Madhahib. In later centuries, unfortunately, some rigidity came and Muslims became so much divided that they used to pray separately. The Hanafi would not pray behind the Shafi’I and the Maliki would not pray behind the Hanbali. Alhamdulillah, slowly we are getting out of this rigidity.

We Muslims in America belong to various ethnic groups and various Madhahib. We should be very tolerant of the differences of Madhahib and should not argue or fight each other on this subject. Those who know the sources of Islam and have thorough knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah, they may follow the Qur’an and Sunnah without adhering to any particular Madh’hab. We should try to study the Qur’an and Sunnah and should make every effort to learn our religion. There is also a need for ijtihad on many new issues.

The door of Ijtihad is not closed and can never be closed by any one after Allah and His Messenger have opened it for Muslims. But Ijithad has its rules and qualifications. Do not make ijtihad unless you are qualified to do so.

The Muslims who are not well-versed in Islamic sources, they should follow any Imam and his madh’hab. If there is a question on any particular issue, they may ask any knowledgeable and pious scholar whom they trust. Muslims should not be too strict in adhering to one madh’hab. The loyalty of a Muslim should not be to a Madh’hab, but to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Q 2. Under what circumstances a Muslim is allowed to immigrate from his native Muslim country to a non-Muslim country?

A 2. A Muslim can live in any place and in any country. However, there are some basic Islamic rules about migration:

1. It is haram for a Muslim to live in or to migrate to a place where one cannot practice his/her religion, unless one is very weak and has no other way. See Surah al-Nisa’ 4:97. It is obligatory upon Muslims to live in and to migrate to those lands where they can freely practice their religion.

2. It is not recommended for Muslims to migrate to the lands where their and their next generations’ religion might be at risk, unless they makes every effort to safeguard their own religion and the religion of their next generations. Without such efforts it will be Makruh (and in some cases even Haram) to migrate to such lands.

3. It is permissible for Muslims to migrate to the lands where they feel confident that they can practice their religion freely and they can raise their children under the Islamic principles. It is, however, better for Muslims to live in Muslim lands where they can live under Islamic laws to govern their personal as well as collective lives.

4. It is highly recommended for Muslims to migrate to those lands where they feel they can practice Islam and can spread the message of Islam. The Prophet -peace be upon him- sent many Sahabah to different areas to spread Islam and to teach Islam. After the death of the Prophet -peace be upon him- many Sahabah left Madinah and went to different lands to live there and to teach Islam to the people of those lands. It is due to their efforts and the efforts of many Muslims after them that Islam spread in many lands. This is also our duty and we must make every effort to convey the message of Allah to the whole world.

Q 3. Some Muslims avoid holding the nikah ceremony between the period of the two Eid holidays. Is this according to the religious law or is it merely a cultural practice? Your answer will help me in planning my own nikah inshallah.

A 3. This practice has no Islamic basis. Some Muslims also avoid getting married in the month of Muharram. These are all superstitions and should not be followed. According to the Shari’ah, one can marry at any time. The only prohibition is for a person who is in Ihram for Hajj or ‘Umrah. A Muhrim is not allowed to marry or to conduct a marriage until he/she completes the requirement of Ihram.

Q 4. I have a question concerning the concept of a “past life” or “reincarnation” as they call it. I believe in the afterlife as Islam states but what about those people who have some “recollections” of past lives? How is that explained or why do they have those feelings?

A 4. The “reincarnation” (tanasukh) is an un-Islamic idea. It has no place in the Qur’an and Sunnah. In Islam we believe in resurrection, not reincarnation. Thus, there is no such thing as “past lives” according to Islam. Allah created us from nothing and gave us existence. We have only one life on this earth. After death we shall be raised up again on the Day of Judgment. There is no return to this life before the Day of Judgment. People have all kind of imaginations. Some time people imagine and dream things. That does not mean that this actually happened to them. Our mind works in so many different ways. The so-called “recollections” of lives before this life is nothing but hallucination.