Fatwa: # 15152
Category: Misc. Fiqh
Country: South Africa
Date: 6th May 2007

Title

Is it valid to take fatwas from both Arab Hanafis and Indo-Pak Hanafis? Considering both follow the same madhab, shouldn't it be ok?

Question

 

Question : Is it valid to take fatwas from both Arab Hanafis and Indo-Pak Hanafis? Considering both follow the same madhab, shouldn't it be ok?

Answer

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh

Nabi (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has mentioned that the criterion of virtue over someone else is not being an Arab or a non-Arab, but it is to adopt Taqwa, as understood from the narration below.

عن أبي نضرة حدثني من سمع خطبة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في وسط أيام التشريق فقال يا أيها الناس ألا إن ربكم واحد وإن أباكم واحد ألا لا فضل لعربي على أعجمي ولا لعجمي على عربي ولا لأحمر على أسود ولا أسود على أحمر إلا بالتقوى أبلغت قالوا بلغ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ثم قال أي يوم هذا قالوا يوم حرام ثم قال أي شهر هذا قالوا شهر حرام قال ثم قال أي بلد هذا قالوا بلد حرام قال فإن الله قد حرم بينكم دماءكم وأموالكم قال ولا أدري قال أو أعراضكم أم لا كحرمة يومكم هذا في شهركم هذا في بلدكم هذا أبلغت قالوا بلغ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال ليبلغ الشاهد الغائب.

Therefore, it does not matter whether the scholar is an Arab or a non-Arab; as long as he adopts Taqwa and does not move away from his mazhab in giving fatwas, it will be permissible to follow him. Amongst the Arab scholars, there are some who call themselves hanafis, but are very flexible in giving Fatwas according to other mazhabs; and it is unfortunate that the people from the Indo-Pak subcontinent are not well acquainted with the Arab scholars to determine whose fatwas could be followed. It is for this reason that most of them avoid taking Fatwas from Arab scholars, and rely on the scholars from the Indo-Pak subcontinent.

And Allah knows best

Wassalam

Ml. M. Jawed Iqbal,
Student Darul Iftaa

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa

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