This booklet was written by Ahmad Jawdat Pasha (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who rendered a great service to Islam by putting the rules of Qur'an al-karim into a code of law in his valuable book Majalla. In addition, he wrote The Ottoman History in twelve volumes, the most dependable book in its field, and the famous Qisas-i Anbiya' (The History of Prophets). He was born in Lofja in 1238 (1823 A.D.); he passed away in 1312 (1894 A.D.) and was buried in the graveyard of the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul.

This 'alam, that is, everything, was nonexistent. Allahu ta'ala created existence out of nothing. He wanted to enrich this world with human beings until the end of the world. Creating Adam ('alaihi 's-salam) out of soil, He ornamented the world with his children. To show people the things necessary for them in this and the next worlds, He honored some of them by making them prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam). He distinguished them from other people by giving them high ranks. He conveyed His commands to prophets through an angel named Jabrail (Jibril, Gabriel). And they conveyed these commands to their ummas exactly as Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) brought them to them. The first prophet was Adam ('alaihi 's-salam) and the last one was our master Muhammad Mustafa ('alaihi 's-salatu wa 's-salam). Many prophets came between these two. Only Allahu ta'ala knows their number. The following are the ones whose names are known:

Adam, Shees (or Sheet), Idris, Nuh (Noah), hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq (Isac), Yaqub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Ayyub, Lut, Shu'aib, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Dawud (David), Sulaiman, Yunus (Jonah), Ilyas (Elijah), Alyasa', Dhu'l-kifl, Zakariyya (Zechariah), Yahya (John), 'Isa (Jesus), Muhammad Mustafa ('alaihimu 's-salatu wa 's-salam). Twenty-five of these Prophets, with the exception of Shees ('alaihis-salam), are named in Qur'an al-karim. The names of 'Uzair, Luqman and Dhu 'l-qarnain are also mentioned in Qur'an al-karim. Some 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat said that these three, and Tubba and Hidir, were prophets, while some said they were awliya'.

Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is Habib-Allah (Allah's Most Beloved). Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam) is Khalil-Allah (the Beloved of Allah). Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) is Kalim-Allah (one with whom Allah spoke). 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) is Ruh-Allah (one whom Allah created without a father). Adam ('alaihi 's-salam) is Safi-Allah (one whose fault was forgiven by Allah). Nuh ('alaihi 's-salam) is Naji-Allah (one whom Allah saved from danger). These six prophets are superior to other prophets. They are called Ulu 'l-'azm. The most superior of all is Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam).

Allahu ta'ala sent one hundred suhuf (pl. of sahifa, booklet) and four books down to the earth. All of them were brought by Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam). Ten suhuf descended to Adam ('alaihi 's-salam), fifty suhuf to Shees ('alaihi 's-salam), thirty suhuf to Idris ('alaihi 's-salam), and ten suhuf to Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam). [Sahifa, (in this context), means 'a small book', 'a booklet'. It does not mean 'one face of a sheet of paper', which we know]. Of the four books, the Tawrat ash-Sharif [Torah] was sent to Musa ('alaihi 's-salam), the Zabur ash-Sharif [the original Psalms] to Dawud ('alaihi 's-salam), the Injil ash-Sharif [latin 'Evangelium'] to 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) and Qur'an al-karim to the Last Prophet, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam).

During the time of Nuh ('alaihi 's-salam) the Flood took place and water covered the entire world. All people and animals on the earth were drowned. But the believers who were on board with him were rescued. Nuh ('alaihi 's-salam), when boarding the ship, had taken one pair of every kind of animal, from which today's animals multiplied.

Nuh ('alaihi 's-salam) had his three sons on board the ship: Sam (Shem), Yafas (Japheth) and Ham (Ham). People on the earth today are their descendants. For this reason, he is called the Second Father. Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam) was Ismail's and Ishaq's (alaihima 's-salam) father. Ishaq ('alaihi 's-salam) was Yaqub's father. Yaqub ('alaihi 's-salam) was Yusuf's ('alaihi 's-salam) father. Yaqub ('alaihi 's-salam) was called "Israil." For this reason, his sons and grandsons were called "Bani Israil" (the Children of Israil). Bani Israil increased in number and many of them became prophets. Musa, Harun, Dawud, Sulaiman, Zakariyya, Yahya and 'Isa (alaihimu 's-salam) are among them. Sulaiman ('alaihi 's-salam) was the son of Dawud ('alaihi 's-salam). Yahya ('alaihi 's-salam) was the son of Zakariyya ('alaihi 's-salam). Harun ('alaihi 's-salam) was Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) brother. The Arabs are the descendants of Ismail ('alaihi 's-salam), and Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) was an Arab.

hud ('alaihi 's-salam) was sent to the 'Ad tribe, Salih ('alaihi 's-salam) to the Thamud tribe, and Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) was sent to Bani Israil. Also Harun, Dawud, Sulaiman, Zakariyya and Yahya ('alaihimu 's-salam) were sent to Bani Israil. Yet none of them brought a new religion; they invited Bani Israil to Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion. Though the Zabur was sent down to Dawud ('alaihi 's-salam), it did not have commandments, rules or 'ibadat. It was full of sermons and advice. Therefore, it did not abrogate or invalidate the Torah but emphasized it, and this is why the religion of Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) lasted up to the time of 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). When 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) came, his religion abrogated that of Musa ('alaihi 's-salam); that is, the Torah became invalid. So it was no longer permissible to follow Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion. From then on it was necessary to follow 'Isa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion until Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) dispensation. However, the majority of Bani Israil did not believe 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) and persisted in following the Torah. Thus Jews and Nasara separated. Those who believed 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) were called Nasara, who are today's Christians. Those who disbelieved 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) and remained in disbelief and heresy were called Yahud (Jews). Jews still claim that they follow Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion and read the Torah and the Zabur; the Nasara claim that they follow 'Isa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion and read the Injil. However, our master, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salatu wa 's-salam), the master of both worlds and the prophet of all human beings and genies, was sent as the prophet for all 'alams (worlds of beings), and his religion, Islam, invalidated all previous religions. Since this religion will remain valid till the end of the world, it is not permissible in any part of the world to be in any religion other than his religion. No prophet will succeed him. We are, thanks to Allahu ta'ala, his Umma. Our religion is Islam.

Our Prophet, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), was born in Mecca on the Monday morning of Rabi' al-awwal 12, which coincided with April 20, 571 (Miladi). He passed away in Medina in the 11th year of the Hegira (m. 632). At the age 40, the angel called Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) revealed to him his prophethood. He emigrated (hijra) from Mecca to Medina in 622; his arrival at the Kuba village near Medina on Monday, September 20, marks the beginning of the Muslims' Hijri Shamsi (solar) calendar[1], while Muharram 1 of the same year marks the beginning of the Qamari (lunar) calendar.

We believe in all prophets. All of them were prophets sent by Allahu ta'ala. Yet, when Qur'an al-karim descended, all other religions were abrogated. Therefore, it is not permissible to follow any of them. Christians also believe in all past prophets, yet since they do not believe in the fact that Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is the prophet for all mankind, they remain in disbelief and diverge from the truth. As for Jews, since they do not believe 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam), either, they remain twice as far from Islam.

Since Jews and Christians believe that their present interpolated books are the same today as they were when they were sent down from heaven, they are called ahl al-kitab (disbelievers with heavenly books). It is permissible [but makruh] to eat the animals they slaughter [if they mention the name of Allahu ta'ala as they slaughter them] and to marry their daughters with nikah[2]. Polytheists (mushriks) and apostates (murtads) who do not believe in any prophet or book are called "disbelievers without a heavenly book." Mulhids, too, are said to be in the same group. It is not permissible to marry their daughters or to eat the animals they slaughter.

'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) chose twelve of his companions to disseminate his religion after him; each of them was called a hawari [apostle, le Aporte, Apostel]. They were Sham'un [Simon], Peter, [Petros], Johanna [Johannes], the elder Yaqub, Andreas [Andrew, Peter's brother], Philippus, Thomas, Bartholomew [Bartholomaus], Matiyya [Matthew], the younger Yaqub, Barnabas, Yahuda [Judas] and Thaddaeus [Jakobi]. Yahuda became an apostate and Matyas [Matthias] took his place. Petros was the chief of the apostles. These twelve believers, after 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) had ascended to heaven at the age of thirty-three, propagated his religion. Yet the true teachings of the religion sent by Allahu ta'ala could hold on only for eighty years. Later, Paul's fibbed doctrines spread out everywhere. Paul was a Jew and did not believe in ''Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). Yet, pretending to be a believer of 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) and introducing himself as a religious scholar, he said that 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) was the son of Allah. He fibbed some other things and said that wine and pork were halal. He turned Nasara's qibla from the Kaba to the East where the sun rises. He said that Allahu ta'ala's Person (Dhat) was one and His Attributes were three. These attributes were called uqnum (hypostases). The words of this Jewish hypocrite were inserted into the earliest four books of the Bible (the Gospels), especially in Luke's book, and the Nasara parted into groups. Seventy-two conflicting sects and books appeared. In the course of time, most of these sects were forgotten and now they have only three major sects left.

['Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah at-Tarjuman, who had been a priest on Majorca, one of the Spanish Balearic Islands, and who changed his name after embracing Islam in Tunisia, writes: "The four Gospels were written by Matthew, Luke, Mark and John [Johanna]. They were the first books to defile the Injil. Matthew, a Palestinian, had seen 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) only in the year of his ascent to heaven. Eight years later he wrote the first gospel in which he narrated the extraordinary events witnessed in Palestine when 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) was born and how his mother Hadrat Mariam took him to Egypt when the Jewish King Herod wanted to kill her child. Hadrat Mariam passed away six years after her son had ascended to heaven and was buried in Jerusalem. Luke, who was from Antioch (Antakya), never saw 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). He was converted to the religion of 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) by the hypocrite Paul long after 'Isa's ('alaihi 's-salam) ascent to heaven. After being imbued with the poisonous ideas of Paul, he wrote his gospel, changing Allahu ta'ala's book (the Injil) altogether. Mark, too, accepted the religion of 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) after the Ascension and wrote in Rome what he had heard from Petros under the name of the Injil. John was the son of 'Isa's ('alaihi 's-salam) aunt. He had seen 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) several times. In these four Gospels there are many incongruous passages."[3]

In the two books Diya' al-qulub and Shams al-haqiqa by Is'hak Effendi of Harput, who died in 1309 (1892 A.D.); in the Arabic book As-sirat al-mustaqim by Haidarizzada Ibrahim Fasih, who died in 1299; in the Persian book Mizan al-mawazin, by Najaf Ali Tabrizi, which was printed in Istanbul in 1288, and in the Arabic book Ar-radd al-Jamil by al-Imam al-Ghazali, which was printed in Beirut in 1959, it is proven that the present copies of the Bible have been interpolated.[4]

A Gospel written by Barnabas, who wrote precisely what he saw and heard from 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam), was found and published in English in Pakistan in 1973. It is written in Qamus al-alam: "Barnabas was one of the earliest apostles. He was the son of Mark's uncle. He was a Cypriot. He believed in 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) soon after Paul came forward, with whom he traveled to Anatolia and Greece. He was martyred in Cyprus in the year 63. He wrote a Gospel and some other booklets. He is memorialized on the eleventh of June by Christians."

Christian religious officials are called clergymen. The highest ranking Orthodox clergyman is the Patriarch. Clergymen of an intermediate grade are called pastors. Those who read the Bible are called qissis (gospellers). Above the qissis are uskufs (priests), who act as Muftis. Uskufs of higher grades are bishops, above whom are archbishops or metropolitans, who act as Qadis (judges). Those who conduct the ritual prayers in church are called jasilik (cleric), below whom are the cures or the shammas (deacons), and those who serve in church are called eremites (hermits) or shamamisa (coenobites), who also act as muazzins. Those who have devoted themselves to worship are called monks. Head of Catholics is the Pope (father of fathers) in Rome. His advisory prelates are called cardinals.

All these men of religious authority of the past forgot the Oneness of Allahu ta'ala. They invented the Trinity. After some time, in the era of the Roman Emperor Claudius II (215-271), Yunus Shammas, the Patriarch of Antioch, declared the Oneness of Allahu ta'ala. He brought many people round to the right course. Yet later priests succeeding him relapsed to worshipping three gods. Constantine the Great (274-337) introduced idolatry into the religion of 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). In 325, he convened 318 priests in a spiritual council in Nicea (Iznik) and made up a new Christian religion. In this council, a presbyter named Arius said that Allahu ta'ala is one and 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) is His creature. Yet, Alexandrius, chief of the council and the then Patriarch of Alexandria, dismissed him from the church. Constantine the Great declared that Arius was a disbeliever and established the principles of the Malakaiyya (Melchite) sect, which are written in the book Al-milal wa 'n-nihal and in a history book by Jirjis Ibn al-'Amid, a Byzantine Greek historian who lived through 601-671 A.H. (1205-1273, Damascus). In 381, a second council was held in Constantinople (Istanbul), and Makdonius was accused of blasphemy because he had said that 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) is not the Ruh al-quds [the Holy Ghost] but he is a creature. In 395, the Roman Empire split into two. In 421, a third council was held in Constantinople to scrutinize a book by Nestorius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, who said, "Isa was a man. He cannot be worshipped. There exist only the two uqnums. Allah is one. Of His attributes Existence, Life and Knowledge, the attribute 'Life' is the Ruh al-quds; the attribute 'Knowledge' penetrated into 'Isa and he became a god. Mariam was not the mother of a god. She was the mother of a man. 'Isa was the son of Allah." These ideas of his were accepted. The sect of Nestorius spread in oriental countries. Those who were of this sect were called Nesturis (Nestorians). In 431, a fourth council was held in Ephesus, where Dioscorus's ideas were accepted and Nestorius (d. 439, Egypt) was accused of blasphemy. Twenty years later, 734 priests assembled at a fifth council in Kadikoy in 451, and the writings of Dioscorus, the Patriarch of Alexandria, were repudiated. Dioscorus's ideas, which were based on 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) being a god, formed the Monophysite, which was also called the Yaqubiyya sect, derived from the real name of Dioscorus, Yaqub (Jacob). Mercianus, the Byzantine emperor of the time, announced the decision of repudiation everywhere. Dioscorus fled and preached his beliefs in Jerusalem and Egypt. His followers worship 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). Today's Suryanis (Syriac speaking Christians) and Maronites in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon belong to the Yaqubiyya sect.

The sect accepted in the Kadikoy council and ratified by King Mercianus is called Malakaiya (Melchite). It is similar to the sect accepted in the first ecumenical council held in Nicaea. Their chief is the Patriarch of Antioch. They term the attributes Knowledge and Life as "Kalima" (Word) and "Ruh al-quds" (the Holy Ghost), respectively, which are called 'uqnum' when they unite with man. They have three gods: 'Father', the uqnum of existence, is one of them; Jesus is the 'Son'; Mary (Mariam) is a goddess. They call 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) Jesus Christ.

The seventy-two Christian sects are described in detail in the Arabic book Izhar ul-haqq and in the Turkish book Diya' ul-qulub.[5]

All these sects were loyal to the Pope in Rome until 446 [1054 A.D.]. All of them were called Catholic. In 1054, Michael Cirolarius, Patriarch of Constantinople, broke away from the Pope and began to administer the Eastern churches independently. These churches are called Orthodox. They follow the Yaqubiyya sect. In 923 (1517 A.D.), the German priest Luther revolted against the Pope in Rome and a number of churches followed him. They are called Protestants.]

As it is seen, most Christians are baser than Jews, and they will be punished more severely in the Hereafter because they both disbelieve Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) and trespass against the subject of Uluhiyya (Divinity); they believe in the Trinity and worship 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) and his mother Hadrat Mariam and divinize them; they also eat maita (killed, unslaughtered) flesh. As for Jews, they reject two prophets; but they know that Allahu ta'ala is one, and they do not eat maita flesh. Nevertheless, Jews are more hostile towards Islam. Although a few Jews became polytheists like Christians by saying, "'Uzair (Ezra) was Allah's son," they are all called ahl al-kitab. The Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants read different versions of the Bible and claim that they follow 'Isa ('alaihi 's-salam). However, each sect has many conflicting principles on creed and practice. All of them are called Nasara, Christians or ahl al-kitab. Jews think of themselves as being in Musa's ('alaihi 's-salam) religion.[6]

When our Prophet ('alaihi 's-salatu wa sallam) honored the Hereafter with his presence in the eleventh year of the Hegira, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi-Allahu 'anh) became the Khalifa, who, 13 years after the Hegira, passed away at the age of sixty-three. After him, 'Umar al-Faruq (radi-Allahu 'anh) became the Khalifa. He was martyred at the age of sixty-three, in 23 of the Hegira. After him, 'Uthman Dhu'n-Nurain (radi-Allahu 'anh) became the Khalifa. He was martyred at the age of eighty-two, in the year 35 after the Hegira. Then, 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) became the Khalifa. He was martyred in 40 A.H. when he was sixty-three. These four Khalifas are called al-Khulafa' ar-rashidin. Exactly as in the 'Asr as-Saada, the rules (ah'kam) of the Sharia were carried out and righteousness, justice and freedom flourished everywhere during their caliphates. Rules of the Sharia were carried out without any misapplications. These four Khalifas were the most exalted among all the as-Sahabat al-kiram ('alaihimu 'r-ridwan) and their superiority to one another was as in the order of the sequence of their caliphates.

In the time of Abu Bakr 'radi-allahu anh' Muslims went out of the Arabian Peninsula. They suppressed the tumults that had broken out in the peninsula, and struggled for the suppression of proselytes. After our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) honored the Hereafter with his presence, rebellions broke out on the Arabian Peninsula. Abu Bakr (radi-Allahu 'anh) quelled the rebellions and struggled to correct the apostates during his caliphate and re-established Muslim unity as had been the case during the 'Asr-as-Saada. 'Umar (radi-Allahu 'anh), when he became the Khalifa, delivered a speech:

"O Companions of the Messenger! 'radi-allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain'. Arabia can supply only the barley for your horses. Yet, Allahu ta'ala has promised His Beloved (the Prophet) that He would give Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) Umma lands and homes in all parts of the world. Where are the soldiers to conquer those countries promised and to attain booties in this world and honors of ghazi and martyr in the Hereafter? Where are the ghazis who will sacrifice their lives and heads and leave their homes to rescue the human slaves of Allahu ta'ala from the paws of the cruel for the sake of Islam?". With these words, he encouraged the Sahabat al-kiram ('alaihimu 'r-ridwan) to go for jihad and ghaza. It was this speech of 'Umar's (radi-Allahu 'anh) that prompted the rapid enlargement of Islamic countries on three continents and the purification of millions of people from disbelief. Upon this speech, the Sahabat al-kiram ('alaihimu 'r-ridwan) took a unanimous oath to make jihad and to fight for Islam until death. With armed forces organized as the Khalifa had commanded, Muslims left their homes and went out of Arabia and settled everywhere. Many of them did not come back and struggled till death where they had gone. Thus many countries were conquered in a short time. In those days, there were two great empires: the Byzantine and the Persian. Muslims overcame both. Especially, the Persian Empire collapsed altogether, and all her lands came into Muslims' possession. Inhabitants of these countries, being blessed with the honor of becoming Muslims, attained peace in this world and endless bliss in the Hereafter. During the times of 'Uthman and 'Ali (radi-Allahu 'anhuma), too, Muslims dedicated themselves to ghaza. Nonetheless, during the caliphate of 'Uthman (radi-Allahu 'anh) some people rose against the Khalifa and martyred him. During the time of 'Ali (radi-Allahu 'anh) the Khariji tumults arose. Differences among the Muslims commenced. And, since the greatest source of conquest and victory was unanimous unity, during their caliphates not so much land was conquered as had been the case during the time of 'Umar (radi-Allahu 'anh).

The era of al-Khulafa ar-rashidin lasted thirty years. These thirty years, like the time of the Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam), passed in prosperity. After them, many bidats and wrong paths appeared among Muslims and many people dissented from the right way. Only those who believed and adapted themselves to the Sharia exactly as the Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) had done were saved. Their way is that of Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. This is the only correct way. The way which our Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) and his companions followed was the way which is shown by the scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain). The wrong ways were forgotten in the course of time, and most Muslim countries today follow this correct way. Of those which were not compatible with the Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat, there is only the Shiite group left. The Shiites claim, "The Caliphate was 'Ali's (radi-Allahu 'anh) right and Abu Bakr and 'Umar (radi-Allahu ta'ala anhuma) deprived him of his right by force," and they slander most of the Sahabat al-kiram. [Today, those who are called Muslims and are known as the al-Ummat al-Muhammadiyya are almost entirely composed of the Ahl as-Sunnat, the Shiites and the Wahhabis].[7]

The Ahl as-Sunnat, with respect to fiqh (actions, 'ibadat), consists of four Madhhabs. The first one, the Hanafi Madhhab, was founded by al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa Numan ibn Thabit (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih). 'Hanif' means 'a person who believes correctly, who clings to Islam.' 'Abu Hanifa' means 'the father of true Muslims.' Al-Imam al-azam did not have a daughter named 'Hanifa.' The second of the four Madhhabs of the Ahl as-Sunnat is the Maliki Madhhab of Imam Malik ibn Anas (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih). The third one is the Shafi'i Madhhab of Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih). Hadrat Shafi', a Sahabi, was the grandfather of the Imam's grandfather. That was why he and his Madhhab were called Shafi'i. The fourth one is the Hanbali Madhhab of Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih). [As is written in the preface of Radd al-mukhtar by Ibn 'Abidin, these four imams were born in the Hijri years 80, 90, 150 (767 Miladi) and 164 and passed away in 150, 179, 204 and 241, respectively.]

With respect to itiqad (beliefs), these four Madhhabs are not different from one another. All of them belong to the Ahl as-Sunnat and their beliefs and the basis of their religion are the same. These four Imams of the Muslims were great mujtahids recognized and believed by everybody. Yet they disagreed with one another in some small affairs with respect to actions (the Sharia).

Because Allahu ta'ala and His Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa-salam) pitied Muslims, it was not declared clearly in Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif how some actions should be done.[8] These actions had to be done by comparing them to those declared clearly. Among religious scholars, those who are capable of understanding how such actions are to be done after comparing them were called mujtahid. It was wajib, that is, it was commanded in Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif for a mujtahid to strive with his utmost energy to find out how an action is to be done and, for him and for those who follow him, to perform it in accordance with his deduction or choice (ijtihad), which, he thought, was most probably the right solution. A mujtahid's mistake in exploring the way of doing an action will not be regarded as a sin, and he will be rewarded in the Hereafter for his efforts, for man is commanded to work as much as he can. If he erred, he will be given one reward for his efforts. If he discovered what was correct, he will be rewarded ten times as much. All the Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) were great scholars, that is, mujtahids. Among those who lived immediately after them, there were many great scholars capable of ijtihad, and each of them was followed by very many people. With the passage of time, most of them were forgotten, and among the Ahl as-Sunnat, only the four Madhhabs survived. Afterwards, lest someone might come forth and pretend to be a mujtahid and make up a heretical group, the Ahl as-Sunnat did not follow any Madhhab other than these four. Millions of people among the Ahl as-Sunnat followed one of these four Madhhabs. Since the beliefs of these four Madhhabs are the same, they do not consider one another wrong, nor do they regard one another as holders of bidat or heretics. After saying that the right way is the way of these four Madhhabs, a Muslim thinks that his own Madhhab is more likely to be correct. Since Islam does not reveal clearly how the actions that are to be determined through ijtihad should be done, it is possible for one's own Madhhab to be wrong and the remaining three Madhhabs to be right, and it is better for everyone to say, "The Madhhab I follow is right, but it may be wrong as well; the other three Madhhabs are wrong, but they may be right as well." Thus, if there is no kharaj (compelling necessity), it is not permissible to mix the four Madhhabs with one another by doing one thing according to one Madhhab and another thing according to another. A person has to adapt himself in every respect to the Madhhab he follows by learning its teachings when there is no kharaj.[9]

Most scholars said that the Hanafi Madhhab was closer to being right. Therefore, this Madhhab settled in most Muslim countries. Almost all Muslims in Turkistan, India and Anatolia are Hanafis. Western Africa is wholly Maliki. There are Malikis in some coastal regions of India. Among the Kurds and in Egypt, Arabia and Daghistan, Shafi'is are numerous. Hanbalis are few; at one time there were many in Damascus and Baghdad.

The Al-adillat ash-Shariyya (documents, sources of Islam) consists of four parts: Qur'an al-karim, al-Hadith ash-Sharif, ijma' al-Umma and qiyas al-fuqaha'.

When mujtahids could not see in Qur'an al-karim clearly how an action is to be done, they would resort to Hadith ash-Sharif. If they could not find it clearly in Hadith ash-Sharif, either, they would declare that the action should be done in accordance with the ijma' on that action, if there had been any.[10]

If the way of doing an action could not be found through the ijma', either, then it would be necessary to follow the qiyas of mujtahids. Imam Malik (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) said that, besides these four documents, the unanimity of the inhabitants of al-Madinat al-munawwara of that time was a document. He said, "Their tradition [unanimity] was handed down from their fathers, from their grandfathers, and originally from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam)." He said that this document was more dependable than qiyas. Yet, the imams of the other there Madhhabs did not consider the inhabitants of Medina a source for documentation.

There were two methods for ijtihad. One was the method of the 'ulama' of Iraq, called the way of ra'y (choice) or the way of qiyas (comparison): if it was not declared clearly in Qur'an al-karim or Hadith ash-Sharif how to do an action, another action that was clearly expressed in Qur'an al-karim or Hadith ash-Sharif and which was similar to the action in question would be searched for. When it was found, the action in question would be compared to it and done in a similar way. After the Sahabat al-kiram, the leader of the mujtahids of this way was Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih).

The second way was the way of the 'ulama' of Hijaz, called the way of riwaya (tradition). They considered the traditions of the inhabitants of al-Madinat al-munawwara superior to qiyas. The greatest of the mujtahids of this way was Imam Malik (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih), who lived in al-Madinat al-munawwara. Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihima) attended his sohbats. Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, after learning the way of Imam Malik, went to Baghdad and learned the way of al-Imam al-azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) from his disciples and united these two methods. He established a new approach for ijtihad. Because he was a very eloquent and literary man, he understood the context of ayats and hadiths and decided on each action in accordance with an alternative he found more emphatic. When he could not find an alternative strong enough, he himself employed ijtihad according to the way of qiyas. Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), too, went to Baghdad after learning the way of Imam Malik (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih). There, he acquired a method of qiyas from the disciples of al-Imam al-azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih). Yet, because he had memorized a great many hadiths, he employed ijtihad first by examining the way whereby hadiths corroborated one another. Thus, he disagreed with the other three Madhhabs on many points concerning the rules of the Sharia.

The case of these four Madhhabs is similar to that of the inhabitants of a town, the notables of which, when they encounter a new problem they cannot find in the law, assemble together and solve it by comparing it to a conformable paragraph of the law. Sometimes they cannot come to a mutual agreement. Some of them say that the purpose of the State is maintenance of towns for the comfort of the people. By reasoning and observing, they solve a problem by using the analogy between that case and a similar case which is defined directly in an article of the law. This procedure is like the Hanafi Madhhab. Others observe the behavior of the officials coming from the capital and imitate them in this respect. They say that their behavior indicates the intention of the State. This method is like the Maliki Madhhab. Some others find out the way of doing an affair by studying the expressions and context of the law. They are similar to the Shafi'i Madhhab. And some decide the way of doing an affair correctly by gathering the other articles of the law and comparing them with one another. They are like the Hanbali Madhhab. Thus, each of the notables of the town finds a solution and says that his solution is correct and compatible with the law. But what the law approves of is only one of the four, and the other three are wrong. Yet their disagreement with the law is not out of their intention to oppose the law; they strive to carry out the orders of the State. Therefore, none of them is to be regarded guilty. They are likely to be appreciated for striving hard. But those who find out what is right will be appreciated more, and they will be rewarded. The case of the four Madhhabs is of this sort. The way Allahu ta'ala likes is certainly only one of them. In an affair on which the four Madhhabs disagree with one another, one of them must be right and the other three wrong. But, since each imam al-madhhab endeavored to find out the right way, those who were wrong will be forgiven. They will even be rewarded, because our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "There is no punishment for my Umma due to mistakes or forgetfulness." These differences among them only concern some insignificant affairs. Since there was complete agreement among them concerning beliefs and on most of the 'ibadat, that is, the rules that are openly stated in Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif, they did not criticize one another.

[Question: "Wahhabis and those who read their books say. 'The Madhhabs appeared in the second century of the Hegira. To which Madhhab did the Sahaba and the Tabiin belong?' "

Answer: An 'imam al-madhhab' was a great scholar who collected religious knowledge that he acquired from the Sahaba-t-al-kiram and which was clearly stated in Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif, and committed it to books. As for the teachings that were not declared clearly, he would examine them by comparing them to the ones declared clearly. "There were also many other imams each having his own Madhhab during the time of the well-known four imams. But those who followed them decreased in number over the centuries, and, as a result, none are left today."[11] Each Sahabi was a mujtahid, a profound alim, and an imam al-madhhab. Each had his own Madhhab and was more exalted and learned than the four aimmat al-madhahib. Their Madhhabs could have been more correct and superior. Yet, because they did not write books, their Madhhabs were forgotten. It soon became no longer possible to follow any Madhhab other than the four. Saying, "To which Madhhab did the Sahaba belong?" is like saying, "To which squadron does the colonel belong?" or, "To which class of the school does the physics master belong?"]

It is written in many books that four hundred years after the Hegira there were no longer any scholars capable of performing mutlaq (absolute) ijtihad. The hadith ash-Sharif on the 318 th page of Al-Hadiqa states that false, heretical men of religious post will increase in number. For this reason, every Sunni Muslim today has to follow (taqlid) one of the known four Madhhabs. That is, he has to read and adopt the 'ilm al-hal books of one of these four Madhhabs and have iman and do all his actions in accordance with these books. Thus, he will become a member of one of these Madhhabs. A person who does not follow one of them cannot be a Sunni but a la-madhhabi person, who either belongs to one of the seventy-two heretical groups or has become a non-Muslim.[12]

The author of the book Mizan-ul kubra (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) writes in its preface: "All the forgotten Madhhabs and the present four are sahih and valid. None of them is superior to any other, because they all depend on the same sources of Islam. Each Madhhab has those things which are easy to do (rukhsa) as well as difficult ones ('azima). If a person, though he can do the 'azima, tries to do the rukhsa instead, he will have made a game of Islam. He who has an excuse [unable to do the 'azima] may do the rukhsa. His doing the rukhsa deserves as much thawab as would be the case if he had done the 'azima. It is wajib for an able person to do the 'azima instead of the rukhsa of his own Madhhab. Furthermore, if some action which has an easy way only in his own Madhhab has also a difficult way in another Madhhab, it will be wajib for him to do the latter. One should very much avoid disliking the words of any of the aimmat al-madhahib or hold one's own opinion superior to theirs. Others' knowledge and comprehension are next to nothing when compared with those of mujtahids."[13] Since it is not permissible for a person who has no excuse to act in accordance with the rukhsa of his own Madhhab, it is understood that it is never permissible to search for the rukhsas of other Madhhabs, which is called the talfiq of Madhhabs.

The author of the book Durr-ul-mukhtar (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) says in its preface and also it is said in Radd-ul-mukhtar, an annotation book to Durr-ul-mukhtar, "It is not sahih to look for the rukhsas of the Madhhabs and to do an 'ibada in accordance with them. For example, if the skin of a Shafi'i with an ablution bleeds, his ablution does not break, while bleeding breaks the ablution of a Hanafi; on the other hand, a Shafi'i's ablution breaks if a na-mahram woman's skin touches his skin, though it does not break according to the Hanafi Madhhab. Therefore, if a person's skin bleeds and touches a na-mahram woman's skin after he has made an ablution, the salat he performs with such an ablution is not sahih. Likewise, it is batil (invalid, wrong) to follow another Madhhab while doing something according to a Madhhab. For example, if a dog touches a Shafi'i who, according to his Madhhab, rubs lightly his wet hands on a small area of the hairy part of his own head when performing an ablution, it will not be sahih for him to perform salat [without washing the surface the dog has touched] by also following the Maliki Madhhab. The salat of a person whom a dog has touched will not be sahih according to the Shafi'i Madhhab. However, according to the Maliki Madhhab, a dog is not religiously impure (najs), but one has to rub his wet hands on the entire hairy part of his head (when making ablution). Similarly, divorce given under duress is sahih in the Hanafi Madhhab, but it is not sahih in the other three Madhhabs. Therefore, it is not permissible for this person to follow the Shafi'i Madhhab and go on being married with the woman whom he has divorced while remaining married at the same time to her sister by following the Hanafi Madhhab. It is not sahih, according to the unanimity of the 'ulama' to make talfiq in doing an act, that is, to search for the rukhsas of the Madhhabs and to act in accordance with them. It is not permissible to do something without following one of the four Madhhabs."[14] Furthermore, "It is permissible in the Shafi'i Madhhab to perform the early and late afternoon prayers together and the night and evening prayers together when there is an excuse, such as traveling and hard rain. It is not permissible in the Hanafi Madhhab. It is haram if a Hanafi, when he is traveling, performs the early afternoon prayer in the time of the late afternoon prayer without any pressing circumstance or difficulty to do so; it is never sahih for him to perform the late afternoon prayer in the time of the early afternoon prayer. But both cases are sahih in the Shafi'i Madhhab. When there is a great difficulty (kharaj, mashaqqa) in doing something (e.g. an 'ibada) according to one's own Madhhab, it is permissible for him to choose the easy way (rukhsa) of doing that thing in his own Madhhab. If there is difficulty in doing the rukhsa, too, it will be permissible to follow another Madhhab for that particular 'ibada. But then he will have to perform the fard and wajib actions pertaining to that 'ibada in the second Madhhab."[15] A person who imitates another Madhhab when doing an act or 'ibada does not go out of his Madhhab; he has not changed his Madhhab. Only, while doing that act, he has to observe the principles of the other Madhhab, too.

Ibn 'Abidin (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) writes: "If a Hanafi who has performed an ablution without formally intending to perform an ablution performs the early afternoon prayer with this ablution, it will be permissible; if he becomes a Shafi'i after the arrival of the time for the late afternoon prayer and performs the late afternoon prayer with this ablution, it will not be sahih. He has to intend formally to perform an ablution and perform an ablution again.[16]

"If a person changes his Madhhab for worldly considerations without any religious necessity or without a necessity pertaining to knowledge, he makes a game of Islam. He must be punished. It is feared that he may die without iman. Allahu ta'ala declared: 'Ask those who know.' For this reason, it became wajib to ask a mujtahid, that is, to follow a Madhhab. Following a Madhhab is possible either by saying what one's Madhhab is or, without saying, by intending to be in it with one's heart. To follow a Madhhab means to read, learn and act according to the teachings of the imam al-madhhab. One cannot join a Madhhab by saying, 'I am Hanafi,' or 'I am Shafi'i,' without learning or knowing it. Such people should learn how to perform 'ibadat from religious masters and from 'ilm al-hal books.[17]

"A person who despises the Madhhabs and changes his Madhhab in order to choose the easy ways of doing something [that is, who unites the Madhhabs and selects and gathers their rukhsas] will not be accepted as a witness."[18]

Ibn 'Abidin states in his preface that Harun ar-Rashid, the Khalifa, said to Imam Malik, "I want to spread your books all over Muslim countries and order everybody to follow only these books." Imam Malik replied, "O Khalifa! Don't do that! Scholars' differing into Madhhabs is Allahu ta'ala's compassion upon the Umma. Everyone follows the Madhhab he likes. All the Madhhabs are correct."

A 'Mumin' or 'Muslim' or 'Musliman' is one who believes and accepts the Islamic teachings that were communicated to humanity through Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) by Allahu ta'ala and which have spread over Muslim countries. These teachings were declared in Qur'an al-karim and in thousands of hadiths. The as-Sahabat al-kiram heard them from the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). The Salaf as-salihin, that is, the 'ulama' of Islam, who came after the Sahabat al-kiram in the second and third centuries, wrote them in their books as they heard them directly or through those who had heard them from the Sahabat al-kiram. Islamic scholars who succeeded them interpreted the knowledge reported by the Salaf as-salihin differently and differed from one another; thus, seventy-three groups differing in the teachings pertaining to beliefs came into being. Only one of these groups did not follow their own thoughts and opinions or change or add anything in their interpretation. This group with correct beliefs is called the Ahl as-Sunnat or Sunni. The remaining seventy-two groups who dissented as a result of wrong interpretation and explanation of unclear ayats and hadiths are called groups of bidat (or dalala, deviation, heresy) or the la-madhhabi; they are Muslims, too, but they are in heresy.

Some people, instead of deriving the knowledge of belief from the books of the Salaf as-salihin 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihim ajmain', interpret Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif in accordance with only their own minds and opinions; thus their creed deviates completely and they become disbelievers called mulhids. The mulhid thinks of himself as a sincere Muslim and of the Umma of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). The munafiq introduces himself as a Muslim but is in another religion. The zindiq is an atheist and does not believe in any religion, but pretends to be a Muslim in order to make Muslims irreligious, atheistic. He strives to make reforms in Islam and to annihilate Islam by changing and defiling it. He is hostile to Islam. They are much more harmful than Jews and Christians. And so are freemasons.

The teachings that must be believed in order to be a Muslim are not only the six tenets of iman. To be a Muslim, it is also obligatory to 'believe' that it is necessary to do the well-known fards and to avoid and not to do the harams. A person who disbelieves the fact that it is one's primary duty to do the fards and to avoid the harams loses his faith and becomes a murtadd (renegade, apostate, proselyte). A person who believes it but does not do one or more of the fards or commits one or more of the harams is a Muslim, but he is a guilty, sinful Muslim. Such a Muslim is called a fasiq. Doing the fards and abstaining from the harams are called "performing 'ibada." A Muslim who tries to do the 'ibadat and who repents immediately when he has a fault is called salih.

Today, it is not excusable for a person who lives in the free world not to know the six tenets of iman and the well-known fards and harams. It is a grave sin not to learn them. It is necessary to learn them briefly and to teach them to one's children. If one neglects to learn them as a result of flippancy, one becomes a kafir (disbeliever). Any non-Muslim who only says, "'Ashhadu an la ilaha ill'Allah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluh," and knows and believes its meaning becomes a Muslim immediately. Yet, later on he has to learn gradually the six tenets of iman and the well-known fards and harams for every Muslim, and Muslims who know them should teach him. If he does not learn them he goes out of Islam and becomes a murtadd. It is necessary to learn them from genuine 'ilm al-hal books written by the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars.

The itiqad or iman of the four true, correct Madhhabs is the same. There is no difference between them in Islam. All of them hold the beliefs of the Ahl as-Sunnat. Those who do not believe in the beliefs of the Ahl as-Sunnat are called the people of bidat, i.e. the "la madhhabi." They call themselves "members of the fifth madhhab." These words of theirs are not true. There is no such thing as a "fifth madhhab." Today there is no way other than learning the knowledge pertaining to religion from the 'ilm al-hal books of one of these four Madhhabs. Everyone chooses the Madhhab that is easy for him to follow. He reads its books and learns it. He does everything compatibly with it, follows it, and becomes a member of it (taqlid). Because it is easy for a person to learn what he hears and sees from his parents, a Muslim usually belongs to the Madhhab of his parents. The Madhhabs being not one but four is a facility for Muslims. It is permissible to leave one Madhhab and join another, yet it will take years to study and learn the new one, and the work done for learning the former one will be of no use and may even cause confusion while doing many things. It is by no means permissible to leave one Madhhab because one dislikes it, for Islamic scholars said that it will be disbelief (kufr) to dislike the Salaf as-salihin or to say that they were ignorant.

Recently some people like Mawdudi of Pakistan and Sayyid Qutb and Rashid Rida of Egypt have appeared. They and those who have been deceived by reading their books say that the four Madhhabs should be united and that Islam should be made easy by selecting and gathering the rukhsas of the four Madhhabs. They defend this idea with their short minds and deficient knowledge. A glance over their books will show at once the fact that they know nothing about tafsir, hadith, usul or fiqh, and that they reveal their ignorance through their unsound logic and false writings. Consider the following:

1) The 'ulama' of the four madhhabs say, "The mulfiq's deduction is incorrect," that is, an 'ibada performed by following more than one Madhhab at the same time will be batil (invalid), not sahih, when this performance is not sahih in any one of the Madhhabs. A person who does not obey the unanimity of the 'ulama' of the four Madhhabs (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) will not be in any Madhhab. He will be a la madhhabi. Deeds of such a la-madhhabi person will not be compatible with Islam. They will be worthless. He will have made a game of Islam.

2) Confining Muslims and their 'ibadat to a single way will make Islam more difficult. Allahu ta'ala and His Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) would have declared everything clearly if they wished it so and everything would be done by following only that one way. But, pitying human creatures, Allahu ta'ala and His Messenger (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) did not declare everything clearly. Various Madhhabs came out as a result of the interpretations of the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain). When a person encounters some difficulty, he chooses an easy way in his own Madhhab. In case of greater difficulty, he follows another Madhhab and does that action easily. There would be no such facility in case there were only one Madhhab. The la-madhhabi who think that they are collecting the rukhsas to establish a single system of easy ways are, in actual fact, inventing difficulties for Muslims, probably without being aware of what they are doing.

3) An attempt to do one part of an 'ibada according to one Madhhab and another part according to another Madhhab will mean to mistrust the knowledge of the imam of the former Madhhab. As is written above, it will be kufr to say that the Salaf as-salihin (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) were ignorant.

History has witnessed many people who wanted to make changes in 'ibadat and who insulted the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain). It is obvious that the people who say it is necessary to select the rukhsas of the Madhhabs and to abolish the four Madhhabs cannot even correctly read or understand one page of the aimmat al-madhahib's books. For, understanding the Madhhabs and the superiority of the aimma requires being deeply learned. A person who is profoundly learned will not lead people to ruination by opening an ignorant, stupid path. Those who believed in the ignorant, and heretical people, who have appeared in the course of history, have ended up in perdition. Those who follow the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat, who have come in every century for fourteen hundred years and who have been praised in hadiths, attain to happiness. We, too, should hold fast to the right way of our ancestors, of those pious, pure Muslims, of those martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the Name of Allahu ta'ala and for the promulgation of Islam. And we should not be deceived by the poisonous, harmful articles of upstart reformers!

Unfortunately, the poisonous ideas of 'Abduh, the chief of the Cairo Masonic Lodge, have recently spread in Jami' al-Azhar in Egypt; thus, in Egypt there have appeared religion reformers such as Rashid Rida; Mustafa al-Maraghi, rector of the Jami' al-Azhar; 'Abd al-Majid as-Salim, Mufti of Cairo; Mahmud ash-Shaltut; Tantawi al-Jawhari; 'Abd ar-Raziq Pasha; Zaki al-Mubarak; Farid al-Wajdi; 'Abbas 'Aqqad; Ahmad Amin; Doctor Taha Husain Pasha; Qasim Amin; and Hasan al-Banna. Even more unfortunately, as was done to their master 'Abduh, these have been regarded as "modern Muslim scholars," and their books have been translated into many languages. They have caused many ignorant religious men and young Muslims to slip out of the right way.

The Great Muslim scholar Sayyid 'Abdulhakim-i Arwasi (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih), the mujaddid of the fourteenth century of the Hegira, said: "'Abduh, Mufti of Cairo, could not understand the greatness of the 'ulama' of Islam. He sold himself to the enemies of Islam and at last became a freemason and one of the ferocious disbelievers who have been demolishing Islam insidiously."

Those who rolled down into disbelief or bidat or heresy, like 'Abduh, always competed with one another in misleading also those young religious men who succeeded them. They pioneered the disasters which were prophesied in hadith ash-Sharif, "Ruination of my Umma will come through the fajir (heretical) men of religious authority."

After 'Abduh's death in Egypt in 1323 (1905 A.D.), the novices whom he trained in Egypt did not stay idle; they published numerous harmful books which incurred manifestation of a Divine Curse and Wrath. One of them is the book Muhawarat by Rashid Rida. In this book, he attacked, like his master, the four Madhhabs of the Ahl as-Sunnat and, thinking of the Madhhabs as idealistic differences and misrepresenting the methods and conditions of ijtihad as reactionary controversies, went so far into heresy as to say that they had broken Islamic unity. He simply made fun of millions of true Muslims who have been following one of the four Madhhabs for a thousand years. He journeyed as far away from Islam as to search for ways of meeting contemporary needs by changing Islam. The only thing that is common among religion reformers is that each of them introduces himself as a real Muslim and an Islamic scholar of extensive knowledge who has comprehended real Islam and modern needs. They describe as "imitators who think vulgarly" those true, pious Muslims who have read and understood Islamic books and who have been following in the footsteps of the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat, who were given the good news that they were Rasulullah's ('alaihi 's-salam) inheritors and who were praised in the hadith ash-Sharif: "Their time is the best of times." The reformers' declamations and articles show clearly that they know nothing of the rules of Islam or the teachings of fiqh; that is, they are devoid of religious knowledge and are grossly ignorant. In the hadiths, "The highest people are the scholars who have iman"; "The 'ulama' of the religion are the prophets' inheritors"; "The heart's knowledge is a secret of Allahu ta'ala's mysteries"; "The alim's sleep is an 'ibada"; "Revere the 'ulama' of my Umma! They are the stars on the earth"; "The 'ulama' will intercede on the Day of Judgement"; "The fuqaha' are inestimable. It is an 'ibada to be in their company," and "An alim among his disciples is like a Prophet among his Umma," does our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) praise the Ahl as-Sunnat scholars of thirteen hundred years or 'Abduh and his novices, the upstarts who sprang up later? The question is answered by our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) again: "Each century will be worse than the century prior to it. Thus it will go on worsening till Doomsday!" and "As Doomsday draws near, men of religious post will be more rotten, more putrid than putrefied donkey flesh." These hadiths are written in Mukhtasaru Tazkirat al-Qurtubi. All Islamic scholars and thousands of Awliya', whom Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) praised and lauded, unanimously say that the way which has been given the good news of salvation from Hell is the way of those 'ulama' who are called the Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat, and that those who are not Sunni will go to Hell. They also say unanimously that talfiq (unification), that is, selecting and gathering the rukhsas of the four Madhhabs and making up a single false Madhhab, is wrong and absurd.

Will a reasonable person follow the way of the Ahl as-Sunnat, which has been praised unanimously by the 'ulama' of Islam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain), who have come during the period of a millennium, or will he believe the so-called "cultured, progressive" people who are unaware of Islam and who have sprung up within the last hundred years?

Eminent and talkative ones of the seventy-two heretical groups, who the Hadith ash-Sharif states will go to Hell, have always attacked the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) and attempted to censure these blessed Muslims; yet they have been disgraced with answers corroborated with ayats and hadiths. Seeing that they were unsuccessful with knowledge against the Ahl as-Sunnat, they embarked on raid and murder, killing thousands of Muslims in every century. On the other hand, members of the four Madhhabs of the Ahl as-Sunnat have always loved one another and lived brotherly.

Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) declared: "Muslims' parting into Madhhabs in matters of daily life is Allahu ta'ala's compassion [for them]." But such religion reformers as Rashid Rida, who was born in 1282 (1865 A.D.) and died suddenly in Cairo in 1354 (1935 A.D.), said that they would establish Islamic unity by uniting the four Madhhabs. But our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) commanded all Muslims throughout the world to unite on one single way of iman, on the right way of his four Khalifas. By working together, the 'ulama' of Islam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) searched and studied the four Khalifas' way of iman and transferred it into books. They named this unique way, which our Prophet had commanded, Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. Muslims all over the world have to unite on this single way of the Ahl as-Sunnat. Those who wish for unity in Islam, if they are sincere in their words, should join this established union. But unfortunately, freemasons and zindiqs, who have been trying to demolish Islam insidiously, have always deceived Muslims with such false words as 'unity' and, under the mask of their slogan, "We shall bring cooperation," have broken the "unity of iman" into pieces.

Enemies of Islam have been trying to annihilate Islam since the time of our Prophet. Today, freemasons, communists, Jews and Christians attack with various plans. Also, those heretical Muslims, who, as it was declared, will go to Hell, play tricks and slander the Ahl as-Sunnat, the followers of the right way, and mislead Muslims off the true way. Thus they cooperate with the enemies of Islam in order to demolish the Ahl as-Sunnat. These attacks also have been pioneered by the British, who have employed all their imperial resources, treasuries, armed forces, fleets, technology, politicians and writers in this base war of theirs. So they have demolished the world's two greatest Muslim states that had been protectors of the Ahl as-Sunnat, namely the Gurganiyya State in India and the Ottoman Islamic Empire, which had extended over three continents. They have annihilated Islam's valuable books in all countries and swept away Islamic teachings from many countries. In the Second World War, communists were about to perish altogether, when they received a last-ditch British succor, which helped them to regain their strength and spread all over the world. In 1917, British Prime Minister (1902-5) James Balfour established the Zionist organization, which worked for the reestablishment of a Jewish state in Palestine, a holy place for Muslims, and the continuous support given to this organization by the British Government resulted in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1366 (1947 A.D.). It is the British Government, again, that caused the establishment of the Wahhabite State in 1351 (1932 A.D.) by delivering to the Sons of Sa'ud the Arabian Peninsula they had grasped from the Ottomans. Thus they dealt the biggest blow to Islam.

AbdurRashid Ibrahim Effendi says in a passage entitled "The Hostility of the British Towards Islam" in the second volume of the Turkish book Alam-i Islam printed in Istanbul in 1328 (1910 A.D.): "It was the first aim of the British to abrogate the Caliphate of Muslims as soon as possible. It was a plot arranged by them to encourage Crimean Turks to revolt against the Ottoman State so that they could demolish the Caliphate. Their secret and tricky intention was seen clearly through the Treaty of Paris. They exposed the hostility in their hearts in the propositions which they made in the Lozan Treaty, which was held in 1923. Whatever the disguise, all the disasters that fell upon the Turks were always caused by the British. To destroy Islam has ever been the main political aim of British politicians, for they have always feared Islam. They have been using mercenary consciences to deceive Muslims. These treacherous and hypocritical people are presented by the British as Islamic scholars. In short, the greatest enemy of Islam are the British."

Not only were Muslim countries stained with blood by the British for hundreds of years, but also Scotch freemasons deceived thousands of Muslims and religious men, made them freemasons, and through such empty words as "helping humanity, brotherhood," caused them to dissent from Islam and become apostates willingly. In order to annihilate Islam thoroughly, they used these apostate masons as tools. Thus, freemasons such as Mustafa Rashid Pasha, 'Ali Pasha, Fuad Pasha, Midhat Pasha and Tal'at Pasha were used to demolish Islamic states. Freemasons such as Jamal ad-din al-Afghani, Muhammad 'Abduh and novices trained by them were the cat's paws in defiling and annihilating Islamic knowledge. Of the hundreds of destructive and subversive books written by these masons, who occupied religious posts, the book Muhawarat by the Egyptian Rashid Rida has been translated into many languages and distributed in Islamic countries; with this method, they have been trying to defile Muslims' religion and faith. And it is seen that those young religious men who have not read or understood the books of the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) have been seized by this current and pushed into perdition and have also brought perdition to others.

The book Muhawarat attacks the four Madhhabs of the Ahl as-Sunnat, denies ijma' al-Umma, one of the four sources of Islamic knowledge, and says that everybody should act upon what he deduces from the Book (Qur'an al-Karim) and the Sunnat (Hadith ash-Sharif); thus, it attempts to exterminate Islamic teachings.[19]

It is said at the end of the book Hulasat-ut-tahqiq that a Muslim either has become a mujtahid or has not reached the grade of ijtihad. A mujtahid is either mutlaq (absolute) or muqayyad (belonging to a Madhhab). It is not permissible for a mujtahid mutlaq to follow another mujtahid; he has to follow his own ijtihad. However, it is wajib for a mujtahid muqayyad to follow the methods of the Madhhab of a mujtahid mutlaq; and he acts upon his own ijtihad which he employs in accordance with these methods.

A person who is not a mujtahid should follow whichever one he likes of the four Madhhabs. But, when doing an act in accordance with a certain Madhhab, he has to observe all the conditions required by that Madhhab for it to be sahih. If he does not observe even one of the conditions, his act will not be sahih; it has been stated unanimously that such an act will be in vain (batil). Though it is not a must for him to believe that his Madhhab is superior, it will be good if he believes so. Talfiq, that is, to do any 'ibada or any act in accordance with the rules of more than one Madhhab that disagree with one another or, to put it more clearly, to select eclectically those rules of these Madhhabs which disagree with one another in performing that 'ibada, means to go out of the four Madhhabs and to make up a fifth Madhhab. This 'ibada will not be sahih in any of the Madhhabs mixed with one another; it will be in vain and will mean to make a game of Islam. For example, if some najasa has been dropped into a certain amount of water of less than hawd kabir and more than qullatain[20] and if the color, taste or odor of the water has not changed and if a person performs ablution with this water without intending formally (niyya) to perform an ablution and if he does not wash certain parts of his body in the prescribed succession and if he does not rub his hands against them and if he does not wash them one right after another and if he begins his ablution without saying the Basmala, his ablution will not be sahih according to any of the four aimmat al-madhhahib. He who says that it is sahih will have made up a fifth Madhhab. Even a mujtahid cannot give a fifth opinion disagreeing with the unanimity of the four Madhhabs. [The amount of water equaling a qullatain was explained in detail in the seventh chapter of the fourth fascicle of the book Endless Bliss.] Sadr ash-Sharia writes in his book Tawdih, "When two different views concerning something were transmitted from the Sahabat al-kiram, the posterior 'ulama' were not permitted to propose a third one according to unanimity. There are also those (scholars) who said that the 'ulama' of every century would be like the Sahabat al-kiram." Molla Khusraw (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote in his work Mirat al-usul, "When two different views about doing something were transmitted from the scholars of the first century, it was not permissible, according to ijma', to give a third view. It is sahih to say that the 'ulama' of every century were like the as-Sahabat al-kiram." Jalal ad-din al-mihalli, the first author of the tafsir book al-Jalalain, says in the commentary to Jam' al-Jawami' by as-Suyuti, "It is haram to disagree with ijma'. It is prohibited in Qur'an al-karim. For this reason, it is haram to express a third opinion about something on which the Salaf as-salihin disagreed."

"One's doing an 'ibada by following rules of the two, three or four Madhhabs disagreeing with one another is disobedience to the ijma' of these Madhhabs; such an 'ibada will not be sahih in any of these Madhhabs. That is, talfiq is not permissible. Qasim ibn Qatlubagha writes in At-tashih, "It is unanimously stated that it is not sahih to do an 'ibada by following two different ijtihads. For this reason, if a person, while performing an ablution, does not rub his wet hands over all his head and if then a dog touches him and then he performs salat, his salat will not be sahih. It is also written in the book Tawqif al-hukkam by Shihab ad-din Ahmad ibn al-'Imad (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), a Shafi'i scholar, that such a salat will be wrong according to the unanimity." According to Imam Malik and al-Imam ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihima), the ablution and salat of such a person will not be sahih because, according to the former imam, he did not rub his wet hands on his whole head and, according to the latter imam, he touched a dog.

Muhammad al-Baghdadi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), a Hanafi scholar, writes in his booklet Taqlid, "There are three stipulations for imitating another Madhhab. The first one, which is also written by Ibn Humam in his work, Tahrir, is that a person cannot finish in another Madhhab an 'ibada which he began in accordance with his own Madhhab. For example, he cannot perform salat in accordance with the Shafi'i Madhhab with an ablution which he performed in accordance with the Hanafi Madhhab. The second stipulation, as quoted by Ibn Humam in his Tahrir from Ahmad ibn Idris al-Qarafi, is that the 'ibadat he is doing should not be considered invalid by both of the Madhhabs he is following; if he, while performing an ablution, follows the Shafi'i Madhhab and does not rub his hand on those parts of his body he has to wash in an ablution, and then if he touches a woman [he is permitted to marry] thinking his ablution will not break by doing so according to the Maliki Madhhab, the salat he performs with this ablution will not be sahih according to either Madhhab. The third stipulation is that one should not seek after the rukhsas of the Madhhabs." Imam an-Nawawi and many other 'ulama' emphasized the importance of this stipulation. Ibn Humam did not state this stipulation. Hasan ash-Sharnblali writes in his Al-'iqd al-Farid that the nikah performed without the presence of the wali (guardian of either of the intended couple who is not yet pubescent) by following the Hanafi Madhhab or that which is performed without the presence of eye-witnesses by following the Maliki Madhhab, will be sahih. However, the nikah performed with the absence of both the guardian and the eye-witnesses will not be sahih. Because it would be very difficult for the common people to observe this third stipulation they have been prohibited to imitate another Madhhab unless there is a pressing necessity (darura) to do so. It has been said that it will not be sahih to imitate another Madhhab without consulting an alim."

Ismail an-Nabulusi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), in his annotation to the commentary for Ad-durar, refers to Al-'iqd al-Farid and says, "One does not have to remain attached to a Madhhab. He can do an 'ibada of his by imitating another Madhhab as well. But then he has to observe all the conditions required in that Madhhab for that 'ibada. He can perform two ibadas not related to each other in two different ways by following two different Madhhabs." The necessity of observing all of the conditions when imitating another Madhhab exposes the fact that unification (talfiq) of the Madhhabs is not sahih.

'Abd ar-Rahman al-'Imadi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), a Hanafi scholar, says in his book Al-muqaddima, "A person can imitate any of the three Madhhabs other than his when there is a pressing necessity. Yet, he has to observe all the conditions required in that Madhhab for that 'ibada. For example, a Hanafi who performs an ablution from a qullatain amount of water stained with najasa by imitating the Shafi'i Madhhab, has to intend formally for performing the ablution, has to rub his hand on those parts of his body that has to be washed in ablution, has to recite al-Fatiha when performing the salat behind the imam [in congregation], and must certainly observe tadil al-arkan. It has been stated unanimously that his salat will not be sahih if he does not do all of these." His remark 'pressing necessity' for imitating another madhhab was superfluous. By 'necessity' he must have meant the 'need' for imitating; for, according to the majority of the 'ulama', one does not have to follow continuously the same Madhhab. One can follow another Madhhab if a difficulty (kharaj) appears while following one's Madhhab. All of what has been written so far shows that unification (talfiq) of the Madhhabs is not sahih.

Ibn Humam's work Tahrir does not contain any statements indicating that talfiq is sahih. Muhammad al-Baghdadi and al-Imam al-Manawi write that Ibn Humam says in the book Fath al-Qadir: "It is a sin to transfer oneself to another Madhhab by using an ijtihad or a document as a proof. Tazir (chastisement) should be inflicted on such a person. It is even worse to transfer without an ijtihad, a support. To transfer (in this context) means to act and perform an 'ibadat in accordance with another Madhhab. One cannot transfer by only saying that one has transferred. This is called a promise, not a transfer. Even if one says so, one does not have to follow that Madhhab. The ayat al-karima, 'Ask those who know about what you do not know,' commands us to ask a person who is known [strongly thought] to be an alim about a (religious) rule. Scholars' prohibition against changing one's Madhhab is intended to prevent an attempt at collecting the rukhsas of the Madhhabs. To many scholars, every Muslim can follow the ijtihad which comes easier to him in different affairs." If an ignoramus says that Ibn Humam's last statement shows that unification of the Madhhabs is sahih, this reasoning of his is wrong; for, the statement shows that one action shall be done wholly in accordance with a single Madhhab, not by following more than one Madhhab. Those who do not belong to a Madhhab and religion reformers who cannot understand this put forward Ibn Humam as a false witness for themselves. On the contrary, Ibn Humam writes clearly in his work Tahrir that unification of the Madhhabs is not permissible.

Religion reformers point to Ibn Nujaim's (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) writing as an example for permission of talfiq, which says, "It is written in a fatwa issued by Qadi-Khan that if a piece of land area devoted to a waqf is sold at a ghaban fahish price, it will be unlawful, according to Abu Yusuf (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), because of the ghaban fahish price. On the other hand, according to Abu Hanifa, it is permissible for the deputy to sell at ghaban fahish (exorbitant) price; so the two ijtihads are unified to make the sale sahih." However, the talfiq in this example takes place within the same one Madhhab. Both judgements are the results of the same Usul. Not so is the case with the talfiq of two Madhhabs. Another evidence showing that Ibni Nujaym does not say that talfiq is permissible is his own statement, "A person who becomes imam for a jamaat whose members are in another Madhhab (and conducts the namaz in jamaat) has to observe the principles of that Madhhab, too," which exists in Bahr-ur-raiq, a commentary he prepared for the book Kanz.[21] At this point we end our translation from the final part of the book Khulasa-t-ut-tahqiq.

Muhammad 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Silhati (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), a scholar of India, wrote in his Persian book Saif al-abrar al-maslul 'ala 'l-fujjar, "While explaining the hadith ash-Sharif, 'Make it easy! Do not make it difficult!' in his explanation of Mishkat, 'Allama Hafiz Hasan ibn Muhammad at-Tayyibi[22] (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) says, "A person who gathers the easy ways of the Madhhabs becomes a zindiq." In summary:

1) Every Muslim has to follow one of the four Madhhabs when he performs an 'ibada or an act. It is not permissible to follow any alim who is not in one of the four Sunni Madhhabs.

2) Every Muslim may follow any of the four Madhhabs which he likes and which comes easier to him. He may carry out an 'ibada (or an act) in accordance with one Madhhab and another ibada in accordance with another Madhhab.

3) As for carrying out an 'ibada in accordance with more than one Madhhab, it will be necessary to observe all the requirements of one of these Madhhabs for the soundness of that 'ibada, and for that ibada to be sahih in that Madhhab. This is called taqwa, and is very good. One would have followed (taqlid) that Madhhab and would have observed the conditions in the other Madhhabs. Following a Madhhab is permissible provided one will observe all its conditions. If one's 'ibada is not sahih according to any of the Madhhabs he follows, this is called talfiq, which is never permissible.

4) One does not have to always remain attached to the Madhhab one has chosen. One can transfer oneself to another Madhhab any time one likes. Adapting oneself to any Madhhab requires learning well the teachings of fiqh in that Madhhab, which can be learned from 'ilm al-hal books. Therefore, it will be easier to remain attached to one madhhab all the time. It is difficult to transfer oneself to or, for an affair, to imitate another Madhhab. It can be done only in case of a necessity, that is, when there is kharaj, and on condition that one shall observe all its conditions.

Because it is also very difficult to learn the knowledge of fiqh in another Madhhab, scholars of fiqh prohibited the ignorant, that is, those who do not have knowledge of fiqh, to imitate another Madhhab. For example, it is written in Bahr al-fatawa, "If a person in the Hanafi Madhhab has a wound bleeding continuously and if it is difficult for him to make an ablution at every prayer time, it is not permissible for him to perform salat as prescribed in the Shafi'i Madhhab without observing the conditions of this Madhhab." Ibn 'Abidin explains this in detail in the chapter about "Tazir." In order to protect the ignorant's 'ibadat against corruption, scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnat (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain) did not permit them to imitate another Madhhab except in case of kharaj.

At-Tahtawi writes: "Some scholars of tafsir say that the 103 rd ayat of Surat Al-i 'Imran, 'Hold fast to Allahu ta'ala's rope,' means, 'Hold fast to what the fuqaha say.' People who do not follow books of fiqh will fall into heresy, be deprived of the aid of Allahu ta'ala, and be burned in the fire of Hell. O believers! Meditate over this ayat-i karima and cling to the group of the Ahl as-Sunnat wa l'-Jamaat, who have been given the glad tidings that they shall be saved from Hell. Allahu ta'ala's approval and help are only for those who are in this group. Allahu ta'ala will treat those who are not in this group with wrath and torment in Hell. Today, belonging to the Ahl as-Sunnat requires following one of the four Madhhabs; one who does not follow one of the four Madhhabs is a man of bidat and will go to Hell."[23] A person who has gathered the easy ways of the four Madhhabs will not have followed any of the four Madhhabs. As it is seen, one who does not follow any of the four Madhhabs is a la-madhhabi. One who makes talfiq of the four Madhhabs, that is, by mixing the four, acts according to any Madhhab that comes easy to him, is a la-madhhabi, too. Also, one who follows one of the four Madhhabs but holds a belief unconformable to the Ahl as-Sunnat is a la-madhhabi. These three are not Sunnis, they are people of bidat who follow heresy (dalala). True Muslims, however, follow one of the four Madhhabs, that is, the 'true way.'

FOOTNOTES

[1] The Persian Shamsi year begins six months before this, that is, on the twentieth of March, which is the day of the Magian festival.

[2] It is not permissible for Muslim girls to marry them. If a girl intends to marry a disbeliever, she will have slighted Allahu ta'ala's religion. Those who slight Islam become proselytes. Therefore, such a marriage will be one between two disbelievers.

[3] Tuhfat al-arib fi 'r-raddi 'ala ahli 's-salib, by 'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah at-Tarjuman. He wrote this Arabic work in 823 (1420 A.D.), which was printed in London in 1290 (1872 A.D.) and in Istanbul in 1401 (1981 A.D.), and it was later translated into Turkish.

[4] A photostatic reproduction of the last three books was produced by Hakikat Kitabevi in 1986.

[5] Izhar al-haqq was printed in Arabic in Istanbul in 1280 (1864 A.D.). In this book, Rahmatullah Effendi of India (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), who passed away in Mecca in 1306 A.H., writes in detail about the discussions he had with Christian priests in India in 1270 and in Istanbul later, and tells how he silenced them. Comments on these discussions were added in the Istanbul impression of the Persian book Saif al-abrar. Izhar al-haqq has two parts: the first part, which was translated into Turkish by Nuzhet Effendi, the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Education, was printed with the title Izah al-haqq in Istanbul; the second part was translated into Turkish by Sayyid Amer Fehmi bin Hasan in 1292 A.H. and was printed with the title Ibraz al-haqq in Bosnia in 1293 (1876 A.D.). Diya' al-qulub by Ishaq Effendi of Harput was translated into English with the title Could Not Answer (in Istanbul in 1990).

[6] In 1954, the population of the world was 2.444 billion. There were 322 million Muslims, 800 million Christians (128 million the Orthodox, 470 million Catholics and 202 million Protestants), 11 million Jews, and 1.311 billion polytheists and unbelievers, who did not believe in any heavenly book or any prophet.

[7] Those zindiqs who are called Ahmadiyya (Qadiyanis) and Bahais have no connection with Islam. Both groups are disbelievers.

[8] If they had been declared clearly, it would have been fard or sunnat to do them exactly as they were declared. Those who would not do the fard would be sinful and those who would slight them would become non-Muslims; life would be very difficult for Muslims.

[9] Yet, in case of kharaj (utter difficulty, impossibility of doing an action in accordance with his own Madhhab), it is permissible for him to follow another Madhhab in this matter. And this brings about some conditions. He has to observe the conditions of the latter Madhhab concerning the affair when making use of this option. It is written in Ibni Abidin, in the chapter headlined Nikah-i-rij'i, that the scholars of Hanafi Madhhab have issued a fatwa permitting to imitate Maliki Madhhab in such cases.

[10] Ijma' means 'unanimity, consensus; all of the Sahabat al-kiram's commenting on or doing an action in the same manner.' The ijma' of the Tabiin, who succeeded the Sahabat al-kiram, also is a document. What the people who succeeded them did or said is not ijma', especially if they are today's people or religion reformers or religiously ignorant people.

[11] Al-Hadiqa, p. 318

[12] This fact is written in Bahr, Hindiyya, in the section on "Zabayih" of at-Tahtawi and in the section on "Baghis" of Radd al-mukhtar. Furthermore, it is written on page 52 of Al-basa'ir that the tafsir by Ahmad Sawi states that the same is written in the Surat al-Kahf.

[13] Al-mizan al-kubra, preface.

[14] Durr al-mukhtar, preface, and Radd al-mukhtar, annotation to it.

[15] ibid, section on times of salat.

[16] Radd al-mukhtar, v. II. p. 542.

[17] Radd ul-mukhtar, section on tazir.

[18] ibid, section on witness.

[19] In order to inform Muslim brothers of the tricks and harms of this book, we prepared our Answer to an Enemy of Islam in 1394 (1974 A.D.) and published it in Turkish and English. Also, seeing that the book Khulasat at-tahqiq fi bayani hukmi 't-taqlid wa 't-talfiq by the great Muslim scholar 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) and the book Hujjat-Allahi 'ala 'l-alamin by Yusuf an-Nabhani (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) and Saif al-abrar by Muhammad 'Abd ar-Rahman as-Silhati 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaih', one of the 'ulama' of India, were the exact refutation to this harmful book, we reproduced these books by offset process and published them.

[20] Hawd kabir, 'great pool' of at least 25 square meters; qullatain, 217.75 kg.

[21] Khulasat at-tahqiq, last part.

[22] At-Tayyeabi passed away in Damascus in 743 (1343 A.D.). First edition of his book was published in India in 1300 (1882 A.D.).

[23] At-Tahtawi's commentary to Durr al-mukhtar, section on 'Zabayih'.