The Miracle of Ahmad — Page 49
49 of narrators. However, you have your differences and dissensions in this case as well. It is also not firmly established where exactly to position one’s folded arms [during Prayer]; further, the disagree - ments over whether or not to raise the hands, or to recite S u rah al-F a ti h ah behind the imam, or to say a m i n aloud, and so on, continue to this day with different groups rejecting the traditions supporting the view held by others. If a Wahh abi were to practice rafa‘ yadain [i. e. raising both hands during various movements in prayer] in a H ana fi mosque and recite S u rah al-F a ti h ah behind the imam and fold his arms against his chest and say a m i n aloud, he would definitely emerge therefrom beaten and thrashed, even if he were to present four hundred authentic traditions in support of his action. This proves that from the early times, the Hadith has not been accorded great prominence. Imam A‘zam [Imam Abu Hanifah rta ], who lived before Imam Bukhari, does not care at all for the a ha d i th of Imam Bukhari. His was an age that was closer [to that of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. It should have been the case that those a ha d i th should have reached to him. It is, therefore, quite appropriate that the Quran not be abandoned for the sake of the Hadith. To do so would put one at risk of losing one’s own faith: 1 َّنِا َّنَّظلا اَل ْيِنْغُي َنِم ِّقَحْلا أًـْيَش Besides, if the verdict of the H akam [Arbiter] is not to be accepted, then of what exactly is he the H akam? 1. Surely, conjecture avails nothing against truth ( S u rah Y u nus, 10:37). [Publisher]