The Miracle of Ahmad — Page 49
THE MIRACLE OF AHMAD 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 Sūrah al-Fatihah behind the imam, or to say āmīn aloud, and so on, continue to this day with different groups rejecting the traditions supporting the view held by others. If a Wahhābī were to practice rafa yadain [i. e. raising both hands during various movements in prayer] in a Hanafi mosque and recite Sūrah al-Fatihah behind the imam and fold his arms against his chest and say āmīn 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 Aʻzam [Imam Abu Hanifahrta], who lived before Imam Bukhari, does not care at all for the ahadith 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 ahādīth 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 إِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا Besides, if the verdict of the Hakam [Arbiter] is not to be accepted, then of what exactly is he the Hakam? 1. Surely, conjecture avails nothing against truth (Sūrah Yūnus, 10:37). [Publisher]