7- To perform namâz five times daily is a commandment declared in Qur’ân al-kerîm and in hadîth-i-sherîfs. The seventy-second (72nd) âyat-i-kerîma of Ahzâb sûra purports, “Verily, We offered the deposit (the responsibility) to heavens, to earth, to mountains. They refrained from assuming it. They shuddered with fear of it. Men shouldered it and thus did cruelty to their selves. They did not know the result.” It is stated in the book of Tafsîr called Beydâvî that [This âyat-i-kerîma denotes the greatness of the felicity promised in the âyat-i-kerîma previous to itself. The previous âyat purports,
“Those who obey the commandments and prohibitions of Allâhu ta’âlâ will attain happiness in the world and in the Hereafter.” The commandments and prohibitions mentioned in this âyat-i-kerîma are compared to a deposit. Since a deposit is to be returned to its owner, this comparison expresses the importance of doing the worships. Some scholars have stated that the word ‘deposit’ means ‘wisdom and Islam’ in this context. For a person who has wisdom will obey Islam]. This âyat-i-kerîma, whether the word ‘deposit’ used in it be interpreted as ‘wisdom’ or be it said to mean ‘soul’, points out the importance of doing the worships, e.g. performing the five daily prayers of namâz. The fifty-eighth (58th) âyat of Nisâ sûra purports, “O Believers! Obey Allâhu ta’âlâ and His Messenger!” The Messenger of Allah understood the word ‘deposit’ used in the âyat-i-kerîma as ‘worship’ and therefore commanded Muslims to perform namâz five times daily. Those who wish to obey the Messenger of Allah should perform namâz five times daily. Whatever those who do not want to perform namâz may say, Muslims should attach paramount importance to the namâz.
It is stated in the book of Tafsîr named Beydâvî, one of the most valuable books of Tafsîr, “Hadrat Abdullah ibni Abbâs ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ anhumâ’ was asked: In what part of Qur’ân al-kerîm is the âyat-i-kerîma commanding the five daily prayers of namâz? He answered: Read the seventeenth and eighteenth âyats of Rûm sûra. These two âyat-i-kerîmas purport, “Make tesbîh of Allâhu ta’âlâ at evening and morning times. The hamds performed by heavenly and earthly beings and done in the afternoons and at noon times are for Allâhu ta’âlâ.” The ‘tesbîh’ to be done ‘at evening time’ represents the prayers of namâz to be performed in the evening and at night. The tesbîh to be done in the morning stands for the namâz be performed in the morning. The ‘hamds done in the afternoons and at noon times’ symbolize early and late afternoon prayers of namâz. The âyat-i-kerîmas command to perform namâz five times daily.” Those who deny the five daily prayers of namâz become startled when they hear this âyat-i-kerîma. They say that this âyat-i-kerîma does not contain the word ‘Salât’. When they are quoted the âyat-i-kerîma commanding to ‘make salât’ and told that there are more than sixty-five such âyats, they make a U-turn and say that “Salât means prayer. We obey these âyats and pray in seclusion. Namâz is not an Islamic commandment.”
The two hundred and thirty-ninth (239th) âyat of Baqâra sûra purports, “Protect the salâts and the salât of wustâ! [That is, perform namâz continuously]. Obey Allah and make salât!” ‘Protect the salât’ means ‘Perform the five daily prayers of namâz at their proper times and observing their conditions.’ It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, which is written in the book Musnad by Imâm-i-Ahmad and in Imâm-i-Munâwî’s book Kunûz-ud-deqâiq: “The salât of wustâ is the late afternoon namâz.”
Hadrat Alî ‘kerrem-Allâhu wejheh’ narrated: Our Prophet stated in the combat of Hendek (Trench), “The enemy did not let us perform the wustâ [late afternoon namâz]. May Allâhu ta’âlâ fill their abdomens and graves with fire!” Salât means both prayer and namâz. Hence the word ‘salât’ used in this âyat-i-kerîma means the ‘namâz’ which we know. The âyat-i-kerîma says to perform the prayers of namâz and the late afternoon prayer. According to the Arabic grammar, the word ‘salâts’ means ‘three salâts in the least’. Since the late afternoon salât is called (Wustâ), which means ‘the namâz in the center’, the number of salâts meant here cannot be only three. There have to be at least four salâts in addition to the late afternoon so that the late afternoon salât be exactly in the center, that is, between the second and the fourth salâts. Kemâleddîn-i-Shirwânî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’ quotes the fifty-ninth âyat-i-kerîma of Nûr sûra in his book Miftâh-us-sa’âda to prove that the number of salâts to be performed daily is five. The names of morning and night prayers of namâz are written clearly, i.e. as ‘Salât-i-fejr’ and ‘Salât-i-ishâ’, in the fifty-ninth âyat of Nûr sûra.
The hundred and second (102nd) âyat of Nisâ sûra purports, “To perform namâz at certain times has become farz for Muslims.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, which exists in the books Riyâd-un-nasihîn and Hulâsat-ud-delâil: “I was by the entrance to Ka’ba, when Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salâm’ came near me twice. He performed early afternoon prayer with me as the sun left its position at the zenith.” In another hadîth-i-sherîf, which is written in Abulleys-i-Semerkandî’s book Muqaddimat-us-salât existing with number [701] at the section called (Es’ad efendi) in the library of Süleymâniya and also recorded in the book Fath-h-ul-qadîr at the section named Ayasofia (Saint Sophia), our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ states: “Jebrâîl ‘alaihis-salam’ made me perform namâz for two days by the entrance to Ka’ba. The first day, we performed morning prayer as the fejr-i-thânî [whiteness] appeared, early afternoon prayer as the sun left it zenith, late afternoon prayer as shadows were as long as the real objects they represent, evening prayer as the sun set, and night prayer as dusk disappeared. The second day we performed morning prayer at daybreak, early afternoon prayer when everything had a shadow as long as itself, late afternoon prayer when the shadow of everything was twice as long as itself, evening prayer at the time of breaking fast, and night prayer when one-third of the night time had elapsed. Then he said: O Muhammad! These are the times of namâz for thee and for past Prophets and for thine Ummat.” As Suleymân bin Berîda narrates from his father in the book Muslim, somebody asked Rasûlullah about the times of namâz. The Messenger of Allah said, “Perform namâz with me for two days!” As the sun left the zenith, he ordered Bilâl Habashî to call the adhân. We performed early afternoon prayer. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Late afternoon prayer is performed before sunset.”
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, which is reported by Jâbir bin Abdullah in the books Bukhârî and Muslim: “As there would be no dirt left on your body if you washed yourself in a stream flowing by your house, so Allâhu ta’âlâ will forgive the faults of those who perform namâz five times daily.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, “Namâz is the pillar of the religion. He who performs namâz will have fortified his religion. And he who does not perform namâz will have ruined his religion.”
A hadîth-i-sherîf, which exists in the books Bukhârî and Muslim and belongs to the category called Mesh-hûr, states, “Islam has five fundamentals. The first one is to utter the word Shahâdat. The second one is to perform namâz.” It is stated in another hadîth-i-sherîf, reported by Abû Dâwûd and written in the book Halabî: “Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded to perform namâz five times daily. Allâhu ta’âlâ will forgive those who make a proper ablution, perform these prayers of namâz at their proper times, and observe the rukû’ (bowing) and sajda (prostration) in them.”
Another hadîth-i-sherîf reads as follows: “Allâhu ta’âlâ has made it farz for His born slaves to perform namâz five times daily. If a person makes a beautiful ablution and performs namâz correctly, on the rising day his face will shine like the full moon and he will pass the bridge of Sirât as fast as lightning.” The author of the book Riyâd-un-nâsihîn ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ relates, “I have studied books of Hadîth. I have seen that it is stated in various hadîth-i-sherîfs reported by more than twenty Sahâbîs: ‘A person who omits a prayer of namâz without any religiously sanctioned excuse will become a disbeliever.’ ”
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf, which is reported by hadrat Alî ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ and exists in the books Târîh-i-Bukhârî and Kitâb-ul-îmân: “He who gives up the namâz will become a disbeliever.” That is, a person who is not sorry for neglecting the namâz and does not feel shame towards Allâhu ta’âlâ for this reason, will take his last breath without îmân.
There is detailed information in this respect in the (Turkish) book Se’âdet-i ebediyye.
A hadîth-i-sherîf, which the book Bukhârî reports from Abû Sa’îd-i-Hudrî, states,“The thawâb that will be given for the namâz performed in jamâ’at is twenty-five times as much as that which is given for the namâz which one performs by oneself.” However, according to a hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Abdullah ibni ’Umar, it is“twenty-seven times as much.”
A hadîth-i-sherîf, which is reported by Dâr-i-Qutnî ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ and is written in Kunûz, states, “A person who lives near a mosque should perform his namâz in the mosque.”
It is stated in a hadîth narrated in the books Firdaws-ul-ahbâr and Riyâd-un-nâsihîn: “Not to go to the mosque though one hears the adhân would be a sign of being a munâfiq.”
It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf reported in Imâm-i-Ahmad’s ‘rahmatullâhi aleyh’ book Musnad and in Kunûz: “If a person forgets something during his salât, he should make two additional sajdas!”
The forty-third âyat of Baqara sûra purports, “Perform the prayers of namâz and pay zakât and make rukû’ with those who make rukû’.” It is explained in Beydâvî and in all books of Tafsîr that this âyat-i-kerîma commands to perform namâz in jamâ’at. The purpose in representing the namâz with the word rukû’ in this âyat-i-kerîma is to distinguish it from the Judaic namâz and to emphasize that it is the Islamic namâz. For the namâz performed by Jewry does not contain rukû’. It is stated in the book Hulâsat-ul-fetâwâ, “Accepting the muadh-dhin’s call (of adhân) is to be done by foot, not only orally. If a person who hears the adhân repeats it only and does not go to the mosque, he will not have accepted the muadh-dhin’s call.”
8- There were mosques in the time of Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ and in the times of the As-hâb-i-kirâm. There were imâms in these mosques. The namâz would be performed in jamâ’at. The imâm does not necessarily have to be innocent, sinless. For no one except Prophets ‘alaihim-us-salawâtu wa-t-taslîmât’ is innocent. Allâhu ta’âlâ commands to build mosques. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ stated, “If a person builds a mosque Allâhu ta’âlâ will bless him with a kiosk in Paradise.”
The last âyat of Jum’a sûra purports, “O Believers! When the adhân for salât is called on Friday, stop shopping and run for the Dhikr of Allah! Disperse when the salât is over!” This âyat-i-kerîma also shows that salât means namâz. The namâz has been called Dhikr. Because Muslims assemble in mosques on Friday, the day has been called Jum’a.
People without a certain Madh-hab say, “There is no heavenly commandment concerning the construction of mosques. Since the demolition of mosques it has been considered more appropriate and more virtuous to do the worships in homes.” This assertion is an extremely odious lie, a very wicked slander. And their misinterpreting âyat-i-kerîmas in order to convince Muslims that they are telling the truth, is disbelief and heresy. The history book which they put forward as a document was written by a Hurûfî of Shîrâz.
When the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ migrated from Mekka to Medina, his first stay was in the vilage called Kubâ, where he stayed for more than ten days. He built a mosque called Kubâ Mesjîd in this village. Carrying a big stone with his blessed hands, he put it under the mihrab as a foundation stone for the mosque. Then he said, “O Abâ Bekr! Bring another stone and put it beside my stone!” Then he had hadrat ’Umar and hadrat ‘Uthmân each put a stone. Hadrat ’Umar and hadrat ’Uthmân ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ anhumâ’ had arrived in Medîna before.Rasûlullah performed his prayers of namâz in this mosque. During his stay in Medîna he would come here every week and perform two rak’ats of namâz called Tehiyyat-ul-mesjîd.
Mesjîd-i-dharâr: It was during the preparations for the Holy War of Tebuk when some munâfiqs in the village of Kubâ, such as Hizâm bin Khâlid and the sons of Abû Jayba and Ibni Âmir, namely Majmâ and Zeyd, and also such vagabonds as Tabtal and Tajruj and Bejad and Abâd and Wedîa, provoked by Abû Âmir, designated a place of meeting for themselves and termed this place the Mesjîd-i-dharâr. Abû Âmir was the maternal first cousin of Abdullah ibni Ebî, the chieftain of munâfiqs. They asked the Messenger of Allah to perform namâz in that mosque. The Prophet said he would do so on returning from the Holy War. When he was back from the Holy War they came to him and begged him. Allâhu ta’âlâ informed His Messenger that these people were munâfiqs and told him not to go there. So Rasûlullah sent Mâlik bin Dehshem, Sa’d bin Adî and his brother Âsim bin Adî to the so-called place and had it demolished. It is not known for certain today where the place exactly was. During the construction of the mosque, hadrat Abû Bekr, ‘Umar and ’Uthmân were off in Medîna, with the Messenger of Allah. They were helping Rasûlullah with his preparations for the Holy War of Tebuk.
Mesjîd-i-Jum’a: is in the valley of Ranona, between Medîna and Kubâ. This is the place where the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ performed his first namâz of Friday.
Mesjîd-i-Fadîh: is to the east of Kubâ. In the Holy War of Benî Nadîr Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ had the army encamped somewhere around this place and he and his As-hâb performed namâz for six nights in this mosque.
Mesjîd-i-Benî Qureyza: Our master, the Messenger of Allah, performed namâz by the minaret of this mosque.
Mesjîd-i Ummi Ibrâhîm: is to the east of the mosque of Benî Qureyza (the previous one). The Prophet performed namâz here, too.
Mesjîd-i-Benî Zafer: is to the east of Bakî’ cemetery. The Messenger of Allah performed namâz in this mosque and then, sitting on a rock, he had (some âyats from) Qur’ân al-kerîm recited and listened to it.
Mesjîd-ul-ijâba: is to the north of Bakî’. The Messenger of Allah, after performing namâz with his As-hâb in this mosque, prayed that his Ummat (Muslims) should not be afflicted with such disasters as famine and drowning.
Mesjîd-ul-Fat-h: is on top of a hill accessible through a set of stairs. In the Holy War of Hendek (Trench) the Messenger of Allah prayed very earnestly for victory from Monday till Wednesday in this mosque.
Mesjîd-ul-qiblatayn: is close to Mesjîd-ul-Fat-h. Two months before the Holy War of Bedr, the Messenger of Allah was conducting an early afternoon prayer in this mosque and they were making the rukû’ in the second rak’at of early or late afternoon prayer, when (the order from Allâhu ta’âlâ arrived and) they changed their direction from Jerusalem to Ka’ba.
Mesjîd-i-Zuhâba: is somewhere on the way from Damascus to Medîna, on a hill on the left hand side. They (Rasûlullah and his As-hâb) were encamped and performed namâz here.
Mesjîd-i-Jebel-i-Uhud: On his way back from the Holy War of Uhud, the Prophet performed early and late afternoon prayers here. Also, âyat-i-kerîmas praising religious scholars were revealed here.
Mesjîd-i-Jebel-i-Ayniyya: is the place where hadrat Hamza (Rasûlullah’s blessed paternal uncle) was martyred. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ performed namâz with his weapons on his blessed body here.
Mesjîd-ul-wâdî: is the place where Rasûlullah performed morning prayer and the namâz of janâza for hadrat Hamza.
Mesjîd-ul-Bakî’: is on the right hand side as you exit the Bakî’ cemetery. Rasûlullah performed many prayers of namâz here.
Names and places of thirty-eight other mosques where the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ performed namâz are written in detail in the book Mir’ât-i-Medîna.
Mesjîd-un-Nebî: is the greatest mosque in Medîna-i-munawwara. It is the place where Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ camel knelt down first when he migrated to Medîna. First he stayed as a guest at Khâlid bin Zeyd Abû Eyyûb al-Ansârî’s home for seven months. With the ten golds donated by hadrat Abû Bekr they bought a building plot and leveled it. Construction of the mosque was completed by the Safer month of the second year. It was roofed with branches and leaves of date. It had three entrances. The Mihrâb was at the place where the (entrance called) Bâb-i-Tawassul is today. The jamâ’at would go in and out through the entrance where the Mihrâb stands today. The depth of the foundation was three arshins [one and a half metres], the same size as the thickness of the walls. The foundation was laid with stones and the walls were built with sun-dried bricks. The mosque was a hundred arshin long and wide, and seven arshins tall. He (the Prophet) placed the first foundation stone with his blessed hands. Then he ordered hadrat Abû Bekr, ’Umar, ’Uthmân and Alî each to put a stone by this stone, respectively. When he was asked the reason why, he stated, “This is to signify the order of their caliphates!” On the right and left hand sides of the mosque nine additional rooms were made for his blessed wives. The room which was nearest the mosque was alotted to hadrat Âisha.
From the month of Safer till the time of his passing away, the beloved Messenger of Allah performed all his prayers of namâz in jamâ’at in this mosque whenever he stayed in Medîna. Despite the apparent fact that Rasûlullah and his As-hâb performed namâz in the abovenamed mosques, these communists assert that “Salât means prayer. Islam does not contain any commandment pertaining to the performance of namâz.” It is such a consternating assertion.
The hundred and twenty-fifth âyat of Baqara sûra purports, “Perform namâz at the place called Maqâm-i-Ibrâhîm in the Mesjîd-i-harâm! We have ordered Ibrâhîm and Ismâ’îl to‘Clean My Home for those who visit it and who make rukû’ (in it) and who sit (in it) and who make sajda in it!’ ” In this âyat-i-kerîma Allâhu ta’âlâ calls Ka’ba ‘My Home.’ For this reason, Ka’ba is called ‘Baytullah’ (the Home of Allah). And in Hûd sûra Allâhu ta’âlâ calls Sâlih’s ‘alaihis-salâm’ camel ‘Nâqatullah’ (the Camel of Allah). These namings do not come to mean that Allâhu ta’âlâ is in Ka’ba or that the Camel is with Him. Even an ignorant idiot would not infer such stupid meanings. Like Ka’ba, all mosques are called Beytullah. This designation is intended to point out the value and honour of mosques.
The thirty-sixth âyat of Nûr sûra purports, “Allâhu ta’âlâ has commanded that some homes be valued highly. He commanded that His Name be mentioned in these highly valued homes. Tesbîh of Allâhu ta’âlâ is made in these places in the morning and in the evening.” On the other hand, in an âyat-i-kerîma which we have quoted earlier Allâhu ta’âlâ calls namâz ‘Dhikr’. So this âyat-i-kerîma shows that mosques are for performing namâz. Hadrat Abdullah ibni Abbâs said that [Mosques are called Baytullah. Therefore, to interpret the expression ‘homes’ in this âyat-i-kerîma as ‘their homes’ would mean to change the âyat-i-kerîma].
The hundredth âyat of Nisâ sûra purports, “When you set out on a journey on the earth you may shorten the Salât!”After the revelation of this âyat-i-kerîma the Messenger of Allah performed two rak’ats of his prayers of namâz during journeys. After this âyat-i-kerîma, another âyat-i-kerîma, which purports, “When you and your As-hâb perform Salât during a combat, let a group of the jamâ’at perform it with you with their weapons on them. When one rak’at is completed they should resume their positions against the enemy. Then those who have not made Salât (because they have been fighting) should come and continue the Salât with you!”, shows very plainly that Salât means Namâz, not (only) prayer.
A hadîth-i-sherîf reported in Tabarânî and Munâwî states, “Do not make mosques into a (place that you walk through on your) route! Enter mosques (only) for Dhikr and Salât!”
Another hadîth-i-sherîf, which states, “The Salât’s perfection depends on straightening the lines,” points out that Salât means Namâz and that the namâz which is farz is to be performed in jamâ’at.
A hadîth-i-sherîf, which is cited in Ibni Âbidîn, at the end of its chapter dealing with acts of makrûh in the namâz, states, “Your salât in your own home is more valuable than your salât in my mosque. However, this is not the case with (the salât which is)farz.” As this hadîth-i-sherîf shows, Salât means Namâz and it is better to perform the namâz which is farz in a mosque and that which is sunnat at home. It is stated in another hadîth-i-sherîf, “The salât performed in my mosque deserves a thousand times as much thawâb as the salât performed elsewhere. And the salât performed in the Mesjîd-i-harâm will be given a hundred times as much thawâb as the one performed in my mosque.”
A group of those people without a Madh-hab and zindiqs do not perform namâz. They assert that “Salât is a commandment. It means prayer. Islam does not contain any worship consisting of such acts as bowing and prostration or building mosques. Prophets say not to attend mosques but to entreat Allah in the mosque of your heart.” The âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs quoted above are plain evidences proving that these people are liars whose goal is to mislead Muslims.
9- Some of the people without a Madh-hab claim that adhân also means prayer. On the contrary, our Prophet taught Bilâl-i-Habeshî, his muadh-dhin, how to call the adhân (ezân). He had him mount a high place and call the adhân. The âyats that purport, “When the call for salât reaches you (when you hear it),” and “When it is called for salât on Friday,” denote the adhân. A hadîth-i-sherîf reported by Hâkim and Munâwî states,
“The namâz of those who do not come there although theyhear the call, will not be accepted.” Nidâ (the Arabic word used in the two hadîth-i-sherîfs quoted above) means calling the adhân. The first minaret for a mosque was built in Egypt, by hadrat Selmet-ebni Halef, one of the Sahâba. He was Egypt’s governor in the time of hadrat Mu’âwiya.
It is a worship to make Dhikr of Allâhu ta’âlâ with a soft voice. It is for this reason that members of the group called Turuq-i-aliyya make Dhikr. Yet it would be nescience and heresy to confuse this Dhikr with adhân. Our master, the Messenger of Allah, praised muadh-dhins (people who called the adhân) by stating, “On the Rising Day muadh-dhins will have long necks.” This statement denotes that on that day they will rise with luminous foreheads and swollen chests. Another hadîth-i-sherîf, reported by Hâkim and Daylamî, states, “Do not say the initial tekbîr for salât (do not begin to perform the salât) until the muadh-dhin has finished (calling) the adhân!” Abû Dâwûd and Munâwî report a hadîth-i-sherîf which states, “Do not call the adhân before dawn!” Hurûfîs compare muadh-dhins’ calling the adhân to braying of an ass. People who make such a comparison become disbelievers. The next generation will remember these zindiqs with curses.
10- True Muslims, who are called Ahl as-Sunna, very well reconize the value of our Prophet’s Ahl-i-Bayt ‘ridwânullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim ajma’în’. They love the twelve blessed Imâms very much. They try to follow the fruitful way of the Ahl-i-Bayt, which guides to the luminous felicity. Words alone could not be the indication of love. One would have to adapt oneself to them.
Hadrat Abû Hanîfa ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ aleyh’, the exalted religious leader and the greatest scholar among the Sunnite Muslims, left aside all his worldly occupations, his duties and his disciples, and attended the sohba of hadrat Imâm Ja’fer Sâdiq for two years. He obtained plenty of lore from Imâm Ja’fer Sâdiq’s ocean of knowledge. He received fayz from his blessed heart, which reflected the spiritual lights coming from the Messenger of Allah. He stated, “If I had not served hadrat Imâm Ja’fer Sâdiq for two years, I would have been quite unaware of everything.” Hadrat Imâm A’zam Abû Hanîfa reached maturity through the knowledge and fayz which he acquired from Imâm Ja’fer Sâdiq. He attained high degrees that did not fall to the lot of other people.
It was from the Imâms of Ahl-i-Bayt that the leaders of Ahl as-Sunna learned most of their teachings pertaining to îmân and fiqh, the majority of their ma’rifats pertaining to Tasawwuf, and even a major part of their knowledge pertaining to Tafsîr and Hadîth. In their training systems did they reach maturity. With their tawajjuh did they attain high grades. From them did they receive glad tidings. Shiite books acknowledge this fact, too. Ibni Mutahhir-i-Hullî, a Shiite scholar, writes in his books Nahj-ul-haqq and Minhej-ul-kerâma that Imâm-i-A’zam Abû Hanîfa and Imâm-i-Mâlik learned from Imâm-i-Ja’fer Sâdiq ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim’ and attained high grades in his company. Imâm A’zam Abû Hanîfa was taught also by Imâm-i-Muhammad Bâqir and Zeyd-i-Shehîd. Why do Shiites, while advocating respect for their (false) dervishes who have not even seen any one of the Imâms of Ahl-i-Bayt, vituperate the scholars of Ahl as-Sunna who served those blessed Imâms for years and acquired knowledge and received fayz from them? Is it not farz for Shiites to obey also these scholars, who were authorized by those noble Imâms to give fatwâ and to perform ijtihâd? Shaikh-i-Hullî, a Shiite Imâm, states that Imâm-i-A’zam Abû Hanîfa was authorized (was given ijâzat) to give fatwâ by Imâm-i-Bâqir, by Zeyd-i-Shehîd and by Imâm-i-Ja’fer Sâdiq. That Imâm-i-A’zam possesssed the requirements of ijâzat is testified by the (twelve) faultless Imâms. To speak ill of Imâm-i-A’zam would mean to deny the testimony of the twelve Imâms, who were sinless people. And this, in its turn, would be disbelief according to the Shiite credo. Since there is not a sinless Imâm today, is it not especially farz now for all Shiites to join the Madh-hab of Imâm-i-A’zam?
Shaikh Hullî reports from Abu-l-muhâsin, who reports from Abu-l-buhtur: Abû Hanîfa visited Abû Abdullah Ja’fer Sâdiq. Upon seeing Abû Hanîfa, Imâm Ja’fer Sâdiq said to him, “You will promulgate my father’s Sunna everywhere. You will show the right way to those who have lost their way. You will help those who are in peril. You will be a guide to salvation. May Allâhu ta’âlâ help you!” Almost all Shiite books unanimously narrate the following event: Abû Hanîfa visited Abû Ja’fer Mensûr, the time’s Abbasid Khalîfa. Îsâ bin Mûsâ was there, too. Upon seeing Abû Hanîfa, he said, “O Khalîfa! This newcomer is the world’s greatest scholar!” Mensûr asked, “O Nu’mân! Who did you learn knowledge from?” “I learned it from Alî thr