Is it a problem to marry someone from a different Madh’hab?
islamic legal theories
I'm following Shafi mahdhab. I've fallen in love with one guy who is a Hanafi. After he met my family, my family had asked him a lot of questions - especially about religion.
My family told me that they are worried about my marrying him, because some of our knowledge regarding Islam is a little bit different.
My family worry about what would happen if I don't follow his mahdab. I asked him if he worries about it, and he said that he doesn't mind marrying me, because it's still Islam.
He told me, after we get married, he wants to teach our children Hanafi madhhab only. The problem is, I'm not happy with what he said. For me, I prefer if we will teach both madhhab to our children. It's good if our children know a lot about mahdab in Islam. Their knowledge about Islam will be better. That is what i think.
Now I don't know how to explain to him, and also how to explain to my family... I love both....
Please help me to give a good answer to them, to explain that a different madhhab will not give a problem to us to marry and that we can live together happily...
thanks, wassalam
- anggerik
12 Responses »
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)
Based on little knowledge Allah has blessed me with, I can say that the difference between madhabs are negligible.
You family is making big fuss of a nothing issue. Because people of all four madhabs pray in single congregation. It happens that in Doha that in most mosques, the imams are shafi, but I am a hanafi madhab follower. Look at Masjidul Haram. Some imams are shafi madhab followers, some are maliki followers. But the musaallahs who pray behind them include followers of all four madhabs. It is not a big deal.
Allah intended some fiqh difference to exist in His religion. Had he not wished so, His Messenger of would have not done a single act in many different ways. As Muslims, we should definitely follow a single madhab, but at the same time, we should be generous about those petty differences and let not madhab create division among us.
I don't have time at the moment to write a full response, but I agree fully with Stranger. The differences between madhhabs are minor and are not something that should be used to divide Muslims in any way.
Wael
IslamicAnswers.com Editor
" As Muslims, we should definitely follow a single madhab, but at the same time, we should be generous about those petty differences and let not madhab create division among us."
That task if not impossible is extremely hard to do. The moment you ascribe urself to a one group that says contrary to another, you heart will naturally incline towards being biased. And its this division that Allah warns us against multiple times in the Quran.
And no we are not obliged to sick to a 'single madhab' only.
The truth is not restricted to one madhab, is it? No Muslim can claim that any one school of thought has it all. So why should anyone restrict themself the access, obliged by Allah and his rasool and all the respected scholars (especially the four Imaams), to the whole truth?
There is some truth with all the respected, notable and accepted Scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
And as a Muslim each one of us is responsible, individually, to find out the truth and accept it, regardless of which one of the noble scholars its come from...as primarily, our aim is to find the truth and correct way and all correct ways lead us back to the Messenger and the path he and his companions chose to take.
Sister anggerik, I personally recommend you to do some research on this whole madhab issue. See what the Imaam Abu Hanifa and Imaam Shaafi, alongside the respected other scholars said about this whole 'madhab clash' and where they said our focus should be when it comes to learning our Deen and who to take it from. 🙂
May Allah swt guide us all and unite our hearts, Ameen.
Salaams,
What Stranger said above seems to be accurate. The difference between madhabs is a lot less than their similarities; and even despite that, the Imams of each all agreed that the the madhabs that they did NOT align with were still "valid".
In most understandings, the purpose of following a specific madhab is for the sake of organization and uniformity. Generally madhab issues do not fall outside of fiqh areas. So while it is important to choose a particular madhab to practice as a household and family, deciding whether or not to marry based on madhab is unnecessary.
I can tell you from personal experience that even if two people in the same household practice different madhabs, it doesn't amount to much in the marital scheme of things. Sometimes someone may practice Shafi, and switch to Hanafi later, for any number of reasons (or vice versa). The only thing I have heard that is definitely NOT advised, is to practice more than one madhab at a time (for instance, praying according to shafi, taking a ghusl according to hanafi, performing hajj according to maliki...etc all at the same time).
I would personally ask your parents what they are understanding about the practice of Shafi madhab (or the practice of the Hanafi madhab for the one you would like to marry), and why it is significant to them. They may be understanding "madhab" as including more than what it actually does.
Also, you and your possible "intended" should try to learn as much as you can about each other's madhabs. If you are ambitious, you can even learn more about the madhabs neither one of you practice (hanbali, maliki) to round out your understanding of fiqh as a whole. Your parents might benefit from doing the same. Perhaps you can do this together as a group...strengthening the family bond all the way around!
Assalamu Alaikum wrwb,
I agree with everything the knowledgable individuals wrote above. Just as a side not though. The madhahabs are there for their flexibility in the Deen, not to cause disunity. Furthermore, when marrying one another in Islam Allah did not mention "choose one from among your own madhhab". Nor did the Prophet (saws) mention this in the hadith when He (saws) mentioned the four things one should marry for. This is simply a misunderstanding due to lack of knowledge by all parties involved. Best thing to combat ignorance with is, knowledge. May Allah make it easy for you and insha'Allah you get married and help one another to Jannah.ameen
This is yet another example of our Ummah creating problems for themselves through innovation.
***
Imam Malik once rejected all other approaches and asserted on the opinion of only Madinah could be a learning centre for Islam, (because he had believed that since that was where the Quran had partly been revealed and that was where nine wives of Rasul(saw) lived and experienced the real sunnah); but he later changed his opinion.
The Prophet (saw) said that his companions are like the stars any of which can guide people. Imam Abu-Hanifa said that the brilliance of Omar Ibnul-Khattab is what led him to send the companions all over world and kept some in Madinah to keep a balance. Through this action of Omar Ibnul-Khattab, Imam Abu-Hanifa showed Imam Malik that the distribution of the companions was for the sake of the integration of the ummah. Al-Layth Ibn-Sa’ad said, “By Allah, this also, is an integration of the ummah.” So this helped Imam Malik become accepting and open to other opinions.
Imam Abu-Hanifa sent his son Hammaad to Madinah to learn the jurisprudential approach of Imam Malik and his book ‘Al-Mu’ata’. Imam Malik then also read from the books of Abu-Hanifa to benefit from them. Furthermore, Muhammad Ibnul-Hassan, a student of Abu-Hanifa’s, held a session in Iraq to present the approach of Malik.
***
The companions of Rasul(saw) went all over the world to teach Islam. They all differed, but they had seen and experienced different examples of Rasul(saw). Imam Malik and Imam Abu Hanifah lived at the same time, they knew each other but highly respected each other's differences of opinion too. They did not deem each other wrong.
People will always differ slightly in their interpretations, but their is an art and an etiquette to dealing with and handling differences and the 'truth'. The Imams of the different madhabs never claimed that they were the only ones who were right or that the other imams/madhabs were wrong. They understood and accepted that other Imams were also learned and had come to their conclusions from drawing on evidences from the Quran and authentic sunnah - even if the rulings were different.
Don't over complicate your lives, Rasul(saw) has given you a criteria for choosing a spouse, stick to that without adding extra restrictions.
SisterZ
IslamicAnswers.com Editor
Totally agree with you sisterZ. May Allah reward you for ur response to this sister, ameen.
You may find this link useful:
http://islamiology.wordpress.com/2008/09/11/imam-malik-meets-abu-hanifa/
Assalamu Alaikum wrwb,
Just to clarify something SisterZ. The hadith you mentioned: "MY companions are like the stars,follow anyone of them you will be guided" has been clasified by the Muhadditheen as fabricated. In its isnad is Sallam ibn Sulaimaan who Ibn Hazm said; "He narrated fabricated ahadith,and this is one of them." Ibn Khiraash said; "He was an utter liar." Taken from Silsilah al-Ahaadeeth ad-Da'eefah wa'l-Mawdoo'ah by Shaykh al-Albaani. However there is a hadith that the Prophet (SAWS) said " Follow my sunnah and the sunnah of my Khulafaah Rashiduun."
JazakhAllahkhait for clarifying that brother. A good reminder that we should all use authentic hadeeth.
SisterZ
Wa Eyak Sis!
To keep the peace, which is more important, you may want to give in to your husbands wish of letting kids follow Hanafi Mashab as all four Sunni Madhahib have common Aqida. However, in my humble view, and I am a Hanafi myself, teach both madhabs to children and let them then decide to follow ONLY ONE of their choice. Must not mix as both have opposite rulings on some matters. More importantly, both are Sunni and have the same Aqidah (creed).
الله و رسوله اعلم