KHABAR [M-RFU:"] VR 'ATHAR [MAUQU:F]

A CRITIQUE OF LECTURE 118:=

THE BENDING OF HANDS AND THE TRADITION LIKE THAT OF M-S:-F 'IBN 'ABI SHBAH #3950

Engineer "Ali Mirza in his some lectures say Lecture number 118 has
presented some 'Ath:a:r [Mauqufa:t] in suppport of the claim that it is allowed
to offer S:ala:h with out bending the hands.
Accually such traditions he uses to defend some Rava:fid: sects. Actually they
do not use books of Sunnism since they have a coolection of books like Four
Principles [ A Collection of Four Books] which the consider even more higher
in rank then their Nahj 'Al Bala:ghah compiled by Rad:i and Murt-d:a: [two
brothers who collected traditions from Non Sunni Sources].
But these traditions are actually used by Malikiah sect of Sunnism since they
do not bend hand.
It is very strange to observe that Zubair "Ali Zai's former Students have no
sympathy for H:anafites who bend and fold their hands below the navel [and
some times on the navel] and not on chest. Yet he has so sympathy with
some Rafid:ite sects that he is using some 'Ath:a:r to defend them.
If Engineer "Ali: Mirza: did have some sympathy with Sunni subsects he must
have use such 'Ath:a:r for Malikiah Sect.
Since a large number of them excercise this practice.
But their position is weak. Since more powerful traditions do support bending
of hands while worshipping prayers [S:ala:h].
Whether below he Navel [or on the Navel ] or On the chest is a minor dispute
the bending of hands is proved in any case and the minor dispute is just on
the position of the bending of hands.
Now Engineer "Ali: Mirza: tries to defend those who do not believe in a single
tradition of M-s:-f 'Ibn 'Abi Sh-bah.
This is just like to defend a Sunni Position from 'Us:u:l 'Al Ca:fi: ['Al Ka:fi:] ,
one of the most fallacious trick used by the engineer. How ever the only
exception is a Counter Objection ['Al 'I"tira:d: 'Al 'Ilza:mi] which is certainly

not the case.

What is the actual response to such traditions:
1] When a large number of S:h:i:h Traditions do exist then such traditions do
become Sha:dh: .
So these traditions like M-S:-F 'IBN 'ABI SH-BAH #3950 ETC. are no thing but
Sha:dh: .
2] Engineer "Ali Mirza: of Jhelum did make a deliberate fallacy in this regard.
Saiyiduna: 'Ibn Zubair RD: did say that he learned From Saiyiduna:'Abu: Bakr
RD: but his sentence is applied to the Act of Rafa" Yadain and not for not
bending of hands. It is cerainly not implied that not bending of Hands while
praying S:ala:h was also ultimately tought by Saiyiduna: 'Abu: Bakr RD:. This
is just an argumentation of Engineer of Jhelum.
REQUIREMENT :
IT IS REQUIRED THAT AN EXPLICIT TRADITION MUST BE TRESENTED BY
ENGINEER "ALI: MIRZA: STATING EXPLICITLY IN ITS TEXT THAT NOT BENDING
OF HANDS WAS EXPLICITLY TOUGHT BY SAIYIDUNA: 'ABU BAKR RD: . Any
thing less then it cannot be accepted as a Valid Argumentation.
Now we come to another problem.
Not bending of hands was an error of 'Ijtiha:d or 'Ibn Zubair did not consider it
necessary to bend.
But in presence of several traditions which do prove bending of hands it is
necessary to interpret act of Saiyiduna: 'Ibn Zubair RD: .
Our interpretation is that if this tradition and some other like it ,are not
considered as Sha:dh: then this only means that he took benifit of
Unnecessicity. Where every thing stops.
The question why he took the benifit of Unnecessity is beyond the principles
of argumentations, since they are not conveyed to us. Bending of hands is
neither Fard: nor Vajib.
His error of 'ijtiha:d was that he did not consider it even as a 'Assunnah 'Al mv-kk-dah.
But he did not denied it. Even today if some one do not bend hand he
remains to be a Sunni unless and aother wise he declared bending of hand as
a Bid"ah [Heresy] as all the sects of Rava:fid: do .
3]Such tradition MUST NOT be used to defend those who do not believe in

Sunni Traditions like some Non Sunni sects say sects of Ra:fid:iah and can
only be used for Sunni sects like Malikiah.
4] Such traditions must be studied as according to those traditions which
prove that Holy Prophet did bend his hands.
5] If a Heretic sect use an act of a S:ha:bi to support its view, it cannot be
used in principle.
6] The traditions which Support the bending and folding of hands implies
that they are not 'Ath:ar but they are either 'Akhba:r or H:ukman 'Akhba:r. On
the contrary such traditions which are presented by "Ali: Mirza: are certainly
'Ath:ar , not even Kabar Bil Ghair and 'Athar Bidh: Dh:a:t. If a 'Ath:ar goes
near to a Khabar it may be term a Khabar bil Ghair.
The technique Engineered by Engineer "Ali: Mirza: is an influance of some
Non Sunni Sects who say that their way of offering prayers is taught to their
Ima:ms from father to son and ultimately from Saiyiduna: "Ali:. This
conjecture cannot be valid against the Correct Tradition from from Holy
Prophet. Unfortunately Engineer "Ali: Mirza: has borrowed this pattern of
invalid argumentation and attempted to apply on Saiyiduna: 'Abdullah Bin
Zubair etc. and Saiyiduna: 'Abu Bakr RD:

6] The conspiracy and scheme behind all this is that

Engineer "Ali Mirza wants to purport that Saiyiduna:
'Abu Bakr RD: neither did fold his hands nor bend his
hands, neither on his chest nor below the navel and
also not on the navel while offering S:la:h. This unfold
and unearth the confederacy of "Ali Mirza: of Jhelum
and Ghair 'Ahlissunnah sects like sub-sects of
Rava:fid:
ENGINEER "ALI MIRZA: AND HIS ACCUSATION ON BANU 'UMAIAH.
Engineer "Ali: Mirza: always tries to attack Noble Family of Banu 'Umaiah. He
is even unhappy with Siyiduna: "Uth:ma:n RD: since he was a supporter of
this family, Engineer ascribes acts of Fisq and F-ju:r to Saiyiduna: Mu"a:viah
RD: since he was also a member of this family.
At this point he says that Banu 'Umaiah RD: forced people to bend hands
while praying.
If this report is proved by authentic chain of narrators then this is an act of
Following the Traditions. Since the folding and bending of hands is proved by

several traditions, Banu Umaiah considered it necessary to prevent the

spreading of a heresy [Bid"ah]. SINCE those whod did not fold or bend their
hand actually rejected those traditions and it would have been a rare case
that a person who did not bend or fold or both his hand only took the benifit
of Un-necessity.
So it is included in 'AMAT BIL MA"RU:F VA NAHI "ANIL M-NK-R.
It must be noted that not All Banu Umaians can be accused of not loving
"Abdullah Bin Zubair RD: , but only those who fought with him.
It is just like the case that if some one prevents others from leaving the Rafa"
in prayers.
Just because he thinks it it is incorrect.
We do not support Banu 'Umaiah on each and every act which they did do but
we do not go to the extreme , which is crossed by th Engineer "Ali: Mirza.