2040
131
22 / 05 / 2026
Response to the Claim that the Hanafi School's Evidence is Mostly Weak
I want to ask about the hadiths that the Hanafis rely on in the book 'Al-Ikhtiyar' which was edited by Sheikh Shu'ayb Al-Arna'ut, which indicates the authenticity of the hadiths. However, many of the hadiths relied upon by our scholars are weak, and some say that the Hanafis reached these hadiths through authentic chains of narration. Is there any evidence for that?
Answer
I say, and with God's success: There is a publication on the book of Al-Ikhtiyar in three volumes by the scholar Qasim ibn Qutlubugha (d. 879 AH), which is magnificent and wonderful, as it extensively argues for the Hanafi school. It is much better than the publication by Sheikh Shu'ayb and his companions; because their publication has issues in that they are not adherents of the school and do not seek to argue for it. Whoever publishes a book, their work and duty is to argue for the school and support it, gathering evidence and references for it. This is what I have done in my commentary on Al-Ikhtiyar, titled: (The Gift of the Best), which will be printed in the coming days, God willing. As for how the hadiths reached the Hanafis and their school in authenticating hadiths, you should refer to (The Detailed Introduction) and (The Path of Access) and the written research of this humble servant, which I have published on the internet, where I elaborated on this matter and clarified it in a clear and evident way. It is a great mistake to judge the hadiths of the Hanafis by the standards of other schools. And God knows best.
