QUESTION:
Salam Alaykum.
You wrote that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) advised all Tijanis to pray with folded arms.
I ask: What is wrong with not folding the arms in Salah, like the rest of the Malikis? Why should we follow Shaykh Ibrahim's Ijtihad rather than the dominant Maliki position? What do we say to those who would say we are doing the same thing as Salafis who also go against the 4 Madh-habs preferring to follow the Ijtihad of their scholars like Albani or Bin-Baz?
They claimed to follow a school of fiqh but considered their ijtihad better than the many scholars that came before!
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum As-Salam,
Please differentiate between two things:
1- Abandoning madh-habs all together, following some new pseudo-ijtihad that goes against all 4 madh-habs, and showing disdain for the great Imams of the madh-habs.
2- Sticking to a madh-hab generally speaking, but disagreeing with some of its opinions, based on one's personal Ijtihad (if one is qualified to do ijtihad), while still operating within the madhhab and maintaining Adab with the great Imams of the madh-habs.
The first approach is unacceptable to us, and is the method of most modern "Salafis".
The second scenario is acceptable and was a common phenomena amongst the great scholars of Islam, who followed a madh-hab but sometimes disagreed with its opinions based on their personal Ijtihad. This was done by students of Imam Abu-Hanifah, Imam Malik and Imam Shafii as well. Imam al-Ghazali was a Shafii but disagreed with the Shafii madh-hab in certain matters. The same goes for Qadi Ibn-al-Arabi in the Maliki madh-hab and al-Lucknawi in the Hanafi madh-hab. Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse (RA) did that while remaining a Maliki in most matters.
As devoted murids of Shaykh Ibrahim (A), we follow his Ijtihad (scholarly reasoning and preference) in the issue ofSadl and Qabd. Especially when we know that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) revived the Sunnah of Qabd (praying with folded arms) by the authorization of the blessed Rasul (SAW) himself.
Someone asked Shaykh Ibrahim (RA), "Why do you pray with Qabd while your own father and even Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) prayed with Sadl?"
He replied: "Allah did prescribe on us to follow anyone in Shariah except the Rasul (SAW). As for the Tariqah, I follow Mawlana Shaykh Ahmad al-Tijani (RA) step by step".
I asked Shaykh Mahy Cisse (RA) why Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) did not revive this Sunnah?
He replied that Shaykh al-Tijani (RA) had not been given that particular duty by the Rasul (SAW). It was meant for Shaykh Ibrahim, which would still be Shaykh al-Tijani in action (just like the Tariqah of Shaykh al-Tijani was still the Rasul SAW in action).
Note also that Shaykhuna al-Tijani (RA) was followed by only a minority of people in Morocco. Their numbers were too insufficient to bring about any significant change of practice in the Mosques there. After the appearance of the Grand-Faydah however, Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) had millions of followers all over West Africa. Thus the time was ripe to revive this Sunnah there, and he (RA) was granted that Idhni from Rasul-Allah (SAW).
Nevertheless, the great Nigerian Tijani Khalifah (authorized by the descendants of Shaykhna al-Tijani) Shehu Abu-Bakr Atiqu wrote that he had read in some old Tijani documents that Shaykh Ahmad Tijani (RA) used to personally pray with Qabd (folded arms), in private. See Ajwibat Ahl Tashad by him.
Note that Shaykh Ibrahim (RA) was Shaykh-ul-Islam and the MUJADDID of the Age. Part of the mujaddid's work is to revive Sunnah practices neglected by those before him.
Was-Salam
Servant of the Tijani Door
Fakhruddin Owaisi al-Tijani
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