II)
WIPING OVER SOES AS PART
FO "WUDU"
ii)
Al-Mas`h ala al-khuffain,
(wiping over the shoes instead of the washing of the feet as
part of wudu). This question is discussed in detail by Schacht
as a distinctive point of difference between the Shiites who
rejected it and the Sunnis who, in opposition to them considered
it as valid.122
The Ibadhis unanimously rejected
al-mash ala al-khuffain. Jabir b. Zaid argued, concerning this
matter: "How should I wipe, while God orders us to wash the
very limb?"123 i.e. the feet. Ibadhi authorities held the view
that the Tradition concerning al-mash ala al-khuffain was
repealed by the verse on wudu in the Surah of Al-Maidah (the
table): "O believers, when you stand up to pray wash your face,
and your hands up to the elbows, and wipe your heads, and your
feet up to the ankles."124 Among the Companions who are
reported by Ibadhis to have narrated the Tradition which
acknowledges the mas`h as valid, but who also maintained that it
was repealed, were: Ali b. Abi Talib, Abdullah b. Abbas, Bilal,
Abu Hurairah and Aishah.125 It is also reported that Said b.
Jubair, who had told al-Hajjaj to perform mas`h, renounced his
view and claimed that he had said so because he was afraid of
al-Hajjaj.126
On the other hand, Ibadhis
narrated a number of Athar rejecting al-mash ala al-khuffain:
ii)
Abu Ubaidah from Jabir b.
Zaid from Ibn Abbas, "I never saw the Messenger of God wipe over
his shoes."127
ii)
Abu Ubaidah from Jabir b.
Zaid from A'ishah that she said, "I never saw the Messenger of
God wipe over his shows. I would prefer that the man should cut
off his feet from the ankles or tear the shoes rather than wipe
over them."128
ii)
Abu Ubaidah from Jabir b.
Zaid from A'ishah, that she said, "To force a knife on my feet
is more desirable to me than to wipe over them."129
ii)
Abu Ubaidah from Jabir b.
Zaid, said, "I have been contemporary with a number of the
Companions of the Prophet; I asked them whether the Messenger of
God used to wipe over his shoes, they all said, "No" Jabir said,
"How should a man wipe over his shoes while God orders us in His
'Book' to wash, (wudu)?" Jabir then commented, "God knows the
truth about what our adversaries (mukhalifuna) narrate in their
Traditions."130
On this point of al-mash ala al-khuffain,
the Ibadhi opinion is completely different from that of the
Sunnis who allowed mash; some during travelling and others
during both residence and travelling. The Shiite school adopted
the some opinion as the Ibadhis on this point.131
II)
PRAYERS (AL-SALAT)
The main
points of difference on this subject are three:
ii)
The first one is
concerned with the recital of Qur’an in Zuhr and Asr (midday and
afternoon) prayers. Ibadhis held that only the opening chapter
of the Qur’an (al-Fatihah) is to be recited in both first two
raka's and the second two. This opinion is ascribed to Jabir b.
Zaid.132 This attitude is supported by the fact that in all
silent parts of other prayers such as the third raka'h of
sun-set prayer (Maghrib), and the second two raka's of Isha
prayers, only the opening chapter of the Qur’an, al-Fatihah, is
to be recited in them and that every prayer, or part of prayer,
in which only the opening chapter is recited is silent whether
they are night or day prayers, while in Friday prayers and Idd
(festival) prayers, though they are day prayers, the recital in
them should be made aloud because of the recital of other
chapters in them besides the Fatihah. As both Asr and Zuhr
are silent prayers, they should be subject to the same rule. So
the Ibadhis followed the opinion of those who reject the recital
of another surah apart from the Fatihah Zuhr and Asr
prayers.133
ii)
The second point of
difference is Qunut (the imprecation against political enemies
during the ritual prayers).134 Sunni and Shiite schools
acknowledge its validity. As for Ibadhis, they reject Qunut and
hold that praying with the Imams who perform Qunut is futile and
those prayers should be offered agin.135 Amr b. Harim is
reported to have said, "Jabir b. Zaid was asked about Qunut in
the Fajr and Witr prayers; he said, 'It is an innovation
invented by people; it was not known during the life of the
Prophet, he did not perform Qunut in the Fajr prayers, nor did
his 'successors (Khulafauhu) after him.'"136
ii)
The third point of
difference is about prayers during travel (Salat al-safar).
There is a number of items on which Ibadhis differ from some or
all other Sunni schools.
b)
Shortening salat (Qasr)
during journeys is considered by Ibadhis as Fard (obligatory);
both Kufans and Hanafites adopted the same view. The Malikis
held that Qasr on a journey is Sunnah. There are two more
opinions on this matter; the first one is that qasr is a
concession (rukhsah) but it is preferable to pray in full. The
other opinion is that the shortening of prayers on journey is a
matter of choice. Each of the above views is based on
Traditions ascribed to the Prophet.137
b)
The distance from which
shortening of prayers begins to be operable: Ibadhis, together
with some of the Kufans and Zahiris, maintained that it is two
farsakhs, a distance equal to about six miles. This opinion is
based on a Tradition reported from the Prophet on the authority
of Anas b. Malik. The two Companions, Ali b. Abi Talib and
Abdullah b. Abbas, maintained the same opinion. As for Malik,
Shafii, and the Medinese, they held that the distance should be
not less than four journeys (about one day travelling). Some of
the Kufans and Abu Hanifah held that it should not be less than
three days, and they ascribed their opinion to Ibn Masud.138
b)
The time after which the
'travelers' should perform the full prayer:
The Ibadhi opinion is that the
'traveler' should pray abbreviated prayers, even if he stays
forever in the place to which he has journeyed, unless she
adopted it as a homeland (watan) or, according to Abu Ubaidah
Muslim b. Abi Karimah, he owns a house in it. Both Malikis and
Shafiis held that the 'traveler' should complete the prayer if
he decided to stay for four days or more. Abu Hanifah and
Sufyan al-Thawri held that he should complete the prayer if he
decides to stay for fifteen days. Ibadhi opinion is based on
the practice of a number of the Companions, such as Ibn Umar who
is reported to have stayed in Adharbaijan for six months, or,
according to another narration, seventeen months, praying short
prayers. It is also reported from Ibrahim al-Nakhai that
Alqamah b. Qais, the Companion of Ibn Mas’ud, stayed in
Khuwarizm for two years praying short prayers, and that the
Companion Sad b. Abi Waqqas, with a number of the Prophet's
Companions, stayed in al-Qadisiyah for a long time praying the
shortened form of the prayers. Jitali pointed out that the
cause of the difference in this matter was due to the fact that
the Prophet did not fix a time limit for that.139 |
