Fatwaa ID: 784

Question:
Aslm respected mufti saheb

A query from a sister

Please advise on the following:

1. We recently moved to Cape Town and my husband attends a Shaafi mosque and is in plenty gatherings with Shaafi scholars. What is the ruling with regards to switching Madhabs out of being easier to practice and easier to learn? He is always in gatherings of knowledge where the Fiqh is taught in relation to the Shaafi Madhab, and he comes home and teaches us as a family.
2. Additionally, do we follow the Shaafi time for Asr if performing Salaah in the mosque? Do we need to re-read Asr at the Hanafi time once we get home again?
3. If we choose to follow the Shaafi time for Asr, does that mean that our Dhuhr Salaah will be read as a qadha Salaah if we go past the Shaafi time for Asr before reciting Dhuhr?

JazakAllah khair

Answer:
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.

1. In the enquired situation where majority of your local scholars and community are Shaafi’ees, it will be permissible for you to adopt the Shaafi’ee legal school. However, you must strictly adhere to it. You should not be moving back and forth. You must educate yourself in regards to the basics before adopting it.

The answers below are based on the assumption that you are following the Hanafi legal school:

2. There are two valid positions in the Hanafi legal school regarding the commencement of the ‘Asr time: one like the other legal schools and one which is later. A Hanafi may follow either of the two positions but he must adhere to it. If he chooses the earlier position, then Zuhr Salaah must be performed before the commencement of the earlier ‘Asr time. If he chooses the later time, then Zuhr may be performed until then as well. It will not be permissible to mix and match.
3. Yes. You will be sinful and it will count as qadhaa.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best.
Mufti Muajul I. Chowdhury
Darul Iftaa New York
https://askthemufti.us/

08/13/1444 AH – 03/05/2023 CE | AML3-3258

وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى ءاله وصحبه أجمعين

__________________
Disclaimer

Darul Iftaa New York answers questions on issues pertaining to Shari’ah. These questions and answers are placed for public view on askthemufti.us for educational purposes. The rulings given here are based on the questions posed and should be read in conjunction with the questions. Many answers are unique to a particular scenario and cannot be taken as a basis to establish a ruling in another situation. 

Darul Iftaa New York bears no responsibility with regard to its answers being used out of their intended contexts, nor with regard to any loss or damage that may be caused by acting on its answers or not doing so.

References and links to other websites should not be taken as an endorsement of all contents of those websites. 

Answers may not be used as evidence in any court of law without prior written consent of Darul Iftaa New York.