al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Daf Awham Khuzayran

al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Daf Awham Khuzayran (Criticism and Clarification in Repelling the Illusions of Khuzayran) is a polemical and legal treatise co-authored by the Syrian scholars Muhammad Kamil al-Qassab (d. 1373 AH / 1954 CE) and Muhammad Izz al-Din al-Qassam (d. 1354 AH / 1935 CE), dedicated to refuting religious innovations and addressing contentious ritual practices in early 20th-century Palestine al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1.

Background and Context of Composition

The treatise arose from a heated public controversy in Haifa regarding religious customs, specifically the practice of loudly chanting invocations (tahlil and takbir) while accompanying funeral processions al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…. When asked for a legal opinion, al-Qassam and al-Qassab issued a fatwa stating that shouting during funeral processions was prohibitively disliked (makruh tahriman) and an abhorrent innovation (bid'ah qabiha) al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1. In contrast, the mufti and judge of Acre, Abdullah al-Jazzar, permitted the practice al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1.

To resolve the dispute, the deputy head of the Charitable Society in Haifa, Abd al-Wahid al-Hasan, forwarded both opinions to two prominent scholars at al-Azhar in Egypt, Ali Surur al-Zankaluni and Mahmud Khattab al-Subki, both of whom endorsed al-Qassam and al-Qassab's prohibition al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1. Al-Zankaluni's response was subsequently published in the Egyptian periodical al-Shura al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1. In defense of al-Jazzar, Muhammad Subhi Khuzayran, the chief clerk of the Acre Sharia court, published a treatise entitled Fasl al-Khitab fi al-Radd 'ala al-Zankaluni wa al-Qassam wa al-Qassab al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1. Al-Qassab and al-Qassam authored al-Naqd wa al-Bayan in 1344 AH (1925 CE) to rebut Khuzayran's arguments systematically al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…+1.

Structure and Contents

The work opens with theoretical discussions defining religious innovation (bid'ah) according to the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Da…+1. It outlines the consensus and positions across the four Sunni legal schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali) regarding the prohibition of raising one's voice during funeral processions al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Da…+1. The text also appends the corroborating fatwas of al-Zankaluni and al-Subki al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Da….

Beyond funeral rites, the authors examine and critique several other widespread practices of their era, including:

• Performing the Tarawih prayers, discussing the optimal number of units (rak'ahs) and whether it is preferable to pray them at home or in the mosque al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Celebrating the night of Mid-Sha'ban (Laylat Nisf Sha'ban) al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Institutionalizing regular loud communal recitations of Surah al-Kahf in mosques on Fridays al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Loud Quranic recitation in mosques generally al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Chanting farewell poems and songs (al-tawhish) on the final Friday of Ramadan al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Reciting narrative texts of the Prophet's nativity (Mawlid) al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….
• Performing the Zuhr prayer immediately after the Friday congregational prayer (Salat al-Jumu'ah) al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat….

Publication History and Reception

The first edition of the book was printed in 1344 AH (1925 CE) at Matba'at al-Taraqqi in Damascus at the expense of the authors al-Salafiyyun wa Qadiyyat…. The Iraqi scholar Muhammad Bahjat al-Athari wrote a contemporary commendation for the book in Muharram 1344 AH, praising the authors' reliance on classical authorities from the four schools and their efforts to defend the Sunnah al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Da…. Modern editions have since been published with commentary and introductory studies by scholars such as Mashhur Hasan Al Salman al-Naqd wa al-Bayan fi Da…+1.