Is it permissible in the Hanafi school to recite passages from Torah/Injeel/Zabur in Salah ?

Question:

Is it permissible in the Hanafi school to recite passages from the Jewish Torah ( Taurat), Christian Gospel (Injeel) or Old Testament Psalms (Zabur) in Salah? I have been surprised to read in the work of Imam al-Kasani, one of the great Hanafi fuqaha, that he considered these texts to be "Qur'an" and therefore valid in Salah, provided no falsehood is included in the passages to be recited. Al-Kasani s ays this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah (RA). I am excited to read this as a possible bridge between the faiths and a great tool in calling pious Christians and Jews to Islam. Initially unable to speak Arabic, these former Christians and Jews could therefore use texts already familiar to themselves as they conduct Salah, before eventually learning Arabic to recite the Arabic Qur'an revealed to Muhammad (S.A.). In his famous book of Hanafi fiqh Kitab Badai as-Sanai fi Tartib ash-Sharai, after discussing at some length the question of whether different elements of Islamic ritual prayer (including the recitation of passages from the Qur'an itself) might be performed in Persian (as opposed to Arabic), al-Kasani turns to the question of n on-Qur'anic scriptures. a l-Kasani writes: " If something from the tawrat, the injeel, or the zabur is read in ritual prayer, and i f it is certain that it has not been falsified (innahu ghayru muharrafin), this is c onsidered licit by Abu Hanífa for the reasons that we have stated. If one is not c ertain then it is not licit." Answer: ﺑﺴﻢ اﷲ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The fatwa is given on Sahibayn’s (Imam Abu Yusuf and Imam Muhammad ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ اﷲ رﺣﻤﻬﻤﺎ) opinion. It has been narrated that Imam Abu Hanifa retracted his original opinion and agreed with the opinion of Sahibayn, i.e. it is impermissible to recite the Tawrat or Injeel in prayer when one is capable of reciting the Quran in Arabic. Nevertheless, if one is incapable of reciting Arabic, then one may recite the Tawrat or Injeel on the condition that he is certain whatever he is reciting has not been distorted and is the very Tawrat or Injeel that was revealed to Musa and Isa, i.e. whatever he recites it comprises of zikr or tanzeeh (rememberance or glorification), not Qisas and Amr/Nahy (stories and commandments/prohibitions).1

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Mohammad Ahsan Osmani Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah Darul Ifta Birmingham

ﺑﺪاﺋﻊ اﻟﺼﻨﺎﺋﻊ ﻓﻲ ﺗﺮﺗﯿﺐ اﻟﺸﺮاﺋﻊ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮ: دار اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﯿﺔ اﻟﻄﺒﻌﺔ: اﻟﺜﺎﻧﯿﺔ، 1406ﻫـ - 1986م 1 رد اﻟﻤﺤﺘﺎر ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﺪر اﻟﻤﺨﺘﺎر اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮ: دار اﻟﻔﻜﺮ-ﺑﯿﺮوت اﻟﻄﺒﻌﺔ: اﻟﺜﺎﻧﯿﺔ، 1412ﻫـ - 1992م اﻟﻤﺤﯿﻂ اﻟﺒﺮﻫﺎﻧﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻔﻘﻪ اﻟﻨﻌﻤﺎﻧﻲ ﻓﻘﻪ اﻹﻣﺎم أﺑﻲ ﺣﻨﯿﻔﺔ رﺿﻲ اﷲ ﻋﻨﻪ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮ: دار اﻟﻜﺘﺐ اﻟﻌﻠﻤﯿﺔ، ﺑﯿﺮوت-ﻟﺒﻨﺎن اﻟﻄﺒﻌﺔ: اﻷوﻟﻰ، 1424 ﻫـ - 2004 م اﻟﻤﻮﺳﻮﻋﺔ اﻟﻔﻘﻬﯿﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﯾﺘﯿﺔ ﺻﺎدر ﻋﻦ: وزارة اﻷوﻗﺎف واﻟﺸﺌﻮن اﻹﺳﻼﻣﯿﺔ - اﻟﻜﻮﯾﺖ اﻟﻔﺘﺎوى اﻟﻬﻨﺪﯾﺔ اﻟﻨﺎﺷﺮ: دار اﻟﻔﻜﺮ اﻟﻄﺒﻌﺔ: اﻟﺜﺎﻧﯿﺔ، 1310 ه اﻟﺒﺤﺮ اﻟﺮاﺋﻖ ﺷﺮح ﻛﻨﺰ اﻟﺪﻗﺎﺋﻖ )ﻓﻲ اﻟﻔﺮوع اﻟﺤﻨﻔﯿﺔ:( (DKI) 535-537 p. , 1 v.