there are some mistakes in this but i think the point is gotten across: http://www.sunniport.com/masabih/showthread.php?t=1644
aH has actually answered the question by saying: if you are really sincere in knowing, you can read alahazrat's superlative treatises on the subject. he has answered all of these objections. aH, which treatises in particular?
I guess your last sentence quoted above piqued sidi aH, it is really like what siflies object, but I felt that your question was a genuine one and common folks like me do not know the fine details of taqleed. I have read several classic works on taqleed in Urdu, and I am a staunch adherent hanafi, but at times some questions pop up and I consult those who can satisfy my inquisitiveness.
thank you for your response noori bhai. aH was being accusatory instead of asking answering what was a genuine question. since the books of imam abu hanifa etc. are in arabic and i dont read arabic unless there is a translation how can i read his books? hence i asked a genuine question on a sunni forum but some ppl just seem to get off on parading their knowlij of arabi.
Let me put his question in a little technical way. ala-'Hazrat emphatically stresses in أجلى الإعلام أن الفتوى مطلقا على قول الإمام (Ajlā al-Iýlām anna’l Fatwā Muţlaqan álā Qawl al-Imām) that fatwa should only be given in line with the rulings of Imam abu Hanifah if there is one already given by him. In malfuzaat on the issue of Asr prayer time he says that if one prays Asr according to sah'ibain's fatwa then his prayer is valid, and there is no need to repeat it. Next to this he says that one, who gives precedence to Imam Abu Hanifa's ruling, should (just) avoid it, that is even he/she who gives precedence to Imam's fatwa does not need to repeat and his/her prayer is valid. Now what should a hanafi do in a land where Asr prayer is performed only according to standard (shafii, maliki, hanbli) time? Should he choose Sah'ibain's fatwa or Imam Abu Hanifa's? Moreover, it may be very difficult for some to pray according to Imam Abu Hanifa's ruling even if they give precedence to his fatwa, for example for those who work in factories and cannot get time to offer asar as per standard hanafi time.
what is the difference between you and a salafi? in fact, a salafi has an argument that is less absurd than yours:why should we not choose among hadith instead of abu hanifah's opinion? when the hadith being the saying/ruling of RasulAllah sallAllahu `alayhi wa sallam himself? ---- first, you have to read basic books of hanafi fiqh and read a few books on usul before you fancy yourself to be capable enough to choose between two positions. and also tell me, which book of imam abu hanifah have you read? and how are you informed of imam abu hanifah's opinion? and how do you know of imam muHammad's opinion? which books of imam muHammad have you read? --- if you are really sincere in knowing, you can read alahazrat's superlative treatises on the subject. he has answered all of these objections. Allah ta'ala knows best.
:s1: If the opinion of Imam Abu Hanifa :ra: on a given matter is different from, say, Imam Abu Yusuf or Imam Muhammad :ra:, as a follower [muqtadi] of Imam e Azam can I choose to follow his opinion over that of the others? After all, I am a muqtadi of Imam e Azam not of Abu Yusuf etc...
