'The Ahlul Hadeeth and us'

Indeed, Sheikhul Hadeeth's (rahmatullahi 'alayh) attitude regarding those who had a different opinion to him is remarkable and one worthy of following. Note that the Ahlul Hadeeth are a group who do not find it acceptable, in their opinion, to be affliliated to a Madhab. As requested, the following story is posted:

I have no enmity with any Ahlul Hadeeth scholars, so long as they do not use any insulting or degrading words against our Imams. In my mind, 'Shari'at' is only that which is contained in Allah's word and the words and practices of His Messenger (Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam). But in acting on the Hadith and in cross examining the Hadith, the research of the Imams is much more preferable to the research of a novice like myself. Then also, the era of the Imams was nearer to the era of Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam) than the era of the scholars of Hadith. For this reason, the verdict of the Imams are more acceptable in the rejecion and acceptance of Hadith than even the verdict of Muhadditheen and our research.

Imam Ahmed Hanbal is Imam Bukhari's most noted teacher and Ustad, while Imam Ahmed is Imam Shafi'ee's most prominent student. Imam Shefi'ee again is the most famous student of Imam Malik. Imam Shafi'ee is on record as having said that he became a Jurist after studing the kitabs of Imam Muhammad, the famous student of Imam Abu Hanifah. Furthermore, there are 22 chains of transmissions of Hadith in Bukhari Shaeef, each consisting of 3 persons only, leading upto Rasulullah (Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam). Of these 22, 20 of them contain transmitters, who are either students of Abu Hanifah or students of his students. As for us in this era, we are like monkey who sits down with a piece of ginger and then calls himself a greengrocer.