The Shaykh reminding the student of the story of al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) with Shayban al-Ra'i and the condemnation of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence).

The Shaykh : That is to say, in addition to what was summarized by mention, we had two examples. The first example was the mention of the issue of Malik and Maalik, and that they are two valid recitations, and it is permissible for any Muslim to recite with either one, provided he has been informed that this recitation is established or that issue. The second issue, which the discussion revolved around, is that the correct Sunnah is that when a Muslim recites the Qur'an, he recites it verse by verse, even if the verse on which he stops is connected in meaning to the one following it. We said that this specific issue has disagreement among you, and now I am reminding you of the story. The story attributed to Imam al-Shafi'i and Shayban al-Ra'i, which is with us and with you. I say that this issue, in terms of stopping at the beginning of a verse even if it is connected to what follows, has no disagreement among us, the people of the Sunnah. But among you, the people of recitation or the science of tajwid (the rules of Qur'anic recitation), there is disagreement, perhaps correctly, but I am not certain, because I am not a specialist in the science of recitation and tajwid, and you appear to be a specialist. If there were no disagreement, I would not have justified or permitted the recitation that I, if I were an ordinary person, would have picked up from you. I would have recited it because what would he say? This is an imam from the imams of the Muslims, and I am illiterate, I do not read or write. And we agreed, from where am I supposed to learn like Umm Hisham, whom we gave as an example just now? But I have a prior scientific background that the Sunnah is for the imam or any reciter to stop at the beginning of a verse, even if it is connected to what follows. That is why I directed the question to you: why did you do it this way? You said because the verse is connected to what follows. This is something you took from transmission and... this is ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) on my part. I am going to tell you that this is more dangerous, because you are Malik, a mujtahid (a scholar qualified to derive rulings).

The questioner : It is not from me.

The Shaykh : What am I supposed to say to you? May Allah guide you. Do you see? Look how you expanded the topic. We want to narrow it down. I am reminding you that if you had not received this matter, you would not have apologized for it. So when I tell you that there is disagreement among you, not among us, say so, and do not say "I think." Now, in order to soften the atmosphere a bit, it has become a bit hot. The Sufis narrate a story that Imam al-Shafi'i met Shayban al-Ra'i. Shayban al-Ra'i was a Sufi from among the ascetics. Know that the story is invalid from a scientific perspective, because al-Shafi'i and Shayban al-Ra'i did not meet and were not contemporaries; there is a gap between them. Nevertheless, they mentioned that Imam al-Shafi'i met Shayban al-Ra'i. Imam al-Shafi'i asked him, saying to him: "If a person makes a mistake in prayer, what is its ruling?" He said to him: "Among us or among you?" He said to him: "Why is there 'among us' and 'among you'?" He said to him: "How can it not be?" He said: "Bring it so we can see what is among us and what is among you?" Among you, if one makes a mistake, he prostrates the prostration for forgetfulness, the matter is settled, and the prayer is valid. He said to him: "Okay, is this among us and among you?" He deserves to have his head cut off. How can he stand before his Lord and make a mistake? This is among us and among you! Yes, he said to him: "If a person has zakah (the obligatory alms), how much is obligatory upon him?" He said to him: "Among us or among you?" He said to him: "Is there also in this?" He said to him: "Yes." He said to him: "Among you, the zakah is paid at the rate of two and a half percent. If it is, for example, from crops, if it is rain-fed, it is one-tenth, and if it is irrigated, it is half a tenth." He said to him: "Okay, and among you?" He said: "It is paid on the entire wealth." So the point is that we considered from this story, which is undoubtedly false and imaginary, a real fact, unfortunately, which is: among us, the Sunnah is that the reciter stops at the beginning of a verse, even if it is connected to what follows. But among you, in that philosophy, if the meaning is connected to what follows, it is connected. And the evidence now is that he forgot his evidences. It is written "No." Correct?

The questioner : In the Noble Qur'an?

The Shaykh : In the mushaf (a written copy of the Qur'an).

The questioner : Yes, indeed.