Qiyas: Difference between revisions

==Imam al-Sadiq’s (a) Debate over the Qiyas==

In his book, ''[[al-Ikhtisas]]'', [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] reported a debate between Abu Hanifa and Imam al-Sadiq (a) over the validity of qiyas. Imam al-Sadiq’s (a) arguments against qiyas are as follows: “Imam al-Sadiq (a) said: O Abu Hanifa! Which one do you think is more significant; adultery or murder? He said: of course, murder. The Imam said: so why did God rule that the testimony of two men suffices in the case of murder, while for adultery the testimony of four men is required? How can this be justified in terms of qiyas? O Abu Hanifa! Which one is worse, the abandoning of the [[fast]] or the abandoning of the [[prayer]]? He said: of course, the abandoning of the prayer. The Imam said: so, why should a woman perform the [[qada']] of her fasts during her [[hayd|menstrual periods]], but it is not obligatory for her to perform the qada' of her prayers? How can this be justified in terms of qiyas? Woe to you, Abu Hanifa! Are women weaker in business or men? He said: of course, women. The Imam said: so, why did God allocate two shares of heritage to men and only one share for women? How can this be justified in terms of qiyas? O Abu Hanifa! Is one’s feces dirtier or his [[semen]]? He said: of course, feces. The Imam said: so, why did God rule that it is sufficient to wash the affected area to clean the feces, but for the semen, He required [[ghusl]]? How can this be justified in terms of qiyas?”