Unlike the Hanafīs, the relied upon position in the Hanbalī madhhab is that only one rak'ah is sufficient for Salāt ul-Witr. The preferred minimum is three raka'at, broken down into two units + one unit. Performing all three in one sequence, however, is permissible.

S͟hams al-Diyn al-Zarkas͟hiyy al-Ḥanbaliyy said: There is no problem (according to us) regarding the permissibility of al-Witr being a single rakʿah. ╾ S͟harḥ al-Zarkas͟hiyy ʿalā Muk͟htaṣar al-K͟hiraqiyy (2/71) ╼ 📚

Reported by Al-Tayālisī: “I once laid my hand on Ahmad ibn Hanbal and then ran it down my body for blessings. He saw me do it and grew furious. Flapping his hands, he said, ‘Who taught you to do that?!’ It was clear he did not approve at all.” [مناقب الإمام أحمد]

Another opportunity for English-speaking students to study a beginner-level text in Hanbalī fiqh: Shaykh Mohammed Gamal Aly حفظه الله will be teaching 'Umdat al-Tālib virtually, starting next weekend. All students who complete the course and pass the exams will receive an ijāza.

“Know that someone who is clinging to a plank in the sea is not more in need of Allah تعالى and His kindness than someone who is in his home and among [the safety of] his people and property.” — Muwaffaq al-Dīn Ibn Qudāmah رحمه الله

[The Prophet ﷺ asked a slave girl]: “Where is Allah?” She replied: “Above the heavens.” He ﷺ replied, “Who am I?” She answered: “You are the Messenger of Allah.” He ﷺ said: “Free her, for she is a believer.” [Sunan Abi Dawud 3282]

Muzahim ibn Zafar related that Sufyān al-Thawrī رحمه الله once led the Maghrib prayer but could not proceed passed, “To You alone we worship, and to You alone we seek help,” due to his intense weeping.

Our beloved Shaykh ‘Āmir Bahjat حفظه الله demonstrating the preferred placement of the hands during prayer, according to the Hanbali madhhab. That is for the hands to be grasped and placed below the navel.

"Abandon debating, arguing, and antagonizing one another in [matters of] religion." – Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله [أصول السنة للإمام أحمد]

Prayer as the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed according to the Hanbali school.

Shaykh 'Abd al-Qādir ibn Badrān's curriculum for mastery in the Hanbalī madhhab: 1️⃣ Akhsar al-Mukhtasarāt or ‘Umdat al-Talib 2️⃣ 'Umdat al-Fiqh or Dalīl al-Tālib 3️⃣ al-Rawd al-Murbi' 4️⃣ Sharh al-Muntahā [المدخل إلى مذهب الإمام أحمد بن حنبل]

It is recorded that Imām Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله did not begin to formally teach until the age of 40, out of both humility and scrupulousness. Shaykh Abd al-Qādir al-Jilani رحمه الله similarly spent 32 years seeking knowledge before he sat to teach, admonish, and give fatwa.

Ja'far ibn Ahmad al-Mu'addib reported: "I saw Ahmad ibn Hanbal pray six cycles after Salāt ul-Jum'uah and he would do the salutation after every two rak'at." [المناقب ١٢،٠٨]

It is permitted in the Hanbalī madhhab for a woman to pray to the right of a man, granted that they do not touch. This applies for those who are non-mahram as well.

“Wellbeing can be broken into ten parts, and all ten parts pertain to overlooking the faults and mistakes of others.” — Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله [كتاب الفروع 413/8]

In the first photo, Shaykh ul-Hanābilah ‘Abdullah ibn 'Aqīl sits next to his beloved teacher, Shaykh Abdul-Rahmān al-Sa’dī رحمه الله In the second photo, our Shaykh 'Āmir Bahjat sits with his beloved teacher, Shaykh 'Abdullah ibn 'Aqīl رحمه الله The beauty of our tradition.

Shaykh Amir Bahjat حفظه الله sitting in the Dars of Shaykh Abdus Salam al-Shuway'ir حفظه الله at Madinah.