change that ihrām to ʿumrah and thereby become one performing tamattuʿ, because authentic hadiths prescribe this. Indeed, Salamah ibn Shabīb (1) said to Imam Ahmad, “Abū ʿAbd Allāh, the Rāfidah were emboldened when you issued a fatwa to the people of Khurāsān endorsing the tamattuʿ form of Hajj.”

He replied, “Salamah, I had heard that you were a fool, but I used to defend you. Now (2) I am convinced that you are indeed a fool. I have eleven authentic hadiths from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—so should I abandon them because of what you say?!”

Likewise, Abū Hanīfah’s position is that it is permissible to invoke Allah’s blessings upon (3) someone other than the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—such as Abū Bakr, ʿUmar, ʿUthmān, and ʿAlī. This is also Ahmad’s explicit position, as reported by more than one of his disciples. He cited as evidence the report he transmitted from ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—that he said to ʿUmar [—may Allah be pleased with him—(4)], “May Allah send blessings upon you.” This was the position preferred by most of Ahmad’s disciples, including Judge Abū Yaʿlā, Ibn ʿAqīl, Abū Muhammad ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlī (5), and others. However, Mālik and al-Shāfiʿī are reported to have prohibited this, and this is