3. Differences over hadith:

This is one of the most critical areas of difference. This happened due to the availability and validity of hadith. • Availability of the hadith Qabeelat Tayybah TCE Notes Revolution 86

Not all the scholars were exposed to same hadiths and/or same amount of hadith. For example, Abu Hanifah lived in time in which the science of hadith was not established and he had nowhere near the number of hadith as Imam Ahmed. • Validity of these hadith.
Area of Imam Abu Haneefah was troubled with much fitnah and many fabrications.
Hijazi area was safe though. • Some had conditions for accepting hadith Some ulama’ had conditions about accepting hadith, such as accepting of Mursal Hadith by Imam Ahmed. • Resolution of textual differences. For example, when it is said to not pray 2 raka’at after asr if one comes into the masjid. How do we understand these two together? What takes precedence or the command? Or the direct commandment over the general prohibition? When it said to not pray after asr, does that mean one can’t pray any prayer after asr, even if it has a reason? Imam Shafi’ee said if the prayer has a reason, you pray even if it has a prohibition. However, Imams Hanafi and Maliki are of the opinion that nothing should be prayed in that time. This may be the greatest source of difference between the Ulema