Saturday, December 22, 2012

Following the Salaf

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد


Evidences for the Obligation of Following the Salaf-us-Saalih

Firstly, from The Noble Qur’aan:

Allaah تعالى says:

{And the former, the first from amongst the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar, and those who followed them in righteousness, Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. And He has prepared for them gardens of which rivers flow below, abiding therein forever, that is great success.} [Surah al-Tawbah (9):100]

Allaah تعالى is unreservedly pleased with the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar, and is pleased with those who follow them in righteousness (i.e. the attainment of Allaah’s pleasure for the companions is secure, whereas for those who come after them; this is not guaranteed, as it is dependent upon their adherence to the way of the companions in righteousness).


Allaah تعالى also says:

{And whoever opposes the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) after the guidance has become clearly manifest to him and follows a path other than that of the believers, We shall leave him to that which he has adopted and land him in hell; what an evil destination!} [Surah al-Nisaa’ (4):115]

Allaah تعالى threatens those who follow a different path from that of the companions with the punishment of hell, and in the previous aayah, He promises His pleasure to those who follow them.

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Secondly, from the Sunnah:

1. The Statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: “The best of people are my generation then those who succeed them, then those who succeed them” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (5/199, 7/6 and 11/460) and Saheeh Muslim (7/184 and 185)]

This excellence and goodness which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم attested to for these three generations, is an indication of their preference, precedence and majestic rank as well as their knowledge of Allaah’s laws and intense adherence to the way of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.

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2. The Messenger’s صلى الله عليه وسلم statement: “The Jews split up into seventy-one sects, the Christians split up into seventy-two sects and this Ummah will split up into seventy-three sects; all of them are in the Fire except one.” Someone asked: “Which is that one O Messenger of Allaah?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: “Whoever is upon that which I am upon [today] and my companions. [Sunan Abu Dawood (4596-4597), al-Tirmidhee (2640-2641), Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (2/332, 3/120 145 and 4/120) and Ibn Majah (3991-3993) and the wordings are of al-Tirmidhee, and Shaikh al-Albaanee graded some of its chains as “Saheeh”, some as “Hasan Saheeh” and others as “Hasan”]

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3. His صلى الله عليه وسلم statement: “… for indeed, those who will still be alive after me will see many differences; so hold fast to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs after me. Adhere to and cling tightly to it and beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly-invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a deviation.” [Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (4/126-127), Sunan Abu Dawood (4607), al-Tirmidhee (2676), Ibn Maajah (43) al-Daarimi (1/44) and others and graded as “Saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee]

Hence, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم encouraged his ummah to follow his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs after him at the appearance of splits and differences.

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Thirdly, from the statements of the Salaf and their Followers:

1. Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه said: “People will not cease to be in a good as long as knowledge emanating from the companions of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and their elders reach them. If however, knowledge comes to them by way of their young and their desires diversify, they will be ruined.” [Al-Zuhd of Ibn al-Mubaarak (815, 1/281)

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2. He رضي الله عنه also said: “Whoever amongst you seeks to adopt a path, should take to the way of the companions of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم; for they possessed the most pious hearts of this Ummah, were the most profound in knowledge, the least constraint of this Ummah, and the most guided. They were the people whom Allaah chose for the companionship of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the establishment of His religion. So know their rights and adhere to their guidance, for they indeed were upon the straight way.” [Jaami` Bayaan al-`Ilm wa Fadlih (1810, 2/947)]

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3. He رضي الله عنه also said: “Follow and do not innovate, for indeed you have been sufficed.” [Sharh Usool `Itiqaad Ahl al-Sunnah of al-Laalikaa’i (1/22 & 1/96)]

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4. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan رضي الله عنه said: “O assembly of reciters! Remain upright and take to the way of those before you. For by Allaah, if you (choose to) follow them, then know that you have been outstripped by a long distance, and if you take to the right or left (of their path) then you will be upon severe deviation.” [Jaami` Bayaan al-`Ilm (1809, 2/947)]

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5. Mujaahid رحمه الله said: “The Companions of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم are (all) scholars.” [Jaami` Bayaan al-`Ilm (1424, 1/770)]

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6. Al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said: “Knowledge is that which emanates from the companions of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, as for anything else besides this, it is not knowledge.” Imam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, also said this. [Jaami` Bayaan al-`Ilm (1420, 1/768 & 1421, 1/769)]

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7. Al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said: “Patiently restrict yourself upon the Sunnah, stop where the people (ie the companions) stopped, say what they say and refrain from that which they refrained. Traverse upon the path of your Salaf al-Saalih, for indeed what was sufficient for them is sufficient for you.” [Al-Sharee`ah of al Aajurri (294, 2/673) and Sharh Usool `Itiqaad Ahl al-Sunnah of al-Laalikaa’i (5/1055)]

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8. Al-Hasan al-Basree رحمه الله was in a gathering then he mentioned the Companions of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. He then remarked: “They possessed the most pious hearts of this Ummah, were the most profound in knowledge and the least constraint. A people, whom Allaah chose for the companionship of His Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, so emulate their character and way, for by the Lord of the Ka’bah, they are upon the straight path.” [Jaami` Bayan al-`Ilm (1807, 2/946), Al-Sharee`ah of al Aajurri (1161, 4/1685 & 1984, 5/2494)]

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9. Al-Awzaa`ee رحمه الله said: “Hold fast to the narrations of the Salaf, even if people abandon you. Beware of the opinions of men, no matter how much they beautify it with their speech, for indeed the matter will become manifest whilst you will be upon the correct straight path concerning it.” [Al-Madkhal ila al-Sunan of al-Bayhaqi (233) and the wordings are his and Jaami` Bayan al-`Ilm (2077, 2078, 2/1071) and Al-Sharee`ah (127, 1/445)]

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10. Shaykh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said: “It is a must upon every Muslim, who testifies that none has the right to be worshiped except Allaah and that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is the Messenger of Allaah, that his basic intention be to single out Allaah in his worship of Him alone, without any partner and to obey His Messenger. He is to remain upon this, following it wherever he finds it, and he should know that the best of creation after the Prophets are the companions.

He should not therefore, offer absolute and unrestricted allegiance to any one person except the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Nor should he offer absolute unrestricted allegiance to any one group except the companions; as the guidance remains with the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم wherever he remains, and it remains with his companions and no one else’s companions, wherever they remain.

If they are in agreement, they never agree upon something incorrect, in contrast to the companions of a particular scholar, they could agree upon something incorrect. In fact, everything that they (i.e. the companions of a particular scholar) have asserted to which none other from amongst this Ummah has asserted, can be nothing but incorrect, since the religion that Allaah has sent His messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم with is not conferred to any single scholar and his companions. If this was so, that person should be an equal to the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم and this is similar to the belief of the Raafidhah regarding the ‘Infallible Imaam’.

Moreover, it is a must that the companions and their successors were aware of that truth with which Allaah had sent His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, well before the presence of those who are followed; those whom the Madhhabs are attributed to, in relation to both fundamentals and subsidiary matters.

It is impossible for them to bring about a truth, which opposes what the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم brought, as everything that opposes the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is falsehood. It is also impossible for them to know of something emanating from the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم which opposes (the knowledge and understanding of) the companions and their successors in righteousness, as they (i.e. the companions) did not unite upon any deviation. So his (i.e. a followed Imaam’s) saying, if true has to be taken from that which the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم brought and present with someone before him.

Every statement in the religion of Islam which lies in opposition to that which the companions and their successors in righteousness were upon, which none of them have asserted, but rather have said other than it, it is indeed a false saying.” [Minhaj al-Sunnah (5/261-263)]

Taken from the book Tawheed of Allaah’s Most Beautiful Names and Lofty Attributes: The Belief of Ahl al-Sunnah Wa l-Jamaa`ah by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Khaleefah Al-Tamimi (Associate Professor, Islaamic University of Madeenah)

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