Al-Allaamah Bin Ahmad an-Najmi ( May Allah have mercy on him ) said :
“As for the meaning of the declaration that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; it is the declaration that the Messenger is the Messenger of Allaah – obligated with the [task] of disseminating the Sharee’ah which he carried; his Ummah (nation) are obligated to believe in his message and that he does not legislate except that which Allaah has ordered him to legislate, and he did not utter except that which Allaah commanded him to convey.
Therefore, it is compulsory to obey him in what he ordered and to keep away from what he forbade. And [an act of] worship is not accepted from a servant except that which has been legislated by the Prophet. These two declarations are the fundamental pillars of Islam and they are the conditions [to be fulfilled in order for] deeds [acts of worship] to be accepted. Deeds [i.e. acts of worship] of any servant will not be accepted except through belief in the Messengership of Prophet Muhammad and that it is obligatory to follow and obey him.”
Al-Allaamah Ahmad Al-Ajmi [May Allah have mercy on him] said:
In order to be acquainted with the straight path, one has to return to the Quran and Sunnah, and that which has been affirmed in the Seerah of the Prophet ﷺ, the actions of the rightly guided Caliphs and rightly guided scholars who came after them. And this cannot be known except from the Hadith. And by way of it, one will become acquainted with understanding in the religion and the rulings of the Sharee’ah, the actions of the Sahaabah and their creed, the actions of the early rightly guided Imaams- those who [transmitted and based their lives on] Hadeeth and were people of sound creed. Therefore, it is obligated on you to [adhere] to that; strive in [this path] and do everything within your capability to be acquainted with it.”
“O student of knowledge! It is [obligated] on you to [adhere] to the path of the people of Hadith so that you may [acquire] understanding of the religion, and so that you may [acquire] understanding of the correct creed, which Allah is pleased with for His slaves to follow. And neither veer away from it to the right nor left for indeed deviation from it is misguidance and destruction.”
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
A man came to the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and said: ‘’Admonish me and be brief’’; so the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said to him:
Al -Allaamah Zayd bin Muhammad Al-Madkhalee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“There is no doubt that the vile descriptions uttered by the people of innovation- past and present- which they apply to ahlus sunnah is dictated to them by [their] vain desires, shaytaan and the soul that is inclined to evil.”
At-Ta’leeq al-Mateen ‘alaa Kitaab Usool as-Sita wa I’tiqaad ar-Raaziyayn 176
Al-‘Allaamah Zayd bin Muhammad Al-Madkhalee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“If the student of knowledge deviates and he becomes ignorant like the ignorant people, and he becomes foolish and acts like the foolish, then he has caused harm to the knowledge (that he has attained) and he has caused harm to himself and the people because the student of knowledge is a role model, so let them be the best of examples in the islaamic creed and Sharee’ah [i.e. the rulings pertaining to acts of worship, dealings, manners]”
Abu khaythama narrated to us, (saying): Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Mahdee narrated to us, (saying): Moosaa Ibn Ulayya narrated to us from his father who said: “Whenever a man asked Yazeed Bin Thaabit about something, he said: “Is this for Allaah’s sake?” If he (the questioner) said: “yes”, he (Yazeed) would speak; and if not he would not speak.
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Source: kitaabul ilm of Abu khaythama with the checking of Imaam Albaanee. Page: 20. Narration 75
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Indeed, some of the well-known doubt mongers and hizbiyyoon -after being refuted and exposed- go undercover in the WhatsApp groups. As we all know that in most cases WhatsApp groups have no borders because one can easily be added to a group regardless his (or her) location.
Firstly: Why should we waste our valuable time by accepting invitations from everyone who opens a group, rather we should be extremely selective. Groups with students of knowledge or responsible elders are very few; therefore we have to be extremely selective!
Secondly: It would be very naive of us if we just accept the invitation of anyone without being absolutely sure of his Aqeedah, Manhaj, affiliations and companionship. And even if such a person is of sound Aqeedah and Manhaj, then should we not still ask ourselves whether we have a need of joining such a group or whether it would not divert us from more important affairs in our lives.
Thirdly: We sometimes find that WhatsApp groups can provide a platform for every hidden doubt monger to voice his views, and then it takes a lot of time for another person to reply to those doubts. This further opens a door of prolonged argumentation and debate, which–regardless its praiseworthy intended goals- diverts us from more important affairs; or it leaves some in doubt, whom we cannot approach immediately in person to offer clarifications. Therefore, would it not be better that we adopt the principle ”Prevention is better than cure”; rather than either having to try and reach those who have already been affected or debating with those who sneak into those groups to propagate Shubuhaat.
Fourthly: Yes indeed, sometimes some of us do start groups for a genuine or important need, but would it not be better and safer that we consult a Salafi student in order to make sure that we will not be engaging in some time wasting, even though our intention is not to do so.
Finally: Why don’t we choose the safe alternative by opening a Telegram group, where people are reminder about lessons in the Masjid or important events in the community. This- InShaaAllaah- solves the problem as no one will be allowed to post anything other than the admin. I personally find that a lot of my time has been spared and spent on other more important things -family, reading, listening to Duroos of the Scholars and the Students, engaging in discussions on Masjid Admin affairs – rather than having to look at my phone numerous times during the day or evening. I suggest that you do speak to the students before joining or allowing people in these groups, lest your valuable time is squandered. And Allaah knows best.
Whoever ponders upon the end result of the worldly life will be cautious, and whoever is certain about the long distance of the journey (i.e. the hereafter) will prepare for the journey. How amazing is your affair O you the one who has certainty about an affair, but then you forget about it. The harm of the state of affairs is real, but you are unconscious of it! You fear the people, whilst Allaah is more worthy of being feared! You are overwhelmed by what you presume and not by what you are certain of. And among the most amazing of affairs is your happiness with beguilement and forgetfulness in amusement in that which will come to an end. You are deceived by your health and forgetful of the approach of illness. You rejoice with your well-being and are heedless of the close approach of agony. Indeed, the death of other than yourself should show you your death and the death bed of other than yourself has been made visible before (your)death. Indeed you are pre-occupied with your inclination towards pleasures (i.e. forbidden ones) and (diverted) from remembrance of the destruction of yourself. It is as if you have not heard of the news about those who have passed away and that you have not seen what time has done to those who have remained. And if you do not know, then those are their dwelling places and graves before you, destroyed by the winds.
[Source: Saydul Khaatir of Imaam Ibnul Jawzee’ page: 15-16. abridged and slightly paraphrased]
