Al-Allaamah Rabi’ Bin Hadee Al-Madhkali [May Allah preserve him] said:
“The scholars in our religion are not followed except if their speech is based upon text from the Kitaab [Quran] and Sunnah. If their speech opposes the texts, it becomes compulsory to reject it. If it [i.e. their speech] is devoid of evidence, it is not obligated on anyone to follow them [i.e. that statement of theirs].”
Al-Majmoo Al-Waadih – page 145
Please refer to the following articles for further detail:
http://www.salaficentre.com/2015/05/a-misunderstanding-regarding-the-statement-laa-inkaar-fee-masaail-al-khilaaf-there-should-be-no-repudiation-in-the-affairs-of-khilaaf-i-e-differing/
The Messenger of Allaah (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said:
”Indeed, the one who lives long amongst you will see a lot of differences, and beware of newly invented matters [in the religion] because it is misguidance. So whoever amongst you reaches that, then upon him to hold onto to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khulafaa, and bite onto it with the molar teeth.” [Reported by Ahmad: 4/126; Abu Daawud 4607; Tirmidhee 2676; Ibn Maajah 43]
Imaam Ibn Ibn Rajab [rahimahullaah] said: In this hadeeth is [the] command that when splitting and differing occurs, [one should] adhere to the Sunnah of the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and the Sunnah of the khulafaa [radiyallaah-anhum] after him. The Sunnah is a path that should be adhered toand it includes that which the rightly guided khulafaa were upon in creed, actions and statements. This is the complete Sunnah.
Al-Allaamah Zaid Ibn Muhammad Al-Madhkali ( May Allah have mercy on him ) said :
“And beware! Beware of falling into innovation and mixing [with] its people, and beware of listening to their deceptive [statements] and arguments because it is a disease. Indeed safety- absolute safety- is found in clinging to the Quran and Sunnah based on the correct understanding- the [understanding] of the Salafus Saaleh [the righteous predecessors], which cannot be attained except by way of ernest effort and striving in seeking understanding of the religion, with the righteous intention, wisdom [in the manner of] attaining and conveying [it].”
Al Fawaaid al Jaliyyah Sharh Masaail al Jahiliyyah 79
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad (rahimahullaah) said: ‘Do not sit with a person of innovation, for I fear that curses will descend upon you.’
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] commented on the above statement, saying: [That is] because punishment, anger and deviation descend upon a person of innovation, so it is feared that you will be afflicted with some of what afflicts him, and for that reason Allaah [جَلَّ وَعلَا] stated:
And when you [Muhammad] see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’aan) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if shaitaan causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zaalimoon [polytheists and wrongdoers]. 6:68
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book [this Qur’aan] that when you hear the Verses of Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allaah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell.’4:140
In this is a warning against sitting with the people of misguidance and desires, and against sitting, accompanying and listening to their speech or reading their books. So it is upon you [i.e. obligated on you] to be distant from these affairs. And Allaah’s Aid is sought! Nowadays, it is said about the one who acts upon this [i.e. the one who keeps away from the people of misguidance and desires] that he is an isolated [or unapproachable, secluded person etc], a boycotter and that he is one who harbours doubt towards the people.
[Source: It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree (rahimahullaah) by Sheikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (hafidha-hullaah) (2/318-319 ). Slightly paraphrased]
Your feedback is welcome to improve the content of this article…BaarakAllaahu Feekum
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Al-Barbahaaree [rahimahullaah] said:
‘’May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that if the people were to desist from newly introduced matters, not entering into any of them at all and did not say anything for which there was no narration from the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] or from his Companions, there would not be any innovation.” [1]
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] comments on the above statement:
And ‘’if the people were to desist from newly invented matters [in the religion]”-Meaning: If they desisted and did not enter into them; restricted themselves to the Sunnah and did not leave it for innovations, certainly they would have attained safety. But whoever relinquishes the Sunnah and innovate statements which have no proof in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] will eventually be with the innovators and the deviated sects. And there is no safety except by way of the Sunnah which the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] left for us. He [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said: ‘’Indeed, I have left amongst you two things, if you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray; the book of Allaah and my Sunnah.’’
And in another hadeeth:‘I have left you upon white plain [i.e. clear guidance], its night is like its day, and none deviates from it except he who is destroyed.’’
This is the path to safety- the Sunnah of the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and that which his companions were upon…. [2]
[Ref 1: Translated by Abu Talhah Daawud Burbank (may Allaah have mercy upon him and his wife)
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.”
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
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi [rahimahullaah] said:
It is incumbent that the seekers of Hadeeth should be the [possessors of the] most perfect [behaviour, traits, manners, etiquettes etc] amongst the people; the most humble amongst the people, the greatest in their impartiality and adherence to the religion; the least in [deviating from good conduct] and [becoming] angry. And that is due to their constant listening to the narrations that combine the excellent manners and etiquettes of Allaah’s Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam], the lives of the virtuous pious predecessors, the path of the scholars of Hadeeth and the virtues of the [pious ones and scholars] who have passed away; so they adhere to the most refined and excellent [aspects of those traits, etiquettes, manners etc] and turn away from the most despised and lowly [traits, behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhaab [rahimahullaah] said: ‘’They [People of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance] claimed to follow [their Salaf – pious predecessors], while they clearly opposed and contradicted them.
Shaikh Saaleh al Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] commented on the above statement saying:
The common [people] amongst the Jews and the Christians and the people of misguidance amongst those who attribute themselves to Islaam– all of them claim to follow the believers who preceded them. So the Jews claim that they follow Moosaa [alyahis-salaam] and those who believed in him; the Christians claim that they follow the Messiah [alayhis-salaam] and those who believed in him; the people of misguidance of this Ummah claim that they follow the pious predecessors of this Ummah- the Sahaabah, the Taa’bi’een and the At’baa At-Taabi’een- and that what they are upon is the way of the pious predecessors. The claim of everyone who claims to be upon the path of the pious predecessors or upon the methodology of the pious predecessors cannot be sound, until he makes apparent what he is upon based on the Methodology of the pious predecessors. So if that conforms to [the Methodology of the pious predecessors], then he is upon the Methodology of the pious predecessors, and if it is in opposition, then he is not upon the Methodology of the pious predecessors, even if he makes that claim.
Every deviated party [or sect] at present claims to be upon the way of the pious predecessors, but they are not upon the Methodology of the pious predecessors- because the statement of the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] regarding the way of the pious predecessors is: ‘’those upon that which I [Muhamad] and my companions are upon’’ is not applicable to them. This is what it [means] to be upon the methodology of the pious predecessors. As for the one who is in opposition to this, then he is not upon the methodology of the pious predecessors even if he claims that. Those who claim Salafiyyah are many, but they must make apparent what they are upon and if that is in conformity [with Salafiyyah], then it is truth; but if in opposition, then they are not upon the Methodology of the pious predecessors.
Likewise, there are those who attribute themselves to the Madhabs of the Four Imaams whilst being in opposition to the Imaams in Aqeedah, so their ascription is not correct because they oppose [the Imaams] in the most important of affairs and that is the Aqeedah.
[Sharh- Ma’saa’ilil Jaahiliyyah of Sheikh Fawzaan (Page: 295-296). Abridged and slightly paraphrased]
