Table of Contents
Chapter Ten THE METHODOLOGY OF A MUSLIM
Know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that the methodology a Muslimadopts in reaching his Lord, safe and secure, is suspended between twomatters.
(i) Holding fast to the Sunnah and its people, its aiders, alliesand supporters and (ii) avoiding all innovation, its people, its aiders, allies andsupporters, those “deceiving, surmising, cheating, lying, beautifiersof speech.” 37 This is the StraightPath of Allaah, that which leads to Him and in which there is nocrookedness, neither to the left, nor to the right.
Imaam as-Shaatibee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “And ‘Umaribn Salamah al-Hamdaanee said, ‘We were sitting in the circle of IbnMas’ood in the mosque, which was still plain ground, before it had beencovered with gravel. ‘Ubaidullaah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, who had just returned from an expedition, said to him, ‘Whatis the straight path, O Aboo ‘Abdur-Rahmaan? ‘He replied, ‘By the Lordof the Ka’bah, it is that which your father was firmly established uponuntil he entered Paradise,’ and then he swore firmly upon that threetimes. Then he drew a line in the ground with his hand and also drewlines to either side of it and said, ‘Your Prophet (PBUH ) left youupon this end and its other end is in Paradise. So whoever remainssteadily upon it will enter Paradise and whoever takes any of theselines will be destroyed.”
And in another narration (he was asked), ‘O Aboo ‘Abdur-Rahmaan,what is the straight path?’ He said, ‘The Messenger (PBUH) left us uponthe nearest end of the line and its other end is in Paradise. And toits left and right are roads in which there are men who invite thosewho pass by them, saying, ‘Come this way! Come this way!’ So whoever istaken by them to those paths will end up in Hell-Fire and whoeverremains steadfast upon the great path will end up, through it, inParadise.’ Then Ibn Mas’ood recited:
And verily, this is myStraight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for theywill separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you thatyou may become al-Muttaqoon.” [Soorah al-Anam (6):153].
And Mujaahid said about the saying of Allaah, “…and follow not(other) paths..” “The innovations and doubts.” And Bakr ibn al-Alaa said about the saying of Allaah, “… for they will separateyou away from His Path …” “He meant the devils amongst men, andthese are the innovations and Allaah knows best.” [Imaam ash-Shaatibee in Al-I’tisaam (1/40~45)].
The Aider of the Sunnah and Destroyer of Innovations, Imaarn Ahmad(d.241 H) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “The fundamentalprinciples of the Sunnah with us are:
(i) Holding fast to what the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger (PBUH) were upon. (ii) Seeking them (and their way) as a model of guidance. (iii) Abandoning innovation, for every innovation is misguidance. (iv) Abandoning controversies and abandoning sitting with the People ofDesires. (v) And abandoning quarrelling, argumentation and controversies in thereligion.”[Reported by al-Laalikaa’ee in his Sharh Usoolul-I’tiqaad (1/152)].
Aboo Haneefah (d.159H) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “Stickto the narration (athar) and the way of the Salaf and beware of newlyinvented matters, for all of it is innovation.” [Related by as-Suyooteein Sawnul-Mantaq wal-Kalaam (p.32)].
Imaam al-Awzaa’ee (d.157H) (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,”Hold fast to the narrations of the Salaf, even if people were toabandon you. Beware of the opinions of the people, no matter how muchthey beautify it with their speech.” [Related by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadee in his Sharaf Ashaabul-Hadeeth (p.7)].
And Imaam al-Laalikaa’ee (d.418H) (may Allaah have mercy on him)said, “That which is most obligatory upon a Muslim is knowledge of theaspects of the creed of the Religion and what Allaah has obligated uponHis Servants including the understanding of His Tawheed and of HisAttributes, and believing in His Messengers with evidences and withcertainty. And arriving at (all of) that and seeking evidences for themwith clear proofs.
Among the mightiest of statements and clearest of proofs andunderstandings is:
(i) The Book of Allah, the Manifest Truth. (ii) Then the saying of the Messenger of Allaah (PBUH ). (iii) And of his Companions, the Chosen, pious ones. (iv) Then that which the Salafus-Saalih were unanimously agree upon. (v) Hen holding fast of all of that and remaining firm upon it till heDay of Judgement. (vi) Then turning away from the innovations and from listening tothem-from amongst those things the astray people have invented.” [SharhUsool-I’tiqaad (1/9)].
Therefore, “May Allaah have mercy upon you! Examine carefully thespeech of speech of everyone you hear from in your time particularly.So do not act in haste and do not enter into anything from it until youask and see-‘Did any of the Companions of the Prophet (PBUH) speakaboutit or any of the scholars?” So if you find a narration from them, clingto it, do not go beyond it for anything and do not give precedence toanything over it and thus fall into the fire.” [Sharh-Sunnah of Imaamal-Barbahaaree].37 The saying of Aboo Haatimar-Raazee (d. 264H) as quoted by al-Laalikaa’ee in SharhUsoolul-I’tiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah (2/176~182).