Kitaab Sharh us-Sunnah

[Umm Mohammad]

7: All Major Innovations and Deviations Begin Small and Insignificant

Beware of small innovations because they grow until they become large. 1

This is the case with every innovation introduced in this Ummah. It began as something small, bearing resemblance to the truth which is why those who entered it were mislead and then were unable to leave it. So it grew and became the religion which they followed and thus deviated from the Straight Path and left Islaam. 2

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NOTES

1. A striking example of how small innovations lead a person into committing major innovations is found in the narration reported by ad-Daarimee in his Sunan - 1/79

'Amr ibn Salmah said: We used to sit by the door of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood before the Morning Prayer, so that when he came out we would walk with him to the mosque. (One day) Abu Moosaa al-Ash'aree came to us and said, "Has Abu 'Abd ar-Rahmaan comes out yet?" We replied, "No." So he sat down with us until he came out. When he came out, we all stood along with him, so Abu Moosaa said to him, "O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahmaan! I have just seen something in the mosque which I deemed to be evil, but all praise is for Allaah, I did not see anything except good." He enquired, "Then what is it?" (Abu Moosaa) replied, "If you live you will see it. I saw in the mosque people sitting in circles awaiting the Prayer. In each circle they had pebbles in their hands and a man would say 'repeat Allaahu Akbar a hundred times.' So they would repeat it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'say Laa ilaaha illallaah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times. Then he would say, 'say Subhaanallaah a hundred times.' So they would say it a hundred times." (Ibn Mas'ood) asked, "What did you say to them?" (Abu Moosaa) said, "I did not say anything to them. Instead I waited to hear you view or what you declared." (Ibn Mas'ood) replied, "Would that you had ordered them to count up the evil deeds they acquired and assured them that their good deeds would not be lost!" Then we went along with him (Ibn Mas'ood) until he came to one of these circles and stood and said, "What is this which I see you doing?" They replied, "O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahmaan! These are pebbles upon which we are counting takbeer, tahleel and tasbeeh." He said, "Count up your evil deeds. I assure you that none of your good deeds will be lost. Woe to you, O Ummah of Muhammad (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)! How quickly you go to destruction! These are the Companions of your Prophet and who are widespread. There are his clothes which have not yet decayed and his bowl which is unbroken. By Him in Whose Hand is my soul! Either you are upon a Religion better guided than the Religion of Muhammad (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) or that you are opening the door of misguidance." They said, "O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahmaan! By Allaah, we only intended good." He said, "How many there are who intend good but do not achieve it. Indeed Allaah's Messenger said to us 'A people will recite the Qur'aan but it will not pass beyond their throats.' By Allah! I do not know, perhaps most of them are from you." Then he left them

Umar ibn Salmah (the sub-narrator) said: We saw most of those people fighting against us on the day of Nahrawaan, along with the Khawaarij

Authenticated by Sh. Saleem al-Hilaalee in al-Bid'ah - pp. 26-29

2. The scholars differentiate between those innovations which take a person outside the fold of Islaam (al-Bid'atul-Mukaffirah) and those which do not. So this is not to be understood unrestrictedly

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8: Care With Respect to the Affairs of Knowledge and Religion

May Allaah have mercy upon you! Examine carefully the 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 you ask and see: Did any of the Companions of the Prophet (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) speak about it or any of the scholars? So if you find a narration from them about it, cling to it, do not go beyond it for anything [1] and do not give precedence to anything over it and thus fall into the Fire

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NOTES

1. Imaam al-Awzaa'ee, rahimahullaah, said, "Knowledge is what comes from the Companions of Muhammad (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and that which does not come from a single one of them is not knowledge". Refer to Jaami 'Bayaanil - 'Ilm of Ibn 'Abdul Barr - 2/36

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[Umm Mohammad]

9: The Two Ways to Leave the Straight Path

Know that leaving the correct path occurs in two ways. Firstly: that a man strays from the correct path intending nothing but good, so his error is not to be followed since it leads to destruction. (Secondly), a man who deliberately opposes the truth and acts contrary to the Pious ones who came before him, he is astray, leading others astray, a rebellious devil within the Ummah. It is a duty upon those who know of him to warn the people against him and to explain his condition to them so that no one falls into his innovation and is destroyed

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10: Islam is Complete and Requires Only Submission

May Allah have mercy upon you! Know that a servant's Islaam is not complete until he follows, attests to and submits to (the truth). So anyone who claims that there remains anything from Islaam not sufficiently explained by the Companions of Allaah's Messenger, has falsely accused them, has split from them and spoken ill of them. He is an innovator, astray and leading others astray, introducing into Islaam that which is not from it. 1

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NOTES

1. Ibn Mas'ood, radiallaahu 'anhu, described the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) saying, "Allaah looked into the hearts of the servants and found the heart of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) to be the best of hearts, so He chose him for Himself and sent with him His Revelation, then He looked into the hearts of the servants after the heart of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and found the hearts of his Companions to be the best of the hearts of the servants, so He made them the helpers of His Prophet, fighting for His Religion. So that which the Muslims hold to be good is good with Allaah and that which they hold to be bad is bad with Allaah." Reported in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad (1/379) and declared hasan by Shaikh al-Albaanee in ad-Da'eefah - 2/17

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11: There Are No Analogies For The Sunnah

May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that the Sunnah is not a matter for analogies or reasoning with examples, and desires are not to be followed in it. Rather, it is just a case of affirming the narrations from Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), without asking how, explaining or saying: 'Why?' or 'How

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[Umm Mohammad]

12: Censure of Debating and Arguing

Debating, arguing and disputing are innovations which throw doubt into the heart, even if the person reaches the truth and the Sunnah. 1

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NOTES

1. Allaah, the Most High says

None dispute about the signs of Allaah, except those who disbelieve." - Soorah Ghaafir 40:4

At-Tirmidhee reports a hasan hadeeth from Abu Umaamah, who said: "Allaah's Messenger (saws) said, "A people never went astray after being upon guidance except through disputation." Then Allaah's Messenger (saws) recited this Ayah

"This they set forth to you, only by way of argument. Nay, but they are a contentious people." - Soorah az-Zukhruf 43:58

Al-Aajurree reports in ash-Sharee'ah (p.57) that a man came to al-Hasan (al-Basree) and said, "O Abu Sa'eed! Let me debate with you about the Religion." Al-Hasan replied, "As for me, I know my religion, If you have lost your Religion then go and look for it

'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez, rahimahullaah, said, "He who allows his Religion to be open to disputing will frequently change over." See Jaami' Bayaanil 'Ilm - 2/113

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13: Speculative Speech About Allaah Is A Heretical Innovation

May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that speculative speech about the Lord, the Most High, is a newly invented matter and is an innovation and misguidance. Nothing is to be said about the Lord except what He, the Mighty and Majestic, described Himself with in the Qur'aan and what the Messenger of Allaah (saws) explained to his Companions. So, He, the Mighty, is One

There is nothing like Him and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing". 1

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NOTES

1.Soorah ash-Shoora (42):11

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Allaah is The First and the Last And His Knowledge Encompasses Everything: 14

Our Lord is the First without any 'when' and the Last without any end. He knows what is secret and what is more hidden. He ascended over His 'Arsh (Throne) and His knowledge is in every place and no place is free of His knowledge

[Umm Mohammad]

15: Concerning The Speech of Allaah And Questioning the Attributes

No one says about the attributes of the Lord, the Most High, 'Why?' except one who doubts about Allaah, the Blessed and Most High. The Qur'aan is the Speech of Allaah, His Revelation and Light. It is not created, since the Qur'aan is from Allaah and that which is from Allaah is not created. This was what Maalik ibn Anas, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and the Scholars before and after them said and debating about it is disbelief.1

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NOTES

1. The Qur'aan is the Speech of Allaah, hence it is an attribute of Allaah. All of Allaah's attributes have been with Him eternally. Imaam Maalik said, "The Qur'aan is the speech of Allaah. It is not created." Reported by al-Laalikaa'ee in Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl is-Sunnah - no.414

Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was asked about the one who says that the Qur'aan was created, so he said, "(He is) a disbeliever." Reported by al-Laalikaa'ee in Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl is-Sunnah - no.449

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16: Seeing Allaah In The Hereafter

To have Faith in seeing Allaah on the Day of Resurrection. They will see Allaah with the eyes of their heads [1]. He will take account of them without anyone acting on His behalf or any interpreter. 2

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NOTES

1. Allaah says

Some faces that Day shall be shining and radiant. Looking at their Lord". (Soorah al-Qiyaamah 75:22-23) Shuaib reports that Allaah's Messenger (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "When the people of Paradise enter Paradise, Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, will say 'Do you wish for anything extra that I may give you?' They will say 'Have You not brightened our faces? Have You not entered us into Paradise and saved us from the Fire?' So He will remove the screen and they will not have been given anything more beloved to them as looking at their Lord, the Mighty and Majestic." Reported by Muslim - Eng. trans. 1/114/no. 347) and others

Hanbal said: I spoke to Abu 'Abdullaah, meaning Ahmad (ibn Hanbal) about seeing Allaah (ar-Ru'yah). He said, "They are authentic ahaadeeth. We have Faith (Eemaan) in them and affirm it. We have Faith in and affirm everything reported from the Prophet (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) with good chains of narration."Reported by al-Laalikaa'ee in Sharh Usool I'tiqaad Ahl is-Sunnah - no.889

2. 'Adiyy ibn Haatim reports that the Prophet (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "There is not one of you except that Allaah will speak to him on the Day of Resurrection, there being no interpreter between Him and him." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 8/358/no.547), Ahmad and at-Tirmidhee

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17: Belief In The Scales (Meezaan)

To believe in the Balance (Meezaan) on the Day of Resurrection, upon which good and evil will be weighed. It has two scales and a tongue. 1

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NOTES

1. Allaah, the Most High, says

As for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy, he will live a pleasant life (in Paradise). But, as for him whose balance (of good deeds) will be light, he will have his home in a pit (i.e. Hell)". (Soorah al-Qaari'ah 101:6-7) Abu Hurairah, radiallaahu 'anhu, reports that Allaah's Messenger (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said, "Two words are most beloved to the Most Merciful, light upon the tongue and heavy upon the Balance: Subhaanallahi wa bihamdihi and Subhaanallahil 'Adheem." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 9/489-490/no.652

The 'Hadeeth of the Parchment': "Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al 'Aas said: I heard Allaah's Messenger (Sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) say, "Allaah will take out a man from my Ummah before the creation on the Day of Resurrection and ninety-nine scrolls will be unrolled for him. Each one as long as the eye can see. Then He will say 'Do you deny any of this? Have my watchful scribes wronged you?' He will reply 'No, O my Lord!' So, He (Allaah) will say 'Do you have any excuse (or any good deed)? So he will reply 'No, O my Lord!' So, He (Allaah) will say 'Rather you do possess a good deed with Us and you will not be wronged this Day.' So a parchment is brought containing 'I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger.' So He (Allaah) will say 'Witness the weighing.' So he will reply 'O my Lord! What is this parchment compared to those great scrolls?' So He (Allaah) will say 'Indeed you will not be wronged.' So the scrolls will be placed on one scale and the parchment on the other scale. So the scrolls will be lighter and the parchment heavier. Nothing will outweigh the name of Allaah." Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhee and Ibn Maajah. Shaikh al-Albaanee declared it saheeh in Saheeh Sunan at-Tirmidhee

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