by Al-Barbahaaree
Trans. Abu Talhah Dawud Burbank
1: The Sunnah is Islaam and Islaam is the Sunnah
Imaam al-Barbahaari (rahimahullaah) said
All praise is for Allaah who guided us to Islaam and blessed us with it and placed us in the best nation, so we ask Him to grant us that we keep to that which He loves and is pleased with and avoid that which He hates and which angers Him
Know that Islam is the Sunnah, and the Sunnah is Islam [1] and one of them cannot be established without the other
NOTES
1. The Prophet said, "He who turns away from my Sunnah is not from me." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Eng. trans. 7/1-2/no.l), Muslim - Eng. Trans. 2/703/n0.3236) and an-Nasaa'ee
Abu Hurairah said that Allaah's Messenger said, "All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse." It was said, "Who will refuse?" He replied. "Whoever obeys me enters Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused." Reported by al-Bukhaaree - Eng. trans. 9/284/n0.384
Imaam az-Zuhree (the famous taabi'ee, d.124H) said, "The people of knowledge who came before us used to say, 'Salvation lies in clinging to the Sunnah.'" Reported by ad-Daarimee in his Sunan - no.96
Imaam Maalik said, "The Sunnah is like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarks upon it reaches salvation and whoever refuses is drowned." Quoted by Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah in Majmoo' ul-fataawaa - 4/57
From the Sunnah is Clinging to the Jamaa'ah :2
From the Sunnah is clinging to the Jamaa'ah. [1] Whoever desires other than the Jamaa'ah and departs from it then he has thrown off the yoke of Islaam from his neck and he is astray, leading others
astray. 2
NOTES
1. 'Umar, radiallaahu' anhu reports that the Prophet said, "Stick to the Jamaa'ah and beware of splitting, for Shaitaan is found along with the single person but is further from two. Whoever desires the centre of Paradise then let him stick to the Jamaa'ah. He whose good deed pleases him and his evil deed causes him to feel bad then he is a believer." Reported by Ahmad (1/18), at-Tirmidhee (no. 2165) al-Haakim (1/114) and is declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah - no. 1116
Anas, radiallaahu 'anhu, reports that the Prophet said, "Indeed the Children of Israa'eel divided into seventy one sects and my Ummah will divide into seventy two sects, all of them will be in the fire except one and that is the Jamaa'ah." Reported by Ibn Maajah (no. 3993) and declared saheeh by Shaikh al-Albaanee
2. Alluding to the hadith of Ibn 'Abbaas, radiallaahu 'anhummaa, who said: Allaah's Messenger said, "He who sees from his ruler something he dislikes, let him be patient with him, for he who splits away from the Jamaa'ah by a hand span and then dies, dies a death of Jaahiliyyah" and in a narration, "then he has thrown off the yoke of Islaam from his neck." Reported by al-Bukhaaree (trans. 9/145), Muslim and Ahmad and the other narration by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2867) and Ahmad (4/130). Refer to Sharh ul-'Aqeedat-Tahaawiyyah (379-382), checked by Shaikh Naasir ud-deen al-Albaanee