Part 5b: Virtues of the Salaf

The Shaikh said: And the Salaf Us Saalih also: are the best and most virtuous of generations of whom the Messenger has said: “The best of people are my generation, then those that follow them then those that follow them”. And he said: “Then there will come a people after them who will bear witness and will not be asked to bear witness, and they would deceive and not be trusted, and they would make vows and not fulfill them, and fat will become apparent on them”.

Notes:  The Hadeeth that the Shaikh mentioned shows the virtue of the Companions of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and those came after them and followed their path. And it also shows the excellence of these virtuous generations over others in terms of their learning, understanding and implementation of Islam. As for those who come after them the majority were described with some of the descriptions of the hypocrites such as being deceitful, not fulfilling their vows and love for the Dunya. These characteristics are opposite to those that the Companions and those who followed them in goodness were upon.

However, we must note that this is for the majority and not everyone from the generations after since the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There will always be a people from my Ummah who will be clear upon the truth“. And they were also called the Ghuraba (the strangers). The Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Islam began strange and will return strange therefore may a tree in Jannah be for the strangers”.

 

Part 5a: The Virtues of the Sahabah.

The Shaikh said: And the best of the Salaf after the Messenger of Allah  (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) are the companions who took their religion from the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) with truthfulness and sincerity, as Allah has described them in the Qur’an: “From the believers are men who were truthful to their covenant with Allah. Some of them have paid their vow by death (in battle), and some of them still are waiting; and they have not altered in the least”. 

Notes:  This statement of the Shaikh shows us some of the virtues of the Companions (Radiallaho anhim). From them was that they took their religion from the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam).  As Abdullah Ibn Mas’uud said: “They were people selected by Allah ta’ala to keep the company of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam)”. Hence, since they had the best of teachers, what follows from this is that they were the most excellent of Muslims in  learning, understanding and implementing Islam.

Also the companions (Radiallaho Anhum) took their religion with truthfulness and sincerity. This shows that the Munafiquun (hypocrites) are not from the Companions of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) because they didn’t learn and implement the religion with truthfulness and sincerity and as a result they are the dwellers of the lowest part of the hellfire.

The verse mentioned by the Shaikh also shows the firmness of the Companions (Radiallaho anhum) upon Islam. They were willing to sacrifice their wealth and their lives in order to fulfill that which Allah made incumbent upon them and with all the hardships and struggles they remained upon the religion.

The Shaikh said: And they did actions of righteousness which Allah has mentioned in his book when he said: ” It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the Allah-fearing“.

This verse shows the true religion which the Companions (Radiallaho anhum) were described with. The book of Allah is their system and point of return and then the Sunnah, and the sciences of th Sunnah are the sciences that have the most blessings, virtue and benefit in the religion and wordly life after the book of Allah. And they are like gardens, we find in them much goodness and righteousness, and then after the Sunnah what the Salaf have agreed upon.

Notes: The verse above describes what righteousness is. Firstly, Allah described righteousness as having the correct belief i.e the belief which the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) had. He didn’t begin with righteous deeds that are open for others to see but rather he started with belief with Allah, the last day, the angels, the books and the Prophets. Afterwards he spoke about righteous actions that are obvious for others to see. Actions by which the rights of Allah are fulfilled i.e the prayer and actions which the rights of the human beings are fulfilled.

Then he ends with patience upon hardship which shows the great status that patience has in the life of the Muslim. This patience is of three types:

• Patience with obeying Allah
• Patience by distancing oneself from what Allah has made impermissible
•  Patience upon what Allah has predestined.

And as the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “There is nothing better and more spacious given to the Muslim than patience”.

Then the Shaikh showed that the Sunnah is the best of knowledge with the Qur’an. This is because the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the practical implementation of the Qur’an hence every Muslim is obliged to implement it. Therefore, the one who learns it, practices it, preaches it to others and defends it is in fact an inheritor of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) in his da’wah as the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) spent his whole life doing such.

The Shaikh also showed us the sources from which those who follow the Manhaj of the Salaf (Salafis) take from and they are:

• The Qur’an
• The Sunnah
• The Consensus of the Companions and the scholars of Hadeeth and Fiqh.

However, it must be noted that these three sources are interconnected. This is because the Sunnah and the Ijma (Consensus) have the same status of the Qur’an in terms of understanding the beliefs and the laws of this religion. However in terms of virtue and usage in worship the Qur’an is superior and Allah knows best.

4b: The Importance of the Sunnah to the Sahabas

The Shaikh said: And the point of return of the Salaf Us Salih when they disagree is: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam). Allah has said: “If you disagree about a matter return it to Allah and the Messenger if you believe in Allah and the last day. That is good and the best of explinations”. Surah Nisa verse 59.

Notes: The Shaikh has shown that the return of the Salaf Us Salih is the book of Allah and the Sunnah of his Mesenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) in all matters. Whether they are in disagreement or not. However, since deviance is usually caused by disagreement Allah ta’ala has ordered us as Muslims to return to his book and the Sunnah of his Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and this is a sure-fire way for any disagreement to cease. Unfortunately many of the deviant groups do not take heed of this issue and as a result have divided the religion.

Amongst them are:

1) Those who return to what their intellect declares to them. And this is the way of the Mu’tazilah who many of the Ulama of the Salaf have said are Kuffar.

2) Those who return to what their forefathers have said. Allah has said about them: “If it is said to them that they should follow what has been revealed they say we follow what our forefathers were upon”.

3) Those who return to the statement of an Imam from the Imams of Fiqh instead of the Sunnah. Allah has said about such people: “They have taken their scholars and worshippers as deities other than Allah”.

4) Those who return to dreams and their feelings like the Sufis.

All these points of return are false. Rather the true point of return for the Muslim is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam).

The Shaikh said: And the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the one who relayed the message from his Lord and has clarified his book (the Qur’an). Allah has said: “And we sent down a remembrance to make clear to the people what has been sent to them”. (Surah Nahl verse 44)

Notes: This is a clear proof that the Sunnah is revelation revealed to clarify the Qur’an as mentioned before. And also it is what explains the Qur’an. Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said in his Usuul Us Sunnah: And the Sunnah explains the Qur’an. Therefore, we cannot say we use the Qur’an then the Sunnah as evidence. Rather we say that we use the Qur’an and the Sunnah since they go hand in hand.

The Shaikh said: And the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said in a Hadeeth: “Upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs, hold onto it with your molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for verily every innovation is misguidance”.

Notes:  This Hadeeth is the famous Hadeeth of Irbaad Ibn Sariyah. And it shows that every Muslim must hold onto the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Sunnah of the Companions (Radiallaho anhum). And this is from the strongest evidences which prove that one must follow the way of the Companions (Radiallaho anhum). Because he didn’t only tell people to follow his Sunnah but he also told them to hold onto what the four rightly guided caliphs were upon. It also shows that the Caliphs were upon what the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) were upon as the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) made no difference between following his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his Caliphs. 

Then he advised us to hold onto it with our molar teeth. Showing that we must hold onto his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his Caliphs with strength and we should not let go of it. As Allah said to Yahya (Alaihis Salaam): “Oh Yahya hold onto the book with strength”.  And in other verses: “Hold onto what we have given you with strength”.  Therefore, holding onto all aspects of the Sunnah is not extremism but rather it is what the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) ordered. And this is whether it is in aspects of creed, methodology, fiqh or behaviour.

Then he (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) cautioned us about newly invented matters in the religion. These newly invented matters that have no evidence for them in the Shar’iah are called innovations.

According to Imam Ash Shatibi an innovation is what has been invented in the religion that was not there before which resembles worship and wants by it to come closer to Allah ta’ala. Therefore, in order to know whether something is a bid’ah or not we have to look at these three matters:

1) It is a newly invented matter in the religion that has no basis in the Shari’ah.

2) It wants by that action to come closer to Allah.

3) It resembles the worship of Allah.

And the effects of Bid’ah are evil. Some of them are:

1) The Tauba of a person of innovation is not accepted until he leaves his innovation.

2) It splits the Ummah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) making them many groups and sects.

3) It replaces a Sunnah and makes it die.

4) It results in the ignorance of the masses of Muslims. Until Bid’ah becomes the Sunnah and the Sunnah becomes Bid’ah according to them.

5) It results in the hatred of the scholars of the Sunnah and amongst them are the Sahabah.

And there are many more evil effects of innovation. However, these five are enough for a Muslim to know that he must stay away from it.

And Allah knows best.

Part 4a: The importance of the Sunnah to the Sahabas

The Shaikh said: And he is the one who speaks from revelation that came from the sky (above the heavens), Allah has said: “And he doesn’t speak from his desires it is only a revelation being revealed (unto him)”.

Notes: This is clear proof that the Sunnah is revelation from Allah ta’ala because Allah has shown us that the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) didn’t speak from himself. Rather his statements came from what Allah has revealed to him. And to this Allah has said: “And we sent down the reminder to you to make clear to the people what was revealed.” Also the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Verily I was given the Qur’an and something like it”. 

There are also many proofs from the Sunnah that it is revelation. One of the Hadeeths that clearly show this is as follows:

Imam Malik Ibn Anas said in his Muwatta : The book of the times of Salaat
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

He said : It was narrated to me from Yayha Ibn Yahya Al Laithi, on the authority of Malik Ibn Anas, on the authority of Ibn Shihab, That Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez delayed his prayer one day, urwah ibn zubair then entered and informed him that Mugheerah Ibn Shu,bah delayed his Salaat one day and he was in Kuufah, then Abu Mas’uud Al Ansari entered and said: What is this oh Mugheerah? Don’t you know that Jibreel was sent down and prayed, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam ) prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) prayed. Then he Prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet Salallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed. Then he said: This  is what I have been ordered to deliver. Then Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez said: Know what you are speaking about Oh Urwa, is it that Jibreel came and demonstrated to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) the times for Salaat? Urwa then said: This is what Basheer Ibn Abi Mas’uud Al Ansari Narrated to me from his father.

 

Bukhari  ( the book of the times of Salaat) Chapter : the times of salaat and its benfits. (This narration is more detailed)
Muslim (the book of Masjids and the places of Salaat) Chapter : the times for the 5 Salaat.
Benefits:
1) The realiance of the scholars of the past upon the chain of narration. Abdullah Ibn Mubarak said: “The chain of narrators is from the religion. And if there was no chain of narrators (by which the Qur’an and Sunnah were narrated by). The people would have said what they wanted to say.”
2)The fact that Jibreel was sent down by Allah to show the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) what times to pray.

3)The aformentioned fact, therefore, shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Sunnah isrevelation of Allah because the times for Salaat were not explained in the Qur’an in detail.

 

4)That Jibreel was ordered by Allah to demonstrate to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) the times for Salaat.

5)That the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) narrated to his companions from which Jibreel revealed to him.

6)The meaning of the verse: “And we sent down a rememberence to make clear to the people that which was sent to them” Surah Nahl verse 54. And the statement of Imam Ahmad: The Sunnah clarifies the Qur’an.

7)We must believe every single authentic statement or action narrated from the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam). And if it we were not to believe in his statements we would have no religion to practise.

The fact that the times for the Second most important pillar of Islam was revealed through the Sunnah. And as A Hadeeth narrates that the most loved action by Allah is Salaat at its legislated times.

 

9)That those who accept the Sunnah accept the practices of the deen and those who reject the Sunnah reject the religion.

10)Affirming the narration as Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez did in this Hadeeth.

Furthermore, the speech of the Salaf Us Salih affirm this matter.  Shaikh Muhammad Ali As Saayis said:

Imam Auza’ee narrated from Hassan Ibn Ateeyah: The revelation was sent to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and Angel Jibreel used to be present with the Sunnah which was used to explain the Qur’an, therefore whatever came from the Prophet (صلى الله علية و سلم) from his sayings, his actions or his permissions did not come except from revelation (Allah said) :” And he does not speak from desire. It is only a revelation unto him “.Secondly,  from the benefits of this verse is that the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is free from fault in terms of delivering the religion. However he is not totally free from being incorrect in an Ijtihad of his which is outside of revelation. And this is from the Hadeeth found in Saheeh Muslim: “Verily you know more about your Dunya”.

The Shaikh said: And Allah ordered us to put him as a judge in every single matter of our lives: (Allah said): “By your Lord you will not truly believe until you put him (Muhammad {Salallahu Alaihi wa Sallam} as a judge in everything they disagree in then they do not find within themselves any rancour withing their hearts for what you have judged by and they submit peacefully”.

Notes: The Muslim looks toward the Qur’an and Sunnah as a judge in every single matter.  And those who do not judge by these two evidences they are astray. Allah has said: “And whoever does not judge by which Allah has revealed then they are Kuffar” {This is with certain conditions, return to the book of Shaikh ibn Baaz called: The correct creed and what is opposite to it}. And in two other verses they are wrongdoers and sinners.  And also Allah said: “Do they desire the ruling of Jahileeyah? And who is better than Allah in ruling for people of certainty”. And Allah has said: “And the ruling is for Allah”. Also Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal explained that in 33 verses of the Qur’an Allah has said: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger”. 

And from the Sunnah. The Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “I left you with two things if you hold on to it you will never go astray, the book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger  (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam)”. And he said: “I left you upon clarity, the night of it is like the day of it, one does not go against it except he is destroyed”. And he said: “Upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs”.  

Neither Allah nor his Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam)  ordered the people to obey the Fiqh Madhab of Abu Haneefah, Imam Malik, Imam Ash Shafi’ee or Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. He didn’t say to follow the Hizb of Ikhwaan Al Muslimeen or Jama’ah At Tableegh or Sufi Tareeqah X. Rather he told us to follow the two revelations. Allah said: “Follow that which has been sent to you from Allah…”. 

The Shaikh said: And he warned us from conflicting it he said: “Let those who go against his orders be warned of a great trail or that a great punishment befall them”.

Notes:  In this Ayah Allah wans us from the disobidience of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam). And the great trail spoken about in this verse is Shirk according to Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. This is because if one rejects even some of the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) for the statement of someone else Allah would destroy him.

Part 3: Why follow the Salaf Us Salih?

The Shaikh said: And for this reason the first generations of Muslims were called the Salaf Us Salih.

Notes: Shaikh Ubailaan said about using the phrase Salaf Us Salih: A person being present in that period of time is not enough to make the ruling that he was upon the way of the Salaf if one was not going according to the book and the sunnah in his statements and actions, following it and not innovating, and for that reason pay attention to the fact that many of the scholars have specified that term in terms of its usage and therefore they say As Salaf Us Salih (pious predecessors).. and for this reason the word Salaf when used should not one refer to one being a predecessor in terms of time but rather it should refer to the Companions of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and their followers and those after them with the condition that they follow their methodology. 

The Shaikh said: And the Messenger of Allah and his companions and those who followed them in good are the Salaf of the Ummah, and everyone who calls toward what the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) called toward and his companions and those who followed them in goodness are the Salaf of this Ummah.And one that calls toward what the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions and their followers called toward is upon the Manhaj of the Salaf Us Salih.

Notes:  This shows that the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) was amongst the Salaf-Us-Salih and he was their Imam in terms of knowledge and implementation of the religion in every aspect. This also shows that those who came before us in Islam and practiced this religion with excellence from the Companions (Radiallaho anhum), the Tabi’een and those who follow them are also from those who we as Muslims should take example from as they are from the pious predecessors. Additionally, anyone who seeks knowledge, implements and calls toward what the Salaf Us Salih were upon are those who are upon the Methodology of the Companions (Radiallaho anhum). 

 The Shaikh said: And it is upon every Muslim to follow the book (Qur’an), the Authentic Sunnah returing to the understanding of the Salaf As Salih (Ridwanullahi Alaihim), Because they are more deserved to be followed because they were true in their Imaan, strong in their belief and sincer in their intentions.

Notes : The evidences of this are many. From them include the Hadeeth of the seperation of the Ummah. The Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “And my Ummah will seperate into 73 different groups all of them are in the fire except one”. They asked: Who are they O Messenger of Allah? He said: “They are upon what I am upon today and my companions”. 

Also there is the Hadeeth that is agreed upon where the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “The best of people are my generation then those who follow them then those who follow them”. As Shaikh Saleem Al Hilali pointed out that this shows the excellence of the Companions (Radiallaho anhum) because they were the best after the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) in practicing Islam.  And to add to this Abdullah Ibn Mas’uud said: “They were the deepest in knowledge, had the purist of hearts and were least likely to go astray…”.

And another evidence of this is the fact that the Companions (Radiallaho anhum) were taught by the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) themselves. They heard his Khutbas, they took the recitation of Qur’an from him, they narrated Hadeeth which they heard directly from his mouth. Therefore how can we say that we as Muslims nowadays have a better Islam than they do when the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) was the one who taught the Companions (Radiallaho anhum) Islam?

The Shaikh said: And the Imam of the Salaf Us Salih was the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) who Allah ordered us to follow in his book with his statement: “Whatever the Messenger gives to you take it and whatever he prevents you from desist from doing it”.  And he is the best of examples and a righteous one to be followed, Allah has said: “There is for you in the Messenger of Allah the best of examples for whomsover wants to meet Allah and the last day and remembers Allah much”.  

Notes: This shows that the Imam of the Salaf was the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) meaning he was the Imam of the first three generations of Muslims (which included the four Imams themselves) and without exception he is the Imam of every single Muslim worldwide. Meaning that when the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) says something we must take it immediately even if it with the statements of some scholars. The Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is therefore the Imams of all Imams of Fiqh, Hadeeth, Behaviour etc.

Secondly we are obliged to follow the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) because of the statement of Allah where he said: “And whatever the Messenger gives you take it ….”. We were never obliged to follow a specific Imam in Fiqh or Hadeeth or to follow a Tareeqah except the Imam of all Imams who is the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam).

Thirdly, the Messenger of Allah (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is the best of examples in all aspects of life. Whether in worship, fiqh or behaviour. And that this example should be followed by us as Muslims in all aspects of life.