Every Muslim desiring to return to Islam in its true sense, must grasp what the Prophet, upon whom be peace, and his Companions were upon, in all aspects of life. Only then can we move further towards establishing Islam as our way of life.
______________________________________________
And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you take it, and whatsoever he forbids you abstain from it. [al-Hashr (59):7]
__________________________________________
Below is excerpt from:http://www.sunnahonline.com/ilm/aqeedah/0057.htm
Linguistically and in the Shari'ah: An-nahju, al-manhaj and al-minhaj mean the clear and manifest way.
Allah the Most High says in the Glorious Qur'an:
To each among you we have prescribed a law and a minhaj [al-Ma'idah (5):48]
To each among you we have prescribed a law and a minhaj [al-Ma'idah (5):48]
Meaning a law and a way which is clearly explained. Indeed Allah, the Most High, prescribed for every nation a law and a clear way (a manhaj). Thus the people of the Taurat had a law and the people of the Injil had a law and the people of the Qur'an have a law.
These laws differ in their rules (ahkam) but are united in the tawhid of Allah (uniqueness of Allah) as
Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said:
"I am the most worthy person to 'Isa ibn Maryam in this world and the Hereafter. The Prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, and their Din is one. There is no prophet between 'Isa and myself."
"I am the most worthy person to 'Isa ibn Maryam in this world and the Hereafter. The Prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, and their Din is one. There is no prophet between 'Isa and myself."
[Reported by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, the Book of Prophets, chapter 'Remember the Book of Maryam', Muslim in his Sahih (no.2365), the Book of Merits, chapter 'Merits of 'Isa peace be upon him'. From the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him.]
The meaning of this is that they (the prophets) are united upon the fundamentals of uniqueness (tawhid) of Allah; as for the branches of (furu') of law and legislation, then differences occurred in them. Thus their laws are different.
Allah the Most High says:
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired to him that (say) There is none who has the right to be worshipped except I (Allah), so worship Me (alone and none else). [al-Anbiya' (21):25]
Also, the
Saying of Allah the Most High:
And verily, We have sent among every nation (Ummah) a Messenger proclaiming: Worship Allah alone and avoid the Taghut (all false deities). [an-Nahl (16):36]
And verily, We have sent among every nation (Ummah) a Messenger proclaiming: Worship Allah alone and avoid the Taghut (all false deities). [an-Nahl (16):36]
This is in respect of tawhid (oneness) of Allah, the One free from all defects. As for the laws, then they differed with respect to the commands and prohibitions.
Linguistic [2] and legal definition of the word Salaf
1) As-Salaf - That which has past and preceded. Hence it is said Salafa shai Salafah to mean something which has passed; Salafa fulanan Salafan to mean someone has preceded; as-salif - a predecessor; as-salaf - a group of predecessors, and as-salaf - a people who have preceded us in conduct.
Allah says:
So when they angered Us, We punished them, and drowned them all, and made them a precedent - Salafan (as a lesson for those coming after them) and an example to later generations. [az-Zukhruf (43):55-56]
That is "when they angered Us, We punished them, drowning them all making them a precedent," predecessors for those who do action like theirs, so that the people coming after them can take heed and warn others by their example.
2) As-Salaf: Every good deed that one does. It is said: Qad salaf lahu amal salih meaning, verily he has good deeds that have preceded him.
3) As-Salaf: Those who precede you, from amongst your forefathers and relatives, who may be older than you or better than you in merit [3]. The singular of this term is Salif.
Due to this the first generation (the Companions) were called as-Salaf as-Salih (the Pious Predecessors).
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his Companions and those that follow them in Ihsan [4] are the Salaf of this Ummah. [5]
Everyone who calls to what the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, his Companions and their successors called to, then he is upon the way of the Salaf as-Salih. It is obligatory upon all Muslims to follow the Noble Book (Qur'an) and the pure Sunnah, by going back to the understanding the Pious Predecessors (Salaf as-Salih), may Allah be pleased with them all. For verily they are the ones that deserve the most to be followed, as they were truthful in their faith, strong in their beliefs and sincere in their worship.
The leader (Imam) of the Salaf as-Salih is Allah's Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him, whom Allah has ordered us, in His Book (the Qur'an), to follow, in His saying:
And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you take it, and whatsoever he forbids you abstain from it. [al-Hashr (59):7]
The Prophet, peace be upon him, is a beautiful example, and a righteous model to be followed, Allah the Most High says:
Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) you have a good example to follow, for him who hopes in meeting Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much. [al-Ahzab (33):21]
The Prophet, peace be upon him, is the one who speaks by revelation sent to him from the heavens:
Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only an inspiration that is inspired.
[an-Najm (53):3-4]
Allah, the Most High, ordered that we judge by the Messenger, upon whom be peace, in all affairs in our life. Allah, the One free of all defects, says:
But no by your Lord, they can have no faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decision and accept them with full submission. [an-Nisa' (4):65]
Allah, the Most High, warned us about opposing the Prophet, peace be upon him, saying:
So let those who oppose the Messenger's commandments (i.e. his Sunnah) beware lest some fitnah (disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant, etc.) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them. [an-Nur (24):63]
The reference point of the Salaf, whenever they have a disagreement, is the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the Sunnah of the Messenger, upon whom be peace.
Allah, the Most High, says:
And if you differ in anything amongst yourselves refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination. [an-Nisa' (4):59]
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, is the conveyer (of news) from his Lord and the one who explains His Book. Allah the Most High says:
And We have sent down to you (Muhammad) the reminder and the advice (the Qur'an) that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them. [an-Nahl (16):44]
The Messenger, peace be upon him, said in a hadith:
"Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa', bite on to it with your molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for verily every innovation (bid'ah) is a going astray." [6]
The best of the Salaf after the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, are the Companions, who took their Religion (Din) from the Messenger, peace be upon him, with truthfulness and sincerity; just as Allah has described them in His Book when He said:
Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah and showed not their backs to the disbelievers, of them some have fulfilled their obligations and some of them are still waiting, but they never changed (i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allah) in the least. [al-Ahzab (33):23]
They are the ones who did righteous deeds, which Allah, the Most High, has mentioned in His Book, in His saying:
But righteousness is the quality of one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the relative, to the orphans and to the poor who beg and to the wayfarer and to those who ask and to set slaves free, and offers the prayer perfectly (iqamat-as-Salat), and gives the zakat (obligatory charity) and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during battles); such are the people of the truth and they are the pious. [al-Baqarah (2):177]
This verse is the verse which professes the truth with which the Companions have been described with.
The Book of Allah, the Most High, is their manual (dustur) and their law then the Sunnah after [7] the Book of Allah. The Sunnah is the most blessed of sources and the best of sciences, the most beneficial of all, in the Din and Dunyah (world), after the Book of Allah, the One free of all defects. It is like the meadows and gardens, you will find in it all goodness and righteousness. After the Sunnah, their manual is that which the Salaf of this Ummah and it's A'immah have agreed upon.
The Salaf as-Salih are also: The Best Generation, about which the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said in a hadith:
"The best of the people are my generation, then those after them, then those after them ... "
And he, peace be upon him, said:
" .. Then there will come a people giving witness when they are not asked to give witness. They will be dishonest and not be trusted. They will take vows but will not fulfill them. Fatness will appear amongst them." [8]
From their beliefs ...
Thus the fundamentals of the Religion (Usul ud-Din) which were adhered to by those that preceded from the leaders (a'immah) of the Din, the scholars of the Muslims and the Salaf as-Salih and what they called people to are:
That they believe in the Book and Sunnah; [9] the general and the detailed aspects of it. They attest to the oneness of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and attest to the Messengership of Muhammad, upon whom be peace.
They know their Lord by the attributes (sifat) that His revelation has spoken of, or are attested to by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, from that which is found in authentic ahadith, narrated from him by just and reliable narrators.
They affirm for Allah, the Most High, that which He affirmed for Himself in His Book, or upon the tongue of His Messenger, peace be upon him, without making Tashbih [10] (resembling) to His creation, without Tahrif (changing), without Tabdil and without Tamthil. [11]
Allah, the Most High, says:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the all Hearer, all Seer. [ash-Shura (42):11]
Imam az-Zuhri [12] said: "Upon Allah is the bayan (explaining), upon the Messenger is the balagh (conveying) and upon us is taslim (willingly accepting)." [This is reported by al-Bukhari in mu'allaq form (13/503), by Ibn Abi Asim in Kitab al-Adab and in Kitab az-Zuhd (71) and by Abu Nu'aym in Hilyah (3/179)]
Imam Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah [13] said: "All that Allah has described Himself with in His Book, then its tafsir (explanation) is its reciting and keeping silent about it."
Imam ash-Shafi'i [14] said: "I believe in Allah, and that which has come from Allah, upon the intended meaning of Allah. I believe in the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and that which has come from the Messenger of Allah upon the intended meaning of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him."
The Salaf and leaders of the khalaf (those later generations after the Salaf) many Allah be pleased with them, proceeded along this way. They are all agreed upon, affirming, asserting and confirming that which is found in the Book of Allah, the Most High, and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace be upon him, regarding Allah's attribtutes without subjecting them to interpretation (ta'wil).
Verily we have been ordered to follow their way and to be guided by their light. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has warned us of newly invented matters, and informed us that they are from misguidance. He said in a hadith:
"Adhere to my Sunnah (way) and the the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa'. Bite on to it with your molar teeth, and beware of newly invented matters, for verily every bid'ah (innovation) is a going astray."
Its reference (takhrij) has preceded. (see footnote no. 6).
'Abdullah bin Mas'ud [15] radiallahu 'anhuma said: "Follow and do not innovate for verily you have been sufficed."
'Abdullah bin Mas'ud [15] radiallahu 'anhuma said: "Follow and do not innovate for verily you have been sufficed."
'Umar bin 'Abdul-'Aziz [16] said: "Do not go beyond where they stopped. For verily they stopped upon knowledge and with a perceiving view sufficed."
Imam al-Awza'i [17] said: "Stick to the footsteps of the Salaf, even if people abandon you. Beware of the views of men, even if they beautify it for you with words."
From the 'aqidah [18] (beliefs) of the Salaf as-Salih is their saying: Iman is a saying of the tongue, an action by the limbs and a strong belief in the heart. Iman increases with obedience to Allah and decreases with disobedience to Allah.
From the beliefs of the Salaf is that good and evil is by the Qada (decree) of Allah the Most High and His Qadr (pre-estimation). However evil is not ordered by Allah, as some of them say: "All of it is ordered by Allah," since Allah has ordered good and prohibited evil. He did not order us with abominable acts, indeed He prohibited us from them. The human is not forced, he chooses his acts and beliefs. He deserves punishment or reward, depending upon his choice and he is the chooser in (doing or leaving) the ordered and prohibited things.
Allah, the Most High, says:
Then whosoever wills let him believe, and whosoever wills let him disbelieve.
[al-Kahf (18):29]
From the beliefs of the Salaf is that they do not make takfir [19] of anyone of the Muslim due to a sin, even if it is from the major sins. Except if he denies (rejects) a thing that is known in the religion by necessity and is known by the scholars as well as the generality of people, and is based firmly upon the Book and the Sunnah and Consensus (Ijma') of the Salaf of this Ummah and its leader.
From the beliefs of the Salaf as-Salih is that they worship Allah, the Most High, and do not associate anything with Him. Thus they do not ask any one except Allah, the Most High, of a need no one else can satisfy. They do not seek help (in which no one can help) from anyone except Allah, the One free of all defects. They do not call upon anyone for aid (for an immediate need that no one can fulfil) except upon Allah. They do not make tawassul (seeking nearness) to Allah except by obeying Him, worshipping Him and doing good / righteous deeds.
This being taken from His saying:
O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah and fear Him, seek the means of approach to Him. [al-Ma'idah (5):35]
That is, draw close to Allah by obedience to Him and by worship of Him.
From the beliefs of the Salaf as-Salih is that Prayer (Salat) behind all righteous people and sinners is permissible if the external nature of the prayer is correct. [20]
We do not certify with certainty for anyone, whoever he may be, of being in Paradise or in Hell; except whoever the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, testified for. However we hope Paradise for the righteous and fear Hell for the sinful.
We testify for the ten people given the glad tidings of Jannah (Paradise), that they will be in Jannah (Paradise); just as the Prophet, peace be upon him, testified this for them. We testify, as being in Jannah, for everyone that the Prophet, peace be upon him, testifies this for them. This is because the Prophet does not speak of his own desire. Indeed it is nothing but revelation revealed to him.
We take the Companions of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, as awliya (friends). We refrain from showing their defects [21] and that which happened between them. Their affair is with their Lord. We do not abuse anyone of the Companions. This is taken from the Prophet's, upon whom be peace, saying:
"Let none of you abuse (slander) my Companions. For by Him in whose Hand is my life, if one of you spent (in the way of Allah) the equivalent of mount Uhud in gold it would not reach a handful nor half a handful of what they spent" [22]
The Companions are not infallible from error. Infallibility is for Allah, the Most High, and for His Messenger, peace be upon him, in conveying the message. Allah, the Most High, has protected the collective Ummah from mistakes (and not individuals) as the Prophet, upon whom be peace, said:
"Indeed Allah will never unite this Ummah upon misguidance and the Hand of Allah is upon the Jama'ah." [23]
We are pleased with the wives of the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, they are the mothers of the believers and we believe that they are pure and innocent from all evil.
From the beliefs of the Pious Predecessors is that they do not make it obligatory upon any Muslim to restrict himself to a specific madhhab. [24] He can move from one madhhab to another, due to the strength of the evidence (in a particular point). The layman has no madhhab. Rather his madhhab is the madhhab of his mufti (scholar who gives religious verdicts). [25] If a student of knowledge (talibul-'ilm) has the ability to recognise the proofs and evidences of the Imams, he should act by it, moving from a madhhab of an Imam, in any issue, to the madhhab of another Imam, due to the strength of the evidence, and the more correct understanding, in an issue. Thus he becomes a muttabi' (a follower) and not a mujtahid. [A mujtahid is one who is qualified to extract rulings from the Qur'an and Sunnah, i.e. do Ijtihad. (Translator)] For indeed Ijtihad is the extracting of Islamic rulings from the Book and Sunnah, as the four Imams and others Imams of the fiqh (jurisprudence) and the muhaddithun (scholars of hadith) have done.
From the beliefs of the Salaf as-Salih is that the four Companions: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman and 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, are the rightly guided Khulafa' and with them existed the Khilafatun-Nabuwwah (Khilafah upon the Prophetic Way) lasting for thirty years including the Khilafah (ruling period) of Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him. This is taken from the saying of the Prophet, upon whom be peace:
"The Khilafah in my Ummah is for thirty years then after it is kingship." [26]
From the beliefs of the Salaf as-Salih is that it is obligatory to have iman (faith) in all that the Qur'an has come with, and what Allah, the Most High, has ordered us with, and leaving all that Allah, the Most High, has prohibited us from, the general and the detailed. We believe in all that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has informed us of, when its transmission from him is authentic, in that which we witness or do not witness, regardless of whether we comprehend it, or are ignorant of it or we have not come across the reality of its meaning.
We carry out the orders of Allah, the Most High, and the orders of his Messenger, upon whom be peace. We refrain from what Allah, the Most High, has prohibited us from and what the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prohibited us from. We stop at the hudud (boundaries) of the Book of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and that which has come from the rightly guided Khulafa. Our duty is to ittiba' (following) of that which the Prophet, peace be upon him, has come with: from beliefs, actions and sayings, to follow the way of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, and the four rightly guided Khulafa', in their beliefs, actions and sayings. This is the complete Sunnah, as the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafa' is adhered to like the following of the Prophetic Sunnah.
'Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Aziz said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the leaders of the Muslims after him set examples (Sunnah), the taking of which is holding on to the Book of Allah, the Most High, and strength upon the Din of Allah. It is not for any one to change or alter it, nor to look at a matter in opposition to it. Whoever is guided by it then he is truly guide, and whoever seeks help by it then he is truly helped. Whoever leaves it and follows a way other than the way of the believers, Allah will turn him to what he has chosen and burn him in hell what an evil abode!"
This is confirmed by the saying of Allah's Messenger, upon whom be peace:
" ... and beware of newly invented matters, for verily every bid'ah is a going astray."
This hadith is a great principle from the principles of the Din and it resembles another saying of the Prophet, upon whom be peace:
"Whoever invents into this Din of ours that which is not from it, then it is rejected." [27]
In it is a warning from following newly invented matters in the Din and worship. The meaning of bid'ah is that which has been invented and has no root in the Shari'ah pointing to it. As for what has a root in the Shari'ah pointing to it then it is not legally (technically) a bid'ah; even though linguistically the term bid'ah is may be applied to it. Thus whenever something new is introduced into the Din, having no root (in the Din) to return it to, then it is misguidance - deviation. The Din is free of it, regardless of whether it is connected to issues of belief, actions or sayings.
As for the istihsan (approval and condoning) of bid'ah, which occurred in the words of the Salaf, then that is in relation to bid'ah al-logawi (linguistic use of bid'ah) and not in the legal (technical) use of the term bid'ah. From these sayings is the saying of 'Umar bin al-Khattab, when he gathered the people in Qiyam-ur-Ramadan - Tarawih prayers - behind one Imam in the masjid. He went out and say them praying and said: "What a wonderful bid'ah."
This has a root in the Shari'ah. Verily the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prayed it (this prayer) in congregation in the masjid and then left it, fearing that it might become obligatory upon his Ummah and that they would be unable to perform it. Indeed they became free of this fear after the death of the Prophet, peace be upon him. So 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, revived it. As for that which is a matter confirmed, in worship, then it is not permissible to make additions to it.
So, for example the adhan, remains the form in which it was legislated, without addition or subtraction. The Prayer remains upon the manner it was legislated as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Pray as you have seen me praying."
This is an authentic hadith, reported by al-Bukhari in his Sahih.
Hajj remains upon the manner in which it was legislated, because the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"Take from me your rites (of Hajj)." [Reported by Muslim (no.1297) in the Book of Hajj]
Indeed the Muslims have done things that were not present in the time of the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be peace, due to them being darurah (necessities) in preserving Islam. Indeed they have permitted it and kept quiet about it. Like the gathering of the people to one mushaf (that which the Qur'an is written upon), by 'Uthman ibn 'Affan, may Allah be pleased with him, fearing the splitting of the Ummah. Indeed it was approved of by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, and that was for a maslaha (benefit).
The example of writing down Prophetic traditions (hadith) fearing its loss due to the death of its people. The writing of tafsir of the Qur'an and the Hadith. The compilation of 'Ilm-an-Nahw (science of grammar) to safeguard the Arabic language, which is a means of understanding Islam. The formation of 'Ilm-al-Mustalah (science of hadith). Thus, there are permissible to safeguard the Islamic Shari'ah. Verily Allah, the Most High, has taken the responsibility of safeguarding His Law - from His saying:
Indeed it is We who have sent down the Dhikr (Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption). [al-Hijr (15):9]
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"This ilm (Din) will be carried by the trustworthy ones of each generation. Negating from it the tahrif (alterations) of the ones going beyond bounds, the false assumptions of the liars, and the ta'wil (false interpretations) of the ignorant."
This hadith is hasan due to all its chains and shawahids (supporting narrations).
This is the belief ('aqidah) - of the first group of this Ummah (i.e. the Companions), may Allah be pleased with them, and it is a pure belief like the purity of fresh drinking water, strong as the firmly fixed mountains, firm as the firmed of hand holds. It is a flawless 'Aqidah, a straight way, upon the methodology of the Book ad the Sunnah and the sayings of the Salaf of this Ummah and its A'immah (leaders). It is the way which revived the hearts of the pioneers of this Ummah.
It is 'Aqidah of the Salaf as-Salih, Firqatun-Najiyah (saved sect) Ahl-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. It is the 'Aqidah of the four Imams [28] - the founders of the well known and followed madhhabs and of most of their followers. It is the 'Aqidah of the generality of the fuqaha, the muhaddithin, the scholars that act on what they know, and those that traverse along their way, to this day and until the Day of the Judgement.
Indeed the ones that differed are the ones that altered their (the Imams') sayings, from amongst those of the later generations (muta'akhirin) who ascribe to their madhhabs.
So our duty is to return, with a pure 'Aqidah, to the fountain which the best of our Pious Predecessors drank from. To keep quiet about that which they kept quiet about, to perform our 'Ibadah (worship) the way they performed their worship, to adhere to the Book and Sunnah, the ijma of the Salaf of this Ummah and its A'immah, and the correct qiyas in new matters.
Imam an-Nawawi rahimahullah, said in al-Adhkar. [In p137 of my (Shaykh Abdul Qadir's) checking of al-Adhkar in the book of Janaza, chapter 'What one who is walking with the Janaza says.']
" ... and know that the selected, correct way is that which the Salaf as-Salih were upon, and that is the truth. Do not be fooled by the large number that oppose it. For indeed Abu 'Ali Fudayl bin 'Iyad said (the meaning of which it): "Stick to the ways of guidance and you will not be harmed by the smallness of numbers that follow it. Beware of the ways of misguidance and do not be fooled by the multitude of the ones that will be destroyed."
" ... and know that the selected, correct way is that which the Salaf as-Salih were upon, and that is the truth. Do not be fooled by the large number that oppose it. For indeed Abu 'Ali Fudayl bin 'Iyad said (the meaning of which it): "Stick to the ways of guidance and you will not be harmed by the smallness of numbers that follow it. Beware of the ways of misguidance and do not be fooled by the multitude of the ones that will be destroyed."
This is the only way that will reform the rest of the Ummah.
Imam Malik bin Anas rahimahullah, the scholar of Madinah spoke the truth when he said:
"The latter part of the Ummah will never be reformed except by that which reformed the former part."
Never will good disappear from this Ummah, because the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said in a hadith:
"There will not cease to be a group from my Ummah manifestly upon the Haqq (Truth). The ones that abandon them will not harm them, until the Order of Allah comes and they are like that (upon the Truth)." [29]
The Prophet, peace be upon him, further said:
"The example of my Ummah is like of rain. It is not known whether the initial part (of the rain) is good or the latter part." [30] This is an authentic hadith.
Indeed the 'Aqidah of the Salaf as-Salih has been stipulated by a great many of the scholars.
[31] From them, Abu Ja'far at-Tahawi, [32] and his 'Aqidah has been explained by Ibn Abil-'Izz al-Hanafi [33] one of the students of Ibn Kathir al-Dimishqi naming Sharh al-'Aqidah at-Tahawiyyah and, from them is Abul-Hasan al-Ash'ari, [34] in his book al-Ibanah 'an Usul ad-Diyanah. This being the 'Aqidah which he finally settled upon. He said: " ... our saying, which we state, the Din which we profess belief in, is adherence to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of our Prophet, peace be upon him, and that which is related from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, the Tabi'un and Imams of hadith, we cling on to this, and we say that which Abu 'Abdullah Ahmad bin Hanbal used to say and distance ourselves from ones that opposed his sayings."
From those that wrote about the 'Aqidah of the Salaf as-Salih is as-Sabuni [35] in his book Aqidat-us-Salaf and Muwaffiq-ud-Din ibn Qudamah al-Maqdasi al-Hanbali [36] in his book Luma'tul 'Itiqad al-Hadi ila Sabil ar-Rashad, and other glorious scholars, may Allah reward them with good.
We ask Allah to guide us to the pure 'Aqidah (beliefs) and to a pure and clean heart, we ask for virtuous and pleasing manners, and to give us life as Muslims and to take our life while being upon the Shari'ah of our Prophet, Muhammad, upon whom be peace.
O Allah let us die as Muslims as make us meet the Salihin (righteous) without being disgraced or tried. Forgive us, our parents, and the believers on the Day of Judgement. We ask Allah for inspiration to the correctness of sayings and actions. Indeed He is all powerful over all things and the most worthy of answering calls, and our final du'a is, all praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.
No comments:
Post a Comment