بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

Abul-Husayn Muhammad ibn Abi Ya’laa said: Al-Mubaarak informed us, saying: ‘Abdul-’Azeez al-Azjee informed us, saying: Abu Bakr al-Mufeed narrated to us: Al-Hasan ibn Ismaa’eel ar-Rah’iyy narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the Imaam of Ahlus-Sunnah, the one showing patience at the time of severe trial, said to me:

“Ninety men from among the Taabi’een, the scholars of the Muslims and of the Salaf and the Jurists of the various cities 95 are [unanimously] agreed that the Sunnah upon which the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم died is:

1 – The first: Being pleased and content with the Qadaa (Ordainment) of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and submitting to His command, having patience upon His ruling, taking that which He has commanded and refraining from that which He has forbidden.

2. Having faith in Qadar, its good and its evil.

3. Abandoning quarrelling and argumentation in the religion.

4. Wiping of the khuffs [leather socks] [1]

5. Participating in jihaad with every khaleefah., whether righteous or sinful.

6. Performing [funeral] prayer over whomever dies from the people of the qiblah

7. That faith consists of speech and action, it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

8. That the Qur’aan is the Speech of Allaah [which was] revealed upon the heart of His Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم It is not created, in whatever fashion it is recited or rehearsed.

9. Having patience under the banner of the one in authority, in whatever condition he may be in, just or unjust.

10. That we do not set out [in revolt] against the Rulers with the sword, even if they are unjust and oppressive.

11. That we do not declare anyone from among the people of Tawheed a disbeliever even if they commit the major sins.

12. Refraining from [talking about] whatever occurred between the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم

13. That the best of mankind after the Messenger of Allaah are: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, and ‘Ali, the nephew of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم.

14. Asking for Allaah’s mercy for all of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه و سلم, and also for his offspring, his wives and his kinship through marriage, may the pleasure of Allaah be upon them all.

This is the Sunnah – stick fast to it and you will be safe. Taking it is guidance and abandoning it is going astray.” [Usul us-Sunnah pg45]

[1] Abu Bakr al-Marrudhi said, “I heard Abu ‘Abdullaah (i.e., Imaam Ahmad) and he had been asked about a people who do not agree to wiping over the khuffs say, ‘They are Khawaarij people from the Ibaadis,” reported in Sharh I’tiqaad Ahmad, pp. 7-8. And Sufyaan ath- Thawri said in the ‘I’tiqaad’ he wrote down for Shu’ayb ibn Barb, “O’ Shu’ayb ibn Barb, what I have written down for you will not benefit you unless you hold that wiping over the khuffs and not removing them is better in your view than washing your feet,” reported in Usoolil-l’tiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah of al-Laalikaa’ee, 1/152. Then this matter was included by the scholars amongst the matters of ‘aqeedah as a further mark of distinction between the people of the Sunnah and the innovators, from the Khawaarij and the Raafidah, who denied this sunnah.

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم

This ayah specifically refers to the People of the Book as is understood from the context of the verse. But it can be used by us to derive some important points.

Points of Benefit:

1)We learn from this ayah that the first and foremost thing Allah سبحانه و تعالى commanded His slaves was sincerity in worshiping Him.

2)The first part of the ayah is similar to the third ayah in Surat ul-Baqarah,

In the first verse, Allah سبحانه و تعالى says that He did not command the people anything except to worship Him sincerely. And in the second one, Allah سبحانه و تعالى describes the people of Taqwa with the same characteristics in the very same order. Because having the correct belief in the Unseen is devoting worship to Allah alone. It is as if Allah سبحانه و تعالى commanded the people to become Muttaqin.

3) We also learn that sincerity is the first of the worship and it is a prerequisite for doing other acts of worship. This verse is also similar to the last verse in Surat ul-Kahf:

The ayah mentioned on the top contains the righteous acts and also contains the command to not commit shirk.

4)The root word of hunafaa’ is haa’-noon-faa’ which linguistically means an inclination towards right religion. A haneef is the one who is inclined towards God and inclined away from [false deities] so considered upright.[2] In tafsir, this word has been given six meanings:

a)Followers (of the true religion)

b)The steadfast people said Muhammad Ibnu Ka’b رحمه الله

c)Sincere people said Khusif رحمه الله

d)The Muslims said adh-Dhahhaak رحمه الله

e)The Hujjaaj (i.e. the ones who have performed al-Hajj) said Ibnu ‘Abbas رضي الله عنهم And al-‘Atiyah al-‘Awfi رحمه الله said, “If al-Hanif and al-Muslim are used together, then al-Hanif means the one who has performed al-Hajj. But if al-Hanif is singled out then its meaning is al-Muslim.” And Sa’id Ibnu Jubayr رحمه الله said, “The Arabs would not name al-Hanif to except the one who did al-Hajj and was circumcised.”

f)They are the believers in all the Messengers said Abu Qulaabah رحمه الله3]

5)In the end, we also understand that for a religion to be correct, it needs to have these characteristics: a) Commandment of abstinence from polytheism b) Commandment of establishment of as-Salaah c) Commandment of giving Zakaah or charity.

And indeed Allah سبحانه و تعالى knows best

[1] Surat ul-Bayyinah:5

[2] HdO Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’anic Usage

[3] An-Nakat wal-‘Uyun by al-Imam al-Mawardi

In a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah , the Messenger of Allah said,

“There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah , the Mighty and Majestic; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; two men who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: ‘I fear Allah ‘, a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.”[1]

we will go through the meaning of the hadith as understood by our Salaf us-Saaliheen phrase by phrase and will remove the misconceptions regarding the hadith held by many of our Muslim brothers and sisters.

“There are seven…”
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar writes, “Apparently it is specifying the people who remember (Allah ) with the reward of the one who remembers (Him). Al-Kirmani refers to that with what is gained by the obedience (of ?) whether it is between the slave and His Lord or between him and the creation. And first of that is by the tongue and it is dhikr or with the heart and that is attachment to the mosque or with the body and that is growing up in worship (of Allah ). Second is general and it is the just person or specific with the heart and that is the mutual love or with the wealth and that is charity or with the body and that is chastity.”[2]

“…in His Shade…”
Al-Qaadhi ‘Iyaadh said, “And the meaning here is the shade of the throne (of Allah ).”[3] “And it is proven by a hadith (of) Salman from Sa’id bin Mansur with a good chain of narration , “There are seven whom Allah will shade in Shade of His throne.”[4]

Because of the Day of Judgement, the sun will be brought near the people’s heads so much so that they start sweating. Some will sweat until their ankles, some their shoulders whilst others will be totally immersed in their sweat and this will be according to the actions. That Day, there will be no shade except the Shade of the throne of Allah . Ibn Dinar said, “And the intended meaning of this Shade is dignity, protection and avoidance form disliked things in that situation.”[5]

More to come soon

And Allah knows best
[1]Sahih ul-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim

[2] Fath ul-Baari sharh Sahih ul-Bukhari

[3]Sahih Muslim bi sharh an-Nawawi

[4] Fath ul-Baari sharh Sahih ul-Bukhari

BismiLlah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

The additional text in italics after each point is a summary of the words of Ibn Taymiyyah in his Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa

1. Everything which is in accord with the Book and the Authentic Sunnah is accepted by them and everything which is in opposition to it is treated as false by them.

The first thing which distinguishes the Ahl us-Sunnah wal- Jamaa’ah from all those besides them is the methodology with which they acquire their sciences (of the Deen) and the source of the Truth from which they derive their beliefs, concepts, acions of worship, dealings (with the people), their mode of conduct and their manners. The source of Knowledge and Truth in all the various branches of knowledge with the Ahl us-Sunnah is the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) . No words other than the words of Allaah come first and no guidance other that the guidance of the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) comes first.

2. There is no one who is free from making mistakes (in the Deen) except the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam).

The Ahl us-Sunnah do not regard anyone as being safe from error as regards the Deen except the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) . The scholars are not free from making mistakes but rather the words of everyone can either be accepted or rejected except those of the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) . Therefore the words and statements of the scholars of the Ahl us-Sunnah by necessity follow or are in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and do not precede or go ahead of it.

3. The Ijmaa’ (concensus) of the Salaf us-Saalih (Pious Predecessors) is regarded as a Sharee’ah proof which is necessary to hold on to for those who come after them.

And the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah believe that the most knowledgeable of the creation as regards the Deen of Allaah after the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) are the Companions (ra) and the Salaf us-Saalih. Whatever they united/agreed upon from any of the affairs or matters of the Deen is free from being wrong and it is not [permissible] for anyone to leave it. Their Ijmaa is a Sharee’ah proof which it is obligatory to hold on to for those who come after them. All those who stick to their Ijmaa are [therefore] those who adhere strictly to their Jamaa’ah (group).

4. They do not accept or affirm any speech or Ijtihaad (Jurisprudence) except after having thrown it against these three sources: The Book, the Authentic Sunnah and Ijmaa’ of the Salaf.

The Ahl us-Sunnah hold on to the [Sunnah] which the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with and adhere to the [Jamaa'ah] of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and they are the Companions (ra) and whoever follows their way and adopts their methodology. They do not accept any Ijtihaad or any speech regardless of whom it comes from except after having referred it to the Book, the Authentic Sunnah and the Ijmaa of the Salaf.

5. They do not contradict the Qur’aan or the Sunnah with their ‘Aql (Intellect) or opinions or analogies.

And (therefore) the Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah do not rely upon, follow or cling except to the knowledge and the practise of the Salaf us-Saalih and whoever takes from them, sticks to their jamaa’ah and travels upon their trail and binds (and restricts) himself to their principles/foundations. And this is because the Companions (ra) learnt the tafseer (explanation) of the Qur’an and the Hadeeth from the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) , then taught it to the Taabi’een but did not put themselves before Allaah and His Messenger with an opinion, ones taste, ones intellect, sudden enlightenment (like that of the soofees) or other such things.

6. The Jamaa’ah (The Group that is united upon the Truth, which the Messenger (sallallaahu-alaihi-wasallam) came with, in terms of speech and action) is the means of Deliverance in this life and in the Hereafter.

The Ahl us-Sunnah therefore, hold fast to the Jamaa’ah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) turning away from the places of separation and difference, clinging tightly to the totality of the Book, the Sunnah and Ijmaa (unanimous agreement of the companions), whilst being far from the places of obscurity and unclarity (in the Book and the Sunnah) which separates and divides the united. And (this is because) the Jamaa’ah in (their estimation) is the means of Deliverance in this life and the Hereafter.

7. They do not make obligatory the acquaintance with a particular type of knowledge upon he who is incapable and which is befitting for the capable person only.

And the Ahl us-Sunnah believe in what the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with in its entirety, however, they differentiate between the one who is capable and the one who is not with regards to knowing what the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came with in a detailed way. And this is a mighty principle: many trials have befallen (the Ummah) due to absence of its understanding.

Peace and Blessings upon the Messenger of Allaah, upon his Companions (ra) and all those who follow in their footsteps until the Day of Resurrection.