In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Counsels on Following the Book and Sunnah
Refer it to Allah and the Messenger means, 'refer it to the Book and Sunnah.' The Messenger of Allah, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'I bid you take care of that with which, if you hold to it firmly, you will never err: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.'If it pleases you to be well guided along the white road in which there is neither crookedness nor curvature, [Qur'an, Ta-Ha 20:107], then measure all your intentions, traits, acts, and words against the Book and Sunnah, then retain whatever conforms to them and abandon whatever does not. And always be cautious and follow the better alternative. Never innovate in religion, nor follow the ways of the non-believers, or else you will lose both this world and the hereafter, which thing is the manifest loss. Beware of novel things and invented opinions, for he has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Every addition is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.' And: 'Anyone who adds to this affair of ours what does not belong to it is to be rejected.
There are three kinds of innovations.
The first is a 'good innovation', which is that which the well-guided leaders have opined in conformity with the Book and Sunna, intending to choose that which is more beneficial, more useful, and finer, as tor example Abu Bakr's collection of the whole Qur'an into one volume, 'Umar's institution of military pensions and of the Taraweeh prayers, 'Uthman's arrangement of the Qur'an and institution of a first call to prayer on Friday, and 'All's rules for fighting heretical rebels. May Allah bestow His good pleasure upon the four Caliphs.
The second kind of innovation is one that is 'blameworthy only from the point of view of renunciation and contentment,' such as the excessive use of licit clothes, foodstuffs, and houses.
The third kind is the 'absolutely blameworthy innovation', which contradicts the provisions of the Book and Sunnah, or the consensus of the nation. Innovators have fallen into this very frequently with regards the principles [usul], but infrequently with regard to the branches [furu]. The one who does not adhere exceedingly to the Book and Sunnah, and does not do his utmost to emulate the Messenger, and then pretends that he has a certain degree before Allah the Exalted, should not be paid attention to, nor attended, even if he be able to fly in the air and walk on water, and have distances folded up and the laws of nature broken for him. This happens frequently to demons, magicians, soothsayers, talisman makers, astrologers, and others who are similarly in error. These can only be considered charisma karamat] and confirmation, and not enticements and delusion, when rectitude [istiqama] is present in the one in whom they appear. Such deceivers can only deceive the rabble and the base people who worship Allah while harboring doubts.
As for those endowed with reason and intelligence, they know full well that believers differ in their nearness to Allah according to the differences between them in following the Messenger, and the more complete the emulation, the more perfect the nearness to Allah, and the greater the gnosis of Him. Abu Yazid al-Bistaml once went to visit a man who was said to be a saint. He sat down waiting for him in a mosque, until the man came out and spat on the wall of the mosque, at which Abu Yazid went away without speaking to him. He said: 'How can one be entrusted with Allah's secrets who is not careful to maintain the courtesies of the Law?' Al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'All roads are blocked except to him who follows in the footsteps of the Messenger, may blessings and peace be upon him.' And Sahl ibn 'Abd-Allah [al-Tustari], may Allah have mercy on him, has said: 'There is no helper but Allah, no guide but the Messenger of Allah, no provision but taqwa, and no work but to have fortitude (patience) in these things.'
Know that not everyone is capable of independently evaluating all his affairs, outward and inward, against the Book and Sunnah, for only erudite scholars can do this. Should you ever find difficulty doing so, go to one of those to whom Allah commanded you have recourse in His saying (Exalted is He): So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know. [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:43]
The people of remembrance are those who have knowledge of Allah and His religion, practice what they know for His sake, have no desire for the world, are not distracted by commerce from His remembrance, [Qur'an, An-Nur 24:37], summon to Him clear-sightedly, [Qur'an, Yusuf 12:108], and to whom His secrets are unveiled. The presence of one such on the face of the earth has become so rare that some great men have even said that they no longer exist. The truth is that they do exist, but because of the unawareness of the elite and the turning away of the commonalty, Allah has hidden them under the cloak of His possessiveness and surrounded them with veils of obscurity. However, those who seek them with sincerity and zeal will not, by Allah's Will, fail to find one of them.
Sincerity is a sword that is never used against anything without cutting it. The earth is never without those who uphold the matter for Allah. And the Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'A group in my nation will always exist, victoriously defending the truth, unharmed by those who oppose them, until the command of Allah arrives.' These are the stars of the earth, the carriers of the Trust, the deputies of the Chosen One, and the heirs of the Prophets; Allah is well-pleased with them, and they are well-pleased with Him. Those are the party of Allah; indeed, the party of Allah are those who will succeed.[Qur'an, Al-Mujadila 58:22]
May Allah guide us to excellence and grant us perfect love for is beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and allow us to perfect our following of him. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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