Sharhu Sunnah : Lesson 12 : Point 08
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
The author Imam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said,
And know, may Allaah have mercy upon you, that a person’s Islaam will not be complete until he is one who follows, one who attests and one who submits (to the Book and the Sunnah). So whoever claims that there remains anything from Islaam not sufficiently explained by the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam then he has lied against them. And this is sufficient for a person as a separation from them, and as an attack upon them. So he is an innovator, astray, leading others astray, introducing into Islaam that which is not from it.
The Explanation (Transcription of above Audio):
This is a completion of the previous speech. So his saying, “A person’s Islaam will not be complete until he is one who is a follower (of the Book and the Sunnah), one who attests to it, one who submits to it.” He is one who follows, not one who innovates. He should be one who believes and attests to the Truth, not one who has doubts and is uncertain. “One who submits” meaning one who submits to the Book and the Sunnah, because these matters require submission. They are not matters were argumentation is acceptable. So we submit to Allaah and to his Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and we do not argue about this matter, or we do not give our own opinion, as they say, along with the Speech of Allaah and the speech of His Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.
His saying, “So whoever claims that anything remains from the affair of Islaam which the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam have not sufficed us with regard to (not sufficiently explained to us) then he has lied against them.” Meaning whoever claims that the Companions fell short in clearly explaining and in clarifying and in conveying it to the people from the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and claims that he has scope to speak or to add something, then he intends evil for the people. Because the Companions radiyAllaahu`anhum did not leave anything from that which they heard from the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam or anything which they saw from him except that they conveyed it to the nation faithfully; and they made it clear to the nation.
And therefore for this reason the tafseer (explanation of the Qur’aan) of the Companions is given precedence over the tafseer of anyone after them. Because they were the students of the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and they heard the Qur’aan from him sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and they heard the ahaadeeth (his sayings) from him and they heard the explanation of the Qur’aan from him, and they saw his sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam actions and they conveyed that faithfully. So they did not leave out anything at all.
So whoever claims that they fell short and left something out that they did not convey then he is a liar and an inventor of falsehood. He is astray/misguided, leading others astray, trying to cause the people to have doubts of the Religion of Allaah and about its carriers from the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger, sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. And he is acting treacherously towards the Companions, as is the way with the people of innovation. They betray the Companions and make false accusations against them in order to remove the intermediary link between us and between Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. So it is obligatory to beware of those people and that we should know the true worth of the Companions and their status radiyAllaahu `anhum.
Where did this Qur’aan come to us from? And these ahaadeeth (sayings of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and this fiqh (knowledge of the Religion). It did not come except through them taking it and carrying it from the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. They are the ones who carried it to us and they narrated it to us completely, each one in accordance with the amount which Allaah gifted him with and each one in accordance with his own ability. They did not leave anything from the Religion of Allaah except that they conveyed it just as they took it from Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. And they are fully trustworthy because Allaah chose them to be Companions of His Prophet and to take from him and to narrate from him. Allaah chose them for that, and then people come along and accuse them of falling short or accuse them of having deficiency. No one says this except one who is astray, trying to lead other people astray. He wants to cut off the link of this nation with the Companions of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and therefore to cut off their link with Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. We were not present at the gatherings of the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam and we didn’t hear him; and between us and him there are many centuries. So the honourable Companions radiyAllaahu`anhum, they are the ones who conveyed to us from the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam. So the status of the Companions in the Religion is a tremendous status and they cannot be accused of having concealed anything or having hidden anything, and of not bringing it out openly.
His saying, “Then he is an innovator. He is astray, leading others astray, introducing into Islaam that which is not from it.” This is his intent, to introduce into Islaam that which is not from it, and he will not be able to do this unless he makes attacks upon the Companions and he betrays them and lies against them. Then he will be able to bring things from himself and say, “This is the religion which it is obligatory for us to proceed upon.” This is their goal in lying against the Companions and in betraying them and in belittling them. So that they can take the opportunity to establish for the people a religion from themselves, and in accordance with their intellects and their opinions; and so that we should take from shaykhs of misguidance and imaams of misguidance; those who change the Sunnah of the Messenger, sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam by lying/falsehood and who falsely bring about shaykhs and chains [01] from themselves in contradiction to sources of Islaam. This is something which is clear, which is present in what they pass on and in their thinking.
However, and all praise is for Allaah, any misguidance which may persist with them is surrounded and restricted and is exposed by the light of the truth and the light of revelation. These expose the many lies which they are guilty of and which are written in their books. [02]
Footnotes:
[01] Editor’s note: meaning chains of narration
[02] Translator’s side point: Shaykh Saalih ibn Sa`d as-Suhaymee hafizahullaah said in his taped explanation,
“It is related from Imaam Maalik, rahimahullaah ta`aalaa, that he used to say, ‘Whoever introduces an innovation into the Religion, thinking that it is something good, then he has claimed that Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam betrayed his duty to convey the Message, because Allaah, the Most High, says:
This day have I completed your Religion for you, and perfected My favour upon you, and am pleased with Islaam as your Religion.’ (Sooratul-Maa·idah (5), aayah 3)
Shaykh as-Suhaymee said, “Refer for the references of this report to al-I`tisaam of ash-Shaatibee, alBida` of Ibn Waddaah, Sharh Usool `Itiqaad Ahlis-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah of al-Laalikaa·ee.
And it is related from Imaam ash-Shaafi`ee rahimahullaah that he said, ‘Whoever sanctions an action as being something good then he has legislated (brought about Islaamic legislation).’ Meaning: whoever holds something to be good from himself, and introduces it into the Religion as an innovation, then he has set himself up as one who can legislate besides Allaah.
And Imaam Maalik rahimahullaah also said when a man came to him and said, ‘O Aboo `Abdillaah! Where should I enter the state of ihraam from?’ (the state which you enter when you want to perform `Umrah or Hajj) So he replied, ‘You enter the state of ihraam from Thul-Hulayfah, from the place where Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam entered the state of ihraam.’ (Imaam Maalik was the Imaam of Madeenah, and the man who was asking him in the city of Madeenah) So then the man said, ‘But I want to enter the state of ihraam from Madeenah itself, from the vicinity of the grave.’ So Imaam Maalik said, ‘But I fear for you fitnah (evil, tribulation).’ The man said, ‘And what fitnah can there be? It’s just some miles which I’m adding.’ So Imaam Maalik said, ‘I fear for you fitnah, because Allaah, the Most High says:
So let those who contradict the command of the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam beware, lest a fitnah (trial/tribulation) befall them or a painful punishment.’ (Sooratun-Noor (24), aayah 63)
Shaykh as-Suhaymee said, “So the affair is dangerous; that a person introduces innovation into the Religion. He is dangerous, and introduces that which is not from it. The affair is at the limit of danger.”
Transcribed by Fawad Abu Zaid Al Afghaani. Download PDF of Lesson 12
Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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