Indeed all the Praise is for Allaah. We praise Him and we seek His Aid and we seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil that resides within our souls and from the consequences of our own evil actions. Whosoever Allaah Guides, there is none that can misguide him and whosoever Allaah Misguides, there is none to guide him aright. And I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, who is One without any partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is the servant and Messenger of Allaah. Indeed the best speech is the speech of Allaah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. And the worst of all matters in the religion are the newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray, and every going astray is in the hellfire.
It has been authentically narrated from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam that he said, “Islaam began as something strange and it shall return to being something strange just as it began so at-tooba is for the strangers.”
This hadeeth is magnificent. In it, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, informs that at the inception of al-Islaam, and its early stages, it began as being something extremely strange due to the small number of its followers, and the small number of its helpers, and the small number of those who established it. Then, Allaah established al-Islaam and increased its followers and they spread throughout the earth and they had strength and domination; however, due to an affair which Allaah wills from the perspective of tests, the strangeness will return.
And the followers of the truth will be few, and its helpers will be few, and the opposers will increase. Likewise, will increase those who forsake them and those who wage war against the truth with which the Prophet has come,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. That which is evident from the legislative texts is that the truth with which the Prophetsallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam came with is strange with the emergence of tribulations and when they become thick (???) [unintelligible/cut off].
The Salafus-Saalih, may Allah’s Pleasure be upon them, during the times of the Imaams of the Atbaa' at-Tabi’een and thereafter, embraced this strangeness and they cultivated their students upon it. So what do we say with regards to these later times? No doubt the strangeness therein is severe. This is because it is important from the establishment of The Hour. The Hour will not be established except upon the most wicked of the creation and it will not be established except upon a people who do not know anything from their religion except the statement “Allaah! Allaah!” This strangeness, as it relates to the followers of the truth, they are the foremost in knowing this matter. So they have no fear, nor any reservations or doubts regarding the truth which they traverse upon. So the individual who is a true Salafee traverses upon this clear path even if no one accompanies him. As Ibn Mas’ood, radiyallaahu 'anhu said, “The truth is the jamaa’ah even if you are alone.” So give glad tidings to the strangers, the People of Truth — those who cling to it and traverse upon it with the statement of Mustafa, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in this hadeeth. “Tooba is for them. At-Tooba is for the strangers.” At-Tooba is a supplication for entrance into Paradise and that they acquire the great reward with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and there is another glad tiding from the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, when he said, “There will come a time wherein the one who is patient upon his religion is like one holding on to hot embers.” The one who is patient upon his religion receives and enormous reward with Allah the Mighty and Majestic, similar to the reward of fifty men.
So why this great reward: It is due to the abundance of tribulation and the abundance of those who block him from the truth. Those who try to divert him from this truth so they mock at them because they are strange because they warn against the people of innovation and desires and they clarify their deviation just as the scholars clarify it. And may Allaah have mercy upon those who are dead from them and preserve those who are alive. Moreover, within these times and within these days, there stands before us some of those people who ascribe to the Sunnah and they outwardly manifest the Sunnah while he cons with some false principles and corrupt usool (foundations). And he comes maligning the scholars of sunnah in the name of the sunnah! This is in effect of this extreme strangeness, and an effect of this fitnah which spreads like a dark night. A man is upon the sunnah in the morning and by the evening he is upon innovation and misguidance. Or, he is upon the sunnah in the evening and by the morning he is upon innovation and misguidance except for he upon whom Allaah has mercy and protects from this misguidance. The strangeness is with the people of truth. If there is strangeness, it is not except with Ahlus-Sunnah. With the truth which they traverse upon and follow, they are diligent regarding that which they know Allaah has promised them from the reward that is with Him on the Day of Judgment. They are diligent because they know that they, by the Permission of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, on the Day of Judgment, the Day they are resurrected, they will be amongst the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous. They will be amongst the Salaf as-Saalih, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, in Paradise by the Permission of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. Rather, it is as the Companion has said, “I don’t care as long as I die as a Muslim in which place for the Sake of Allaah, I meet my demise. That is up to Allaah if He so Wills.” Meaning as long as I am killed for Allaah, for the sake of Allaah in Allaah’s Path, then I don’t care when it happens nor will I be sad because I know that the reward with Allaah is magnificent. That the dunya is transient, fleeting, lowly — it has no value. I am purchasing that which is with Allaah. I desire that which is with Allaah and I desire the companionship of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the companionship of his Sahaba, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, and the companionship of the Imaams of the Sunnah.
Therefore, I am Salafee: I cling to this Truth and I am never absolved from it. We all know the hadeeth of the Prophetsallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam….The narration of Urbaa' Ibn Saariyyah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, when the Prophet ssallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was advising his Companions, he, 'alayhi salaatu was-salaam said, while advising his Companions, as is come in the hadeeth of Urbaa' Ibn Saariyyah, wherein he said “Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, admonished us with an eloquent admonition such that the hearts trembled and the eyes shed tears. We said ‘O messenger of Allaah, it is as if it is the admonition of one who is bidding farewell, so advise us.’ He, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, ‘I advise you to have taqwaa of Allaah. And I advise you with hearing and obeying even if a slave is appointed as a ruler over you, for indeed he who lives from amongst you, he will see much differing. So upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Khulafaa. Cling to it and bite on to it with your molar teeth and beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray, and every going astray is in the Hellfire.’”
The implication from this hadeeth is tremendous! We want to review it briefly, and we say, we observe firstly how the Companions, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, sought from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam to advise them and that he clarified for them, 'alayhi salaatu was-salaam, with a comprehensive advice that which was good for them. This is the state of the Muslim, thus it is the state of the one who clings to the Truth that he be diligent upon the good and that he ask about it. His main concern is not the tribulations and problems nor is his main concern the Dunya and that which it contains of pastimes rather they live in this dunya while they know that their journey is to Allaah.
So they sought advice, they didn’t seek money nor did they seek advice regarding worldly affairs. So the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, advised them with a comprehensive advice. Within this advice were the taqwa of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is something which is strange. The one who is a stranger within this dunyaa is in need of having taqwaa of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, to be firm upon the truth and to not incline towards wealth or towards fitan and that one’s heart does not absorb the doubts and desires and he sells his religion for a worldly gain. He has taqwa of Allaah and is truthful both in secret and in the open; taqwa of Allaah – by holding fast to the scholars of the Sunnah, loving them, returning to them for fataawa, honouring and respecting them and clinging to the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them.
I advise you with taqwa of Allaah and to hear and obey and not differ and have dissension and causing fitan and spilling blood. And I advise you as well with the preservation of safety and security, that which one has the ability to do and staying far away from trouble, that which is apparent from it and that which is hidden. That is known from his statement, alayhi salaatu was-salaam “Indeed he who lives amongst you will see much differing, differing from that which I came with from guidance and the truth.” This is the affair of the people after the Companions. As for the Companions themselves, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, all of them are upright and all of them are trustworthy and all of them are truthful and noble and no one reviles a single one of them except a deviant innovator. One who has deviated from the path of truth astray from the path of guidance, for all of the Companions are upright; however, after the Companions there occurred fitan and the People of Knowledge have said that after the time of ‘Uthmaan fitan became manifest.
“For indeed he who lives after me from amongst you shall see much differing, differing from that which I came with from guidance, and eemaan, and beneficial knowledge, and righteous actions.” So the differing is not at the establishment of the Hour, the differing will come early. Innovations and misguidance will come early, due to this it is obligatory upon the Muslim to acquire knowledge and that he hold fast to the Salafee methodology, to the Book and the Sunnah, and that he refer to the Salafi scholars. And the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam he said, “For indeed he from amongst you who lives after me will see much differing. ‘So what is the way out, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said, ‘upon you is to cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Khulafaa.’” Not only the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, rather the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is a must and the guidance of the Salaf as-Saalih, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, is a must. As for the one who says today that the Book and the Sunnah are a foundation whereas the Way of the Salaf as-Saalih is not a foundation then this is the statement of a deviant innovator. For the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, “Alaykum (displaying obligation) alaykum bis-sunnatee, upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Khulafaa.” And he said when speaking about the Saved-Sect and the Victorious Group that “They are that which my and my Companions are upon today.” Allaah the Mighty and Majestic said. “And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the right path has bee shown clearly to him and follows a way other than the Way of the Believers, We will keep him in the path he has chosen and burn him in Hell. What an evil destination.” The way of the Believers, it is the manhaj of the Companions, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, so clinging to the understanding of the Salaf as-Saalih, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, is a must.
As for he who comes to us today and wants to call the people to his desires and is upon whims and he says that the methodology of the Salaf is not a requirement or that the statements of Ahlus-Sunnah is [sic] not a requirement and they are not required to take the statements of the 'ulamaa', the scholars of sunnah, the scholars of the methodology of the Salaf as-Saalih, we are not required to take their statements then no doubt this is the statement of one who is astray. It is the statement of a deviant innovator. The one who says this wants to divert the people from the Truth. One who does not respect the scholars of the Sunnah, nor do they return to them – he is not guided by their guidance. No doubt he lays the foundation for misguidance and he wants to divert the people from the truth and call the people to falsehood, which is not distinguished except by returning to the scholars of the Sunnah. So beware, may Allaah Bless you, of he who calls the people with the likes of this misguidance. Unfortunately a man who calls the people with the likes of this misguidance is a man who may be described as being Salafee, a man who may outwardly display the Sunnah. How great is this extreme strangeness! How great is this plot from the People of Innovation and Desires! They are not pleased and satisfied with their innovation and misguidance until they attempt to enter into the ranks of the Salafees and separate them from the truth and deviate them away from that which the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, came with and that which the Companions, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, were upon.
Due to this, my brothers, the affair is great and very dangerous. It is befitting that we are aware of it and it is befitting that we understand and we consider to be great and that we do not make light of it and that we are not deceived by of the statements of some of the people from those who may have some accusations and assumptions; or, some of the people who there is [sic] good thoughts about from some of your brothers out of kindness towards them saying, “do not revile one another”. My brother, we do not revile them. It is they who revile themselves by their opposition to the Truth. They are those who revile the book and the Sunnah with this false methodology. They are those who desire to divert the people from the Truth. How can a person of truth be silent regarding the Truth while he has the ability to clarify it? No doubt he is a mute devil. No doubt he will lead the people astray and he will be questioned about this. That man who sees evil and he does not repudiate it, even if he be a righteous man, it will be said to him, “when Allah the Mighty and Majestic, wishes to send a punishment down upon a people he will say to the angel ‘Begin with him’” meaning that righteous man was who silent concerning sins and evils.
So upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Khulafaa. Cling to it – and here is the shaahid – bite on to it with your molar teeth. What has prevented you? For there are those who discourage us from it, there are those who divert us from it, there are those who seek to make us avoid it, there are those who wish to cause us to depart from the truth, there are those who want us to be people who change colours and people of misguidance. That we acknowledge that which we used to reject and that we reject that which we used to acknowledge. Shaykh Rabee’, may Allah preserve him. Shaykh ‘Ubayd, may Allaah preserve him – Imaams of the Sunnah in our time, likewise Shaykh Fawzaan and others like Shaykh Zayd al-Madkahlee, may Allaah preserve all of them. They are Imaams of the Sunnah in our time. There can be found those of the people who describe them as being harsh, they describe them as not having intellect and they try to divert the youth from them saying that they do not leave anyone except that they revile them. Laa illaaha illa Allaah! How severe is this strangeness? How appropriate for us that we cling to this Truth – to the religion of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. His Paradise, His Bliss, and that we be with the Prophets, the Truthful, the Martyrs and the Righteous.We do not have any doubt due to the small number of followers of the truth nor are we deceived by the large number of opposers, rather we are to be firm upon the Truth and seek that which is with Allaah from reward and good. Indeed, that which is with Allaah is better and more lasting that which is with Allaah is the permanent bliss. The Home of the Hereafter: it is eternal. As for the dunya, it is fleeting. You deviate, oppose, take Ahlus-Sunnah as enemies and then you enter your grave and then you are raised up on the Day of Judgment upon destruction.
Are you pleased to be with those who oppose the people of the truth? Are you pleased to be beside one who has opposed Allaah and His Messenger and the Imaams of the Religion? No doubt, you will not be pleased with this. So what is the way out – clinging to the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih and to the major scholars, loving and respecting them, venerating them, respecting the truth which they have with them, respecting the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih.
Then he, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, “beware of newly invented matters”. Beware of new statements, new principles, new paths, those who come to us with new ways: 'Abdul-Malik al-Ramadhaanee, 'Abdul-'Azeez ar-Rayyis, Ibraaheem ar-Ruhaylee, Saalim at-Taweel. Those who claim the Sunnah but they bring affairs which oppose the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih. Between us and them is the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih. By Allaah, they have opposed the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and the Manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih in (not) declaring the People of Innovation to be innovators and warning against them. Due to that, O brothers, it does not benefit a person to follow personalities and their statements nor does it benefit a person to love someone blindly even if the people elevate him. Rather, it is as Ibn Rajab has said, “the Truth is more beloved to us that an individual who is venerated even if he is deemed great by his followers.” The Truth is more beloved to us, due to that, the Companions, some of them would refute others if they saw from them something which opposed a statement of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Naturally, from that which is known, the Companions, may Allaah’s Pleasure be upon them, did not intentionally oppose the Sunnah of the Prophet. So if they would give a fatwaa based on their opinion then they were informed that the Sunnah is in opposition to it they would return to the Sunnah. As Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he answered a question concerning a type of ribaa', then it was clarified to him so he recanted from his fatwaa to the truth; thus are the people of the truth. If the truth is clarified to them they return to it and they follow it rather they are the first to clarify to the people that they have made a mistake in such and such an issue.
This is in opposition to that which is seen from these people who oppose the truth. One of them would institute false principles and you clarify the truth to him and he will stand upon new and false affairs which he rebuts the Truth. Laa illaaha illullaah! How severe is this strangeness! Due to this, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, warned against newly invented matters, new affairs which were not present in the time of the Salaf and the 'ulamaa ar-Rabaaniyyoon are not upon and the Imaams of the Religion are not upon. Where did you bring this from O ('Alee Hasan) al-Halabee? Mixing with the People of Innovation and defending them. Where did you come from O Ibraaheem ar-Ruhaylee? With your corrupt advice which contains association with the people of desires in order to lead the youth astray. Where did you come from O 'Abdul-'Azeez ar-Rayyis? With the concept of “gentle amil” “gentle bid'ah”. Where did you come from O so and so? The list of names is long of those who outwardly display the Sunnah but they oppose its reality. When the scholars of the religion in this era speak and the students of the Sunnah speak, we find those who forsake them and those who oppose them…the imaams of the da’wah spoke truthfully when they said, “the People of Innovation, when they are unable to rebut the truth, and spread falsehood, they belittle the people of goodness. They revile them and abuse them and accuse them of evil. Aw kamaa qaalu alayhim rahmatullaah (Instead of saying may Allaah have mercy upon them).”
Due to this my brothers, know the truth and you will know its people. And do not connect the truth to men. The Imaams of the Religion are well-known and if you wish to follow a way then follow the way of those who have passed. For those who are alive are not safe from fitnah. And beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is a misguidance. These new principles are innovations and misguidance, innovations and deviations. Due to this, the people of knowledge take up the task of clarifying and refuting calling the individual to return to the truth to not persist upon his falsehood and if he persists in that, they declare him to be an innovator and astray.
Hence, once again we have returned to this strangeness. Strangeness is as Ibnul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, has said in Madaarij as-Saalikeen and has clarified with a very beautiful clarification when he said the people of al-Islaam are strangers amongst the people of disbelief because they are few in comparison to the people of kufr. The people of eemaan are strangers amongst the people of al-Islaam because the Believers are few and the Muslims are many in comparison to them. The people of knowledge are strangers amongst the people of eemaan because the people of knowledge are few and the people of eemaan are many in comparison to them and perhaps the people of eemaan would oppose the people of knowledge. The people of sunnah, who cling to it, are strangers amongst the scholars. How great is this advice and clarification for the state of affairs of the people of the time in which we live? Ahlus-Sunnah are few. They manifest the Truth. The people of innovation do not hinder them nor do the commoners hinder them. We find those who hinder them, from the students of knowledge, and we find those who hinder them to be from those who are opposed to the da'wah and learning from the people of knowledge. So they describe them with evil descriptions and evil words when they are stern against the opposers when they refute the people of innovation, then they stand in front of Ahlus-Sunnah as hinderers and helpers for other than them from the People of Falsehood.
Due to this my brothers, I advise you and I advise myself with clinging to the Sunnah and acting upon it, returning to it and giving it precedence over opinions and desires. For indeed, Islaam is the Sunnah and the Sunnah is al-Islaam – neither of them can be established without the other, as al-Barbahaaree has said in Sharhus-Sunnah. My brothers, I advise you that at the end of this speech with affairs, which I ask Allaah 'Azza wa Jal, that they be a benefit for me and for you. I advise you my brothers at the end of this speech, which I ask Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, that it be a hujjah for us and not a hujjah against us. I advise you:
- Firstly, with sincerity in actions for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and being mindful of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and to be wary of ar-riyaa' and ostentation and doing an action of the hereafter seeking by way of that gain in the dunyaa. Some people may do a righteous action or they may do actions which oppose the truth desiring by way of that to please the people and some actions are done seeking something from the dunyaa.
- Secondly, I advise you with acting upon the Book and the Sunnah and the manhaj of the Salaf as-Saalih.
- Thirdly, I advise you with clinging to the major Salafee scholars, in particular the scholars who are upright and well-known for that from the likes of Shaykh Rabee' al-Madkhalee, Shaykh Zayd al-Madkhalee, Shaykh 'Ubayd al-Jaabiree, may Allah preserve them, and other then them from the Imaams of the Sunnah in this time.
- Fourthly, I advise you to stay away from the people of Innovation and to beware of them and not to mix with them. I advise you with abandoning them to keep away from them.
- Fifthly, I advise you read the books of the well-known Salafee scholars.
- Sixthly, I advise you with love and brotherhood amongst yourselves and leaving off disunity. And I advise you with seeking knowledge and comprehension of the religion of Allaah and I also advise you to stay away from fitan; that which is apparent from it and that which is hidden.
I also advise you, may Allaah bless you, with not engaging in 'he said, she said' and wasting of wealth and an abundance of questions which are of no benefit and are about that which is a reason to divide the people. I advise you, may Allaah bless you, to recite the Qur’aan at night and some portions of the day. I advise you may Allaah bless you, with acting upon the Sunnah, to learn it, to act upon it, to call to it, and to be steadfast upon that. I ask Allah the Mighty and Majestic, to benefit us and you with that which I say and you hear and that He make it a proof for us and not against us. And may prayers and peace be upon the Prophet Muhammad, his family members and his Companions altogether.
Translated by Raha Batts
Transcribed by Umm Haneefah
