The Methodology Of The Salaf us Salih

I begin in the name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Most Kind, All Praise is due to Him, and I testify that none has the right to be Worshipped as the True God except Him. This book is based upon the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in the understand of our pious predecessors (Salafus-Saalih). This Methodology is unique in that it follows the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in the understanding of the Companions and the next two generations of Muslims (i.e. the Salafus-Saalih) not by my or your understanding as we see today.

The Prophet (Sal) said: "The best People are my generation then them to come after them then them to come after them."(2)

So the first three generation of Muslims were the best of people, primarity the Companions then the tabi'een (those that followed the Companions) and then the tabi tabi'een (those that came after the tabi'een). Collectively they are called the Salafus-Saallih or the pious predecessors.

We have been told in the Qur'aan to follow Muhammad (Sal) and to follow the believers who were the Companions in order to receive right guidance.

It would have been correct in the Arabic language to not include 'and follows the path other than the way of the believers' but Allaah added this phrase because you cannot understand the Qur'aan and the Sunnah unless you refer back to the Companions' understanding for they lived with the Messenger (Sal) wgi was the best teacher.

Allaah also makes it a condition to follow the Companions understanding in the matter of belief when He says:

The word 'you' here refers to the Companions, that if you have the belief of the Companions then you will be guided otherwise you will not since you will be following your own interpretations regarding the belief saying it means this and that without knowledge as we see today.

Therefore we need to follow our pious predecessors' understanding of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah, because they were closer to the source and also because Allah has chosen their hearts to be the best of the hearts (5) of His servabts.

Ibn Mas'ood (6) (Ral) said:
'Indeed Allaah looked into the hearts of the servants and found the heart of muhammad (Sal) to be the best of the hearts of His servants and so He chose him for himself and sent him as a Messenger. Then He looked into the hearts of His servants after Muhammad (Sal) and found the hearts of the Companions to be the best of tbe hearts of the hearts of the servants. So He made made them ministers of His Messenger (Sal), fighting for his deen, So whatever the Muslims hold to be good then it is good then it is good with Allaah, and whatever the Muslims hold to be evil then it is evil with Allaah.' (7)

The Muslims here refers to the Companions, that ifthey unite upon a matter concerning the deen then that is deen from Allaah. As in the saying of the Prophet (Sal):

'Mu Ummah will not unite upon misguidance.' (8)

There are many proofs from Allaah and His Messenger to follow the understanding of the Companions and the next two generations so this is the understanding this book being foward. We can only follow this way for right guidance so take heed of Muhammad (Sal) saying:

'Indeed the children of Israeel will split into seventy one sects and my ummah will split into seventy three sects, all will be in the fire except one.' It was said to him 'What is the one?' He (Sal) said 'That to which I and my Companions are upon.' (9)

This is a serious statement from the Messenger (Sal) and is not to be taken lightly. The ummah today is split up but who are the Salaf's understanding of Islam.

They are the strangers as the Messenger (Sal) said:

'Islam began as a stranger and shall return as a stranger as it began so give glad tidings to the strangers.' (10)

' So give glad tidings to the few, those who put right what the people have corrupted.' (11)

The Muslims who are following the understanding of the Salafus-Saalih are few in number and are strangers in the community of Muslims since they reviving that which the people did nbot know about from the Sunnah upon the authentic ahadeeth. They are not those who quote ahadeeth at you left, right and centre without knowing where they are from and whether it is saheeh (authentic) or not. Rather they are the ones who establish the deen of Allah paying strict attention to the chain of narration in the hadeeth. They are careful not to make a lie against the Messenger (Sal).

As Ali (Ral) said in his advice to Kumail ibn Ziyaad an-Nakha'ee (a tabi'ee, reliable)

'...Oh Allaah yes, the earth will not be without one who stands upright for Allah with proof so that Allaah's proof and clear signs are not abolished. They are the ones who are few in number but having most value to Allaah, with them Allaah asserts His proofs amongst their contemporaries and cultivates them in the hearts of ones similar to them... O how I would like to see them and I seek Allaah's forgiveness for me and for you if you wish then stand.' (12)

They are the ones who do not stick blindly to the saying of one Imaam but rather ake from where they took of the authentic Sunnah.

The Prophet (Sal) said:

'This knowledge will be carried by the trustworthy ones of every generation. They will expel by in the alterations made by those going beyond bounds, the false chain of the liars and the false interpretations of the ignorant. (13)

Also the Prophet (Sal) said:

'There will not seize to be a group from my ummahvictorious upon the truth, not being harmed by those who oppose them, until the hour is established.' (14)

So this group will always be there and this is the way for salvation. O brothere and sisters! Let us look at some characteristics with which to recognise this group today.

Firstly we know that we must follow the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in the understanding of the Salafus-Saalih.

So we must love the Salafus-Saalih and this is one of the characteristics with which we must attach ourselves with.

The proof is: 'Abdulrahman ibn al Mahdi (d.198) said 'When you see a man from Basrah love Ibn Zaid, then he is a man from the Sunnah.' i.e. If you see a man that hates him then he is from the Ahlul Bid'ah - people of innovation.

The tabi'ee Sufyaan ath-Thawri (d.163) (Rah) said 'If you hear a man from the East who is a person of Sunnah and another in the West then send your Sallaams to them and supplicate for them for how few are Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa'a' (15)

Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa'a are those who are following the way of the Salafus-Saalih (pious predecessors) since Ahlus Sunnah are those who follow the Prophet (Sal) and wal jamaa'a refers to the Companions. This is clear proof that we must love the Salafus-Saalih who, as mentioned earlier, are the best of the people. Nowadays we see Muslims not loving the Salafus-Saalih. They speak ill of them, without knowledge, they bring doubt upon some of the Salafus-Saalih and they do not call to this understanding and they do not call to this understanding but they would rather call to their group or hizb (party). As is clear in a verse in the Qur'aan where Allaah says that each party rejoices with what it has.

Another characteristic is that they are careful to mention references and making sure the isnaad (chain of narration) has no fault i.e. that it is Saheeh.

The proof is Ibn Seerin (Rah) said 'They did not ask about the isnaad of the hadeth until the time of the fitna, so when this occurred they said name your men, as for Ahlu Sunnah then accept their narrations. As for Ahlul Bida'ah then reject their narrations.'

Thirdly we must al Auzaa'ee (d.157) (Rah) said 'Hold fast to the narration of the Salaf even if the people were to abondon you. Beware in the opinions of men no matter how they beautify it with their speech.' (16)

Imaam al Auzaa’ee rahimahullaah said
‘Patiently restrict yourselves to the Sunnah and pause where the people paused; say what they said and avoid what they avoided. Take the path of the Salajus-Saalih for indeed what is sufficient for them is sufficient for you.’ (17)

The people who are following the Salafus-Salih today are, as the scholars say, the Ashaabul-Hadeeth.Imaam Shari’ee rahmihullaah said
‘Every time I look upon the Ashaabul-Hadeethit is if I am looking upon the Companions of the Prophet Sallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.’

Abdullaah Ibn Mubarak (18) rahimahullaah was asked ‘Who is the Jama’aa?’ So he said ‘The Jama’aa is Abu Bakr and Umar.’ They said ‘But they have died.’He said ‘Then it is Abu Hamza Sakari.’ He was a scholar following the way of the Companions and the Tab’ieen at the time of Abdullaah Ibn Mubarak rahimahullaah.

These are just some of the sayings of the scholars which tell us to go back to the understanding of the way of the Salafus-Saalih however some people might think that this is a new thing that some Muslims are calling to. This in incorrect as we have seen earlier that Allaah and His Messenger Sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam have ordered us to follow that way. Recently an ignorant author whose name is not worth mentioning writes that there was not a madhab called Salagiyya, not even the word"Salafiyya" before the coming of Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah [d.728h] and Ibn al-Qaiyom. However this is a great lie and gross error. Sheikh Abdullaah al-Farsi explains
‘the word "Salafiyya" has been mentioned had been before them. For example Abi Uthman Isma’eel Abdulrahman as-Saboone rahimahullaah, who was one of the Salafi scholars who died 449h, mentioned in the introduction of his book ‘Aquidato Salaf wa as-habul hadeeth’ that some brothers asked me to gather issues in the Usool deen (Aquidah) that our Muslim scholars and righteous Salaf were upon. He mentions the word Salaf in the introduction of his book. Also Hafidh Isma’eel at-Taymi al-Asbahani rahimahullaah, also from the same century as as-Sabooni rahimahullaah (5th century) and he repeated the word Madhad Salaf so many times that it cannot be counted in his book.’

Then came Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah much later reviving this way. Even at the time of the Tabi’een, Imaam Auza’ee, who was one of the students of the companions said
‘Your Salaf strongly hated the innovators ant they spoke harshly against them and they warned against their innovations.’
Also he said
‘You should follow the footsteps of the Salaf even thought you are lonely and strange and be aware of the way of the Khalaf even thought they beautify theyr speech.’
So those who say that this is a snew thing are ignorant of the fact that this is the way of the saved sect and hence the scholars are trying to revive it. As for the ignorant then it is strange to them since they do not go back to the understanding of the Salaf so how will they understand. They write books without knowledge and harm themselves by speaking ill of scholars, trying to find their faults yet they have not even met them.

A lot of Muslims also choose to follow speakers than scholars to answer their question, which is another sadness in the ummah. As one companion said
‘You are in a time whose scholars are many and speakers are few and there will come a time whose scholars are few and speakers are many.’

A last peice of advice to our brothers who are upon this path from our noble sheikh al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullaah who said
"It is self-delusion to say ‘I am saved and not pessimisic, for example being too secure saying ‘I am Salafi I am saved,’ We still have to humble ourselves and not to say that we have the attributes of the Salaf. So I say to these people, not everybody who opposes me a thing from this path will become one of those who will perish, for verily the disputer may be a mujtahid who was wrong, and Allaah will forgive him his mistakes. Or may be the proof did not reach him, enough to satisfy his needs (i.e. to understand it). Or maybe he has enough good deeds in which Allaah will wipe away his bad deeds." (19) This is a beautiful statement by Sheikh al-Islam. Which if considered carefully would help us to better our da’wa to other Muslims.

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