Imaam Maalik [rahimahullaah] said that it reached him from Al-Qaasim Bin Muhammad [rahimahullaah] who said, ”I met a people [i.e. Salaf] who were not amazed by speech, rather they were amazed by actions [i.e. a person acting upon what he knows].
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Question:
There is a Masjid near us whose Imaam is an Ikhwaanee who has with him oppositions to the Sharee’ah and when we pray in this Masjid they ridicule us and flee from us, so should we remain calling in this Masjid whilst in the presence of this harm, considering that the Salafi Masjid is far away?
Answer:
If you are able to go to the Salafi Masjid then I advise you with that and you will gain benefit in performing your prayer in accordance to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah and also that you will benefit from tranquil affability with your brothers and much virtue and moral excellence. For indeed there is a Hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Jaabir Bin ?Abdullaah, who said:
Some plots of land became vacant around the Masjid therefore Banu Salimah decided to relocate near the Masjid. When the news of that reached the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) he said to them:
Indeed it has reached me that you intend to relocate near the Masjid.
They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allaah that is what we have decided. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said:
‘’O Banu Salimah, live in your houses, for your steps are recorded; live in your houses, for your steps are recorded.’’
Meaning: Stay in your houses which are far away from the Masjid so that your steps are recorded for you.
And in the Saheehayn (Sahih al-Bukharee and Saheeh al-Muslim) on the authority of Abu Hurairah (radiAllaahu -anhu) that verily the Prophet of Allaah(sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
He who performs ablution and purifies himself well, then leaves to go the Masjid and nothing causes him to go out except for the Prayer, he does not take a step except that it raises him in rank and a sin is removed from him. And if he prays the angels do not cease to pray for him, as long as he is at his Musalla (praying place): O Allaah, send prayers upon him, O Allaah, have mercy upon him?. And each one of you is regarded in prayer so long as he is waiting for the Prayer.
Hence, if they are able to attend the Salafi Masjid this is a pleasant affair if not then I advise them to acquire/obtain a Masjid for themselves which is not over burdensome in expenditure for truly the Prophet (sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) says: ‘’I was not ordered with building lofty extravagant Masjids.’’
And he also said: The Hour will not be established until the people vie with one another in boastfulness with regards to the Masjids.
So the Sunnah is that the Masjid should be modest and simple. And if you are able to [construct] the Masjid, that it is like the Masjid of the Messenger of Allaah(sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) then do so, if you are not able to then do not overburden yourself and do not be lavish in building the Masjids for indeed it is opposes the Sunnah, likewise the adornments and the minarets. Also the likes of what they call al-Mihraab and that which they put up on the four corners of the Masjids and what they call ash-Shurufaat (balconies and terraces), this was not found in the Masjid of the Messenger of Allaah when he built it at that time and likewise the Mimbar which is elevated in excess of three steps.
Wa Laa Illaaha IllAllaah, for indeed there has not come to me a person regardless of whether he is from Eritrea or from Indonesia or from the Sudan and other than them from the Islamic countries except that he complains from the harms of Ikhwaan al-Mufliseen* (Brotherhood of the Bankrupt Ones) to the Ahlus-Sunnah. Then I say, to Allaah is the complaint, so they are ready to reconcile with the communist and with the Mulhid (atheist) and with the Secularist and with the Bathists, and with the Naasirites and with the Sufis and with the Shiites whilst they are not prepared to reconcile with the Sunni except when the time for elections draws near, indeed then they say: Be silent concerning us and we will remain silent concerning you.
[Source: Tuhfatul-Mujeeb ‘Alaa Asilatil-Haadhir wal-Ghareeb, page 129-131]
Translated by Abu ‘Abdillaah Bilaal al-Kashmiri
http://www.salafitalk.net/st/printthread.cfm?Forum=6&Topic=5007
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Questioner asked Shaikh Ubaid [may Allaah preserve him]: The questioner says: Assalaamu alaykum warahmatullaahi wabarakaatuhu. We hear a statement from some of the Mashaayihk of Ahlus Sunnah: ‘’This man is from the people of Bidah’’; is it understood that he is a Mubtadi [an innovator] or not?’’
Answer: What I have knowledge of is that this statement has two applications according to Ahlus Sunnah. The first of them and it is what is meant in most cases is that he is a Mubtadi [an innovator]. He knows the truth but he is an obstinate person. He refuses [truth], but not deviation; he knows the Sunnah, but refuses to follow it and [follows] Bidah. He commits Bidah whilst knowing that it is bidah.
The other meaning is that this man is a person upon innovation-meaning: He commits bidah even though he is not an innovator, because what we know regarding the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaaa’ah is that they do not declare any specific person an innovator until the proofs are established against him.
[Source: Al-Haddul Faasil Bayna Mu-aamalah Ahl As-Sunnah Wa Ahl Al-Baatil 60. Abridged and slightly paraphrased]
Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah] said:
The legislated divine law is nourishment for the hearts, so when the hearts are nourished with bidah, giving preference to the Sunnan does not remain in them; then [the affair] becomes like [the situation of a person] who nourishes himself with filth.
[Iqtidaa Siraat Al-Mustaqeem: 1/281. Slightly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad (rahimahullaah) said: ‘Do not sit with a person of innovation, for I fear that curses will descend upon you.’
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] commented on the above statement, saying: [That is] because punishment, anger and deviation descend upon a person of innovation, so it is feared that you will be afflicted with some of what afflicts him, and for that reason Allaah [جَلَّ وَعلَا] stated:
وَإِذَا رَأَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ فِىٓ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡہُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِۦۚ وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنُ فَلَا تَقۡعُدۡ بَعۡدَ ٱلذِّڪۡرَىٰ مَعَ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And when you [Muhammad] see those who engage in a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’aan) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if shaitaan causes you to forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company of those people who are the Zaalimoon [polytheists and wrongdoers]. 6:68
And Allaah [تعالى ] said to the believers:
وَقَدۡ نَزَّلَ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ فِى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ أَنۡ إِذَا سَمِعۡتُمۡ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يُكۡفَرُ بِہَا وَيُسۡتَہۡزَأُ بِہَا فَلَا تَقۡعُدُواْ مَعَهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَخُوضُواْ فِى حَدِيثٍ غَيۡرِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذً۬ا مِّثۡلُهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ جَامِعُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book [this Qur’aan] that when you hear the Verses of Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allaah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell.’4:140
In this is a warning against sitting with the people of misguidance and desires, and against sitting, accompanying and listening to their speech or reading their books. So it is upon you [i.e. obligated on you] to be distant from these affairs. And Allaah’s Aid is sought! Nowadays, it is said about the one who acts upon this [i.e. the one who keeps away from the people of misguidance and desires] that he is an isolated [or unapproachable, secluded person etc], a boycotter and that he is one who harbours doubt towards the people.
[Source: It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree (rahimahullaah) by Sheikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (hafidha-hullaah) (2/318-319 ). Slightly paraphrased]
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Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah] said:
And how excellent is what [Imaam] Shaafi-ee [rahimahullaah] stated in his Risaalah [that]: ”They [i.e. the Sahaabah] are above us in every affair of knowledge in the [religion], in intelligence and virtue; in all the means to acquiring knowledge [of the religion] and guidance. And their opinions are better for us than the views we hold ourselves.”
[Majmoo Al-Fataawaa: 4/158]
Imaam Adh-Dhahabi [rahimahullaah] said: I am absolutely certain that indeed the latecomers have no hope of reaching the predecessors [i.e. the Salaf] in memorisation and understanding.
[تذكرة الحفاظ -page:948]
Abu Amr Ibnul Alaa [rahimahullaah] said:
We are nothing compared to those who have preceded [i.e. the Salaf] except like a sprout on the long roots of a date palm tree.
موضح أوهام الجمع والتفريق
[1/12-13 ‘ by Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi (rahimahullaah)]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Al-Barbahaaree [rahimahullaah] said:
‘’May Allaah have mercy upon you! Know that if the people were to desist from newly introduced matters, not entering into any of them at all and did not say anything for which there was no narration from the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] or from his Companions, there would not be any innovation.” [1]
Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan [may Allaah preserve him] comments on the above statement:
And ‘’if the people were to desist from newly invented matters [in the religion]”-Meaning: If they desisted and did not enter into them; restricted themselves to the Sunnah and did not leave it for innovations, certainly they would have attained safety. But whoever relinquishes the Sunnah and innovate statements which have no proof in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] will eventually be with the innovators and the deviated sects. And there is no safety except by way of the Sunnah which the Messenger of Allaah [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] left for us. He [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] said: ‘’Indeed, I have left amongst you two things, if you hold firmly to them, you will never go astray; the book of Allaah and my Sunnah.’’
And in another hadeeth:‘I have left you upon white plain [i.e. clear guidance], its night is like its day, and none deviates from it except he who is destroyed.’’
This is the path to safety- the Sunnah of the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] and that which his companions were upon…. [2]
[Ref 1: Translated by Abu Talhah Daawud Burbank (may Allaah have mercy upon him and his wife)
[Ref 2: It-haaful Qaaree Bitta’liqaat Alaa Sharh As-Sunnah Lil Imaam Barbahaaree’ Page: 82-83. Vol 2. Abridged and slightly paraphrased (Abdullah Jallow )]
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