2. And He says: "And do not be among the polytheists. Of those who split up their religion and became sects, each sect rejoicing in that which is with it." 3
3. The Messenger of Allaah said: "I counsel you to have Taqwaa of Allaah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave were to command you. For, verily, whoever amongst you lives (to grown old), he will see many differences. So stick to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khaleefahs. Cling tightly onto it and hold onto it with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters. For, indeed, every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a thing that leads astray, and everything that leads astray is in the Hellfire." 4
4. And he also said: " Indeed those from before you from the People of the Book divided into seventy-two groups. And, indeed, this group (Muslims) will divide into seventy-three. Seventy-two groups will be in the Hellfire and one of them will be in Paradise. And it is the Jamaa'ah (group)." 5
And in another narration, he said: "Everyone of them in the Hellfire, except for one group that which I and my companions are upon." 6
5. Ibn Mas'ood said: "The Messenger of Allaah drew a line for us and then said: 'This is the Straight Path of Allaah.' And he drew lines on the left and right of it, and then said: 'These are paths of which there is not one except that there is a devil upon it calling towards it.' Then he recited the statements of Allaah (7) : 'And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and do not follow (other) paths for they will separate you away from His path." 8
6. Shaikh ' Abd-ul-Qaadir Al-Jeelaanee Ra said: "As for the saved sect, then they are the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah. And there is no name for Ahl-us-Sunnah except for one and that is Ashaab-ul-hadeeth (those who stick to the hadeeth)." 9
O Allaah! Make us from among the members of the Saved Sect and give
victory to the Muslims so that they may be from among them.
2. The Saved Sect returns to the Words of Allaah and the words of His Messenger at times of differing and controversy, acting upon the statement of Allaah, the Most High: "And if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it back to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is more suitable for final determination." 11
And He also says: "But no, by your Lord, they can have no Eemaan (Faith), until they make you (O Muhmmad) a judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission." 12
3. The Saved Sect does not put the speech of anyone before the speech of Allaah and His Messenger, acting upon the statement of Allaah: "O you who believe! Do not be forward in the presence of Allaah and His Messenger and fear Allaah. Verily, Allaah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing." 13
Ibn 'Abbas said: "I fear that rocks from the heavens are about to descend upon you. I say to you: The Messenger of Allaah said, and you say: Abu Bakr and 'Umar said."
4. The Saved Sect gives importance to the Tawheed of Allaah. And that is the singling out of Allaah in terms of His worship, seeking of assistance, supplication at times of hardship and ease, scarifies, oaths, reliance, and other than that from the types of worship. It is the foundation by which the only correct Islaamic state can be established. And there is no doubt that the Shirk (association of partners with Allaah) that is currently present in the Islaamic states should be eradicated. This is because it is one of the requirements of Tawheed. Thus, victory will not come to any group that disregards Tawheed and does not oppose shirk and its types.
5. The Saved Sects revives the Sunnah of the Messenger in their act
of worship, behavior and lifestyles. And due to this, they become strangers
among their own people, as the Prophet has informed us would happen with
his words: "Indeed Islaam began as something strange and it will return
to being strange as it began. So Toobaa is for the strangers." 14
And in one narration, he said: "So Toobaa (15)
is for the strangers those who correct others when the people have become
corrupt." 16
6. The Saved Sect does not become fanatical with the words of anyone, except for the words of Allaah and His Messenger, the one protected from sins and who do not speak from his own desire. As for other than him from among mankind, no matter how high his degree may be, then he is prone to error and sin. This is due to the statement of the Messenger: "Everyone of the tribe of Adam sins. And the best of the sinners are the ones who (constantly) make repentance." 17
Imaam Maalik RA said: "There is no one after the Prophet except that you may take and abandon from his statements, except the Prophet."
7. The Saved Sect are the people of Hadeeth, of whom the Prophet said: "There will not cease to be a group from my ummah, dominant upon the truth. The ones who abandon them will not be able to harm them, until the decree of Allaah comes." 18
A poet said: "The people of hadeeth are the people of the Prophet."
8. The Saved Sect honors and respects the scholars of Islaam and they do not go extremities in following anyone among them. Rather, they take the understanding from the Qur'aan, the authentic Sunnah and from all of the scholars statements as long as they are in agreement with the authentic narration's and these are in agreement with their words. This is up to the point that they advise those that follow them to take from the authentic texts and to abandon any statement that opposes it.
9. The Saved Sect commands the good and forbids the evil. And so they forbid the evil of the innovator and the destructive groups that divide the ummah and innovate into the religion and into the Sunnah of the Messenger and his companions.
10. The Saved Sect calls the Muslims towards holding fast to the Sunnah of the Messenger and his companions until victory is prescribed for them and enter Paradise by the bounty of Allaah and the intercession of the Messenger after haven been given the authority to do so by Allaah.
11. The Saved Sect declares the evil of the conventional man-made law
system which forces mankind to oppose the ruling system of Islaam. They
call the people to rule by the Book of Allaah which was revealed to aid
mankind in this world and the next. And Allaah knows best what is correct
for them. His rule is established and does not change through the course
of days. And it is correct for the people of all times. There can be no
honor for he Muslims except in their return to the studying of Islaam,
individually or in groups or through the governments, in accordance to
Allaah's statement: "Verily, Allaah will not change the condition
of a people, as long as they do not change it themselves." 19
12. The Saved Sect calls the Muslims to the Jihaad in the way
of Allaah and it is an obligation upon every Muslim who is capable and
in the means of doing it. And the Jihaad should be in the following ways:
C. Jihaad with the body. This is done by fighting and joining in the
battlefield for the purpose of giving victory to Islaam, so the words of
Allaah can be raised high, and so the words of the disbelievers can be
put low. The Messenger has indicated these types of Jihaad, in His
statement: "Wage Jihaad (fight/struggle) against the polytheists
with your wealth, yourselves and your tongues." 21
1. The Saved Sect are the fewest among people. The Messenger supplicated
for them with this statement: "Toobaa is for the stranger: A people
who rectify (themselves and others) among people who are in much
evil. Those who disobey them are greater in number than those who obey
them." 22
The Glorious Qur'aan has informed us of them. Allaah, praising them,
Says: "But few of My slaves are grateful." 23
2. The Saved Sect are the ones who a majority of the people hold as
enemies. They are trodden upon and insulted by being given bad names. Consequently,
they take the example of the Prophet of whom Allaah has spoken about, when
He said: "And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies; shayaateen
(devils) among mankind and jinn, inspiring one another with adorned speech
as a delusion." 24
And this was the case with our Messenger. His people would call him a "magician" and a "liar" when he would call them to worship and believe in only Allaah, even though, before that they used to call him the "truthful" and the "trustworthy".
3. Shaikh 'Abdul 'Azeez Bin Baaz HA was asked concerning the Saved Sect, so he responded: "They are the Salafiyoon and everyone who follow the footsteps of the Salaf-us_Saalih (The pious predecessors; the Prophet his companions and everyone who follows their methodology)."
These are some of the methodologies and signs of the Saved Sect, I will
talk some more, in later chapters of this book, on the Aqeedah (belief/creed)
of the Saved Sect, who are also known as the Victorious Group, so that
we may be upon their Aqeedah, if Allaah wills.
And he said: "If the people of Shaam become corrupt, then there is no good in them. And there will not cease to be a group from my ummah that will be victorious. Those who abandon them will not be able to harm them, until the Hour is established." 26
2. Ibn Al-Mubaarak said: "To me, they are Ashaab-ul-hadeeth." 27
3. Al-Bukhaaree reported that 'Alee Ibn Al-Madeenee said: "They are Ashaab-ul-hadeeth."
4. And Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: "If the victorious group is not the Ashaab-ul-hadeeth, then I do not who they are."
5. Imaam Ash-Shaaf'iee said that Ahmad Ibn Hanbal gave a speech and
said: "You are more knowledge of hadeeth than I am. So if a hadeeth
comes to you, that is authentic, then inform me of it until that becomes
my opinion, regardless of whethter it be from Hijaaz, Koofah or Basrah."
1. Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Jameel Zainoo is one of the contemporary scholars of Islaam. A student of Shaikh Al-Albaanee, he has written many valuable works on Islaam. This article is taken from a book containing a collection of short essays written by him which entitled "Essays on Islaamic Issues." Another group of his essays from this book have been translated into English and collected in a book entitled "The Pillars of Iman and Islaam" published by Maktaba Dar As-Salam. This present article has been translated by Ibn Al-Arkaan.
4. An authentic hadeeth reported by Abu Dawood and others.
5. A hasan hadeeth recorded by Imaam Ahmad and others.
6. Sunan At-Tirmidhee; It was declared hasan by Shaikh Al-Albaanee in Saheeh Al-Jaami': no 5219.
8. An authentic hadeeth recorded by Ahmad and An-Nasaa'ee.
10. Al-Albaanee has authenticated this hadeeth in Saheeh Al-Jaami'.
15. It is said that Toobaa means something good. Allaah mentions this word in Surat-ur-Ra'ad of His final revelation " Those who believe and do righteous deeds, Toobaa is for them and a pleasant destination." Commenting on this ayah, Ibraaheem An-Nakha'ee said that it means good is for them. Qatadah said: "When a man says Toobaa for you it means you have attained something good. "Ikrimah and Mujaahid say that Toobaa means Paradise. It is also said that Toobaa is a tree in Paradise which the Prophet spoke of when he said: "Verily, there is a tree in Paradise under the shadow of which a rider can travel for a hundred years without covering (the distance) completely." [Saheeh Muslim]
16. Reported by Ad-Daanee and Al-Albaanee said it was saheeh.
17. A hasan hadeeth reported by Imaam Ahmad.
20. An authentic hadeeth reported by Abu Dawood and its meaning can be found in Saheeh Muslim.
21. Related by Abu Dawood and it is saheeh.
22. A saheeh hadeeth reported by Imaam Ahmad.
26. Recorded by Ahmad and it is saheeh
27. What is meant by Ashaab-ul-hadeeth are those who
stick meticulously to the narration's and the text of the Qur'aan and the
Sunnah. It does not refer to, as some might think, a people who restrict
themselves to hadeeth only. Rather, Allaah calls His Qur'aan by the word
hadeeth in numerous ayaat in the Last Revelation (see 77:50, 52:34 and
45:6) Therefore the term Ashab-ul-Hadeeth, as known to the scholars of
the past and present, referred to the Muslims who clung onto the text of
the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. It also refers to the scholars of hadeeth;
those who study the science of hadeeth.
