From al-Harith al-Asha’ree -Radhi Allaahu anhu- who said the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
وأنا آمركم بخمس، الله أمرني بهن: السمع والطاعة والجهاد والهجرة والجماعة، فإنه من فارق الجماعة قيد شبر فقد خلع ربقة الإسلام من عنقه؛ إلا أن يرجع، ومن ادعى دعوى الجاهلية فإنه من جثا جهنم) فقال رجل: يا رسول الله، وإن صلى وصام؟ قال: (وإن صلى وصام، فادعوا بدعوى الله الذي سماكم المسلمين المؤمنين عباد الله
‘I command you with five things, which Allaah has ordered me with: to hear and obey the ruler, and Jihad, with Hijra (Migration) and al-Jammah[1].
Indeed, whoever separates from the Jammah even for a hand span then he has removed yoke/noose/ of Islaam from his neck except if he returns back. Whoever calls with the call of Jahileeyah then he will be from the people of Hell fire, even if he fasted and prayed and claimed that he is a Muslim, so call with the invitation of Allaah by which Allaah has called you Muslims, believers, worshippers of Allaah.’[2]
Shaykh Abul-Ula Muhammad Abdurahman al-Mubarakfoori (d. 1353 A.H.)
‘[hear and obey the ruler] meaning obey him but not in disobedience to Allaah.
[and Jihad] meaning in the path of Allaah to make His word high.
[Migration] meaning migrating from Makkah to Madinah before the conquest of Makkah, and from Dar al-Kufr (lands of disbelief) to Dar al-Islaam (lands of Islaam). Migrating from Dar al-Bida (land of innovation in religion) to Dar as-Sunnah (lands of Sunnah), from sinning to repentance due to the saying of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- – :
والمُهاجِرُ مَن هَجَرَ ما نَهى اللَّهُ عنْه
‘the migrant is the one who migrated away from what Allaah prohibited.’ [Bukhari]
[the Jammah] at-Teebi said: ‘the meaning of ‘the Jammah’ is the Companions and those after them from the Taba’een (successors of the Companions) and the Taba’ee at-Taba’een from the Salaf as-Saliheen, meaning I order you with adhering to their guidance and their Seerah (biographies) and to affiliate with them.
[a hand span] meaning whoever splits away from what the Jamaah is upon by leaving the Sunnah and following Bida’ and refusing to obey even if it is a little.
[then he has removed yoke/noose/ of Islaam from his neck] Meaning that which a Muslim ties himself down with to the pillars of Islaam, meaning within the limits of Islaam and its rulings, its commands and prohibitions.
Some have said it is when a person rejects the contract of Allaah and broke his pledge which are attached to the necks of the worshippers like a noose with a number of coils which is used to tie down animals.
[Tuhfatul al-ahwadhi 8/130-132]
[1] The Jamaa’a is that which is in accordance with the truth and the truth is that which the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and his Companions -Radi Allaahu anhu-were upon
From Amr bin Maymoon al-Awdee [d. circa 75 A.H.] who said:
‘Mu’adh bin Jabal came to us at the time of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and love for him was placed in my heart, so I adhered to him and followed him even to the soil of Shaam. Then I adhered to the one who had the most Fiqh (understanding of the Deen) from amongst the people, and that was Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood.
One day, delaying the prayer from its time was mentioned in front of him, so he said: ‘Pray in your homes, and make your prayers with them as optional prayers.’
Then I asked him ‘Then what about the Jamaa’a?’
He said to me: ‘O Amr bin Maymoon indeed the majority of the Jamaa’ are those who have separated from the Jamaa’. Indeed, the Jamaa’ is that which is in accordance with the truth, even if you are by yourself.’
[Collected by al-Laalikaee authenticated by Al-Albaani in Mishkaat 1/61]
[2] [Collected by Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Khuzaimah & Al-Albaani declared it to be Saheeh in ‘Jamia as-Sagheer’ no.1724 & ‘Targheeb’ no. 552]
‘I command you with five things, which Allaah has ordered me with: to hear and obey the ruler, and Jihad, with Hijra (Migration) and al-Jammah[1].