Remaining Steadfast Upon the Sunnah
By
Shaykh Rabee’ bin Hadi al-Madkhali
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Shaykh Rabee’ bin Hadi al-Madkhali said:
‘Allaah says:
وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعٗا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواْۚ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ كُنتُمۡ أَعۡدَآءٗ فَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِكُمۡ
فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦٓ إِخۡوَٰنٗا وَكُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفۡرَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنۡهَاۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ
تَهۡتَدُونَ
<< And hold firmly to the rope of Allaah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allaah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allaah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided. >> [Ala’-Imraan: 103]
And Allaah said:
ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۗ قَلِيلٗا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
<< Follow, [O mankind], what has been revealed to you from your Lord and do not follow other than Him any allies. Little do you remember. >> [Araaf: 3]
And He –Tabarak wa Ta’ala- said:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَبۡشِرُواْ بِٱلۡجَنَّةِ
ٱلَّتِي كُنتُمۡ تُوعَدُونَ ٣٠ نَحۡنُ أَوۡلِيَآؤُكُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَفِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۖ وَلَكُمۡ فِيهَا مَا تَشۡتَهِيٓ أَنفُسُكُمۡ وَلَكُمۡ
فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ ٣١ نُزُلٗا مِّنۡ غَفُورٖ رَّحِيمٖ ٣٢
<< Indeed, those who have said, ‘Our Lord is Allaah’ and then remained on a right course – the angels will descend upon them, [saying], ‘Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. We [angels] were your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request [or wish]. As accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful.’>> [Fussilat: 30 -32]
This is praise from Allaah –Tabarak wa Ta’ala- upon those who remain steadfast (Isteeqamah) upon their Deen. (al-Isteeqamah) Remaining steadfast is being strong upon what Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- came with, rather upon what all the Prophets –alayhim as-Salaam- came with from ‘Aqeedah and Manhaj.
The Prophets have a great status with Allaah –Tabarak wa Ta’ala- due to them remaining steadfast upon the true Deen.
Those who say: << Our Lord is Allaah>> they are those who have believed in Allaah –Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- with true Eemaan in His Names and Characteristics, and His Lordship, and that He is the true deity to be worshipped, so these people do not worship other than Him.
They affirm Allaah’s Lordship, and that He is the Creator of this universe, and its Controller and its Organizer. He is the Creator, the Provider, He gives and takes life as well as the other Characteristics of Lordship.
They affirm Allaah’s Beautiful Names, which befit His Majesty, His Magnificence and His Lordship – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- which is mentioned in the Qur’aan in the Sunnah. We believe in them as they have been mentioned, and this enters into this Isteeqamah (remaining steadfast).
Likewise they affirm Eemaan that Allaah is the only one deserving of worship; there is no true deity except Him – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. So, we do not worship anything except Him, and we single Him –Tabarak wa Ta’ala- out with sincerity of the Deen. We love Allaah with total love, and we fear Him and have awe of Him with total fear and awe. We desire of what is with Allaah – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter. We pray to Him and prostrate, we always hasten to turn to Allaah, we give the Zakah, we fast, remember Him and we read Qur’aan and all of that is done to come closer to Allaah – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
All of these aforementioned points are from the means of al-Isteeqamah and the evidences of al-Isteeqamah if we persistent upon these proofs and the rulings of the Deen.
Then these are from the indications that Allaah has given you success – InshAllaah – and that you are from those who are steadfast and those who are rightfully deserving of praise from Allaah -– Subhanahu wa Ta’ala. And that they are deserving of this great promise of this divine protection: <<the angels will descend upon them, [saying], Do not fear and do not grieve>> and when will this descent occur? It will be when the time of the death of Allaah’s slave approaches, and when he is about to leave this world, bid farewell to it and start the journey to the Hereafter, then Allaah sends Angels who give him glad tidings, make him strong, correct him and they remove fear from him.
<< Do not fear and do not grieve >> : which means not to fear the future of what is in front of you of the Hereafter, since what is in front of you is nothing except the Paradise and Allaah – Azza wa Jal- being pleased with you. Likewise not to grieve about what you left behind of wealth and offspring etc.
These good signs come to those who are strong upon the true Deen of Allaah, at a time of critical circumstances, and this is a very dangerous stage, and some people end up ruining their final ending – and Allaah’s refuge is sought – we ask Allaah to make us all steadfast.’
[Taken from: ‘Ithbaat ala Sunnah’ p.10-13]