The Light of the Sunnah & Tawheed is With the People of Hadeeth
and the
Darkness of Bida’ and Following Desires Reigns Over Other Than the People of Hadeeth
Compiled by
The Eminent Shaykh, the Muhaddith,
Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Indeed the place which is enlightened by the Book and the Sunnah in the Islaamic world is the place of the People of Hadeeth, as-Salafiyoon.
Indeed the place which is darkened in the Islaamic world is the place of the People of Bida’ and misguidance, those who oppose the people of Hadeeth and wage war against them.
Indeed the present day political groups – who have among them Ikhwaan Muslimoon and their likes – and the deviant sects – who have among them Jamaat Tabligh – want this darkness to remain in dominance over the Islaamic world and to cover it, they do not even move against it. They have no intention of eliminating it and they have no Manhaj (methodology) to direct them to its removal or to establish Tawheed and the light of the Book and the Sunnah, taking its place.
So they guard this darkness – especially the darkness of the Rafidah and Soofeeyah– with the justification that they are combating the enemies of Islaam, although they definitely do not do this. Their justification is that they say, ‘We cooperate in what we agree upon and overlook what we differ upon,’ which they justify further with their claim that they gather the Muslims together along with the Rawafidah and the extreme Soofees in order to confront the enemies of Islaam.
Then, they wage war against the people of Hadeeth, placing different obstacles and hindrances in front of them which then prevent the people from being enlightened by that which the People of Hadeeth have of the light of Tawheed and the light of the Book, the Sunnah and the Manhaj of the Salaf-as-Saalih.
How long will the defence of this darkness subjected upon the Ummah continue?
When will the Muslims see this light?
Ibn Qayyim -Rahimullaah- said, quoting as-Samaanee -Rahimullaah:
‘Every sect from the people of Bida’ claims that they adhere to the Sharia’ of Islaam and that the truth the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– established is what they believe in and profess. However, Allah has denied them that as the truth and correct ‘Aqeedah will only be with the People of Hadeeth and Athaar because they successively took their Deen and beliefs with from those who preceded them, generation by generation, until they reached the Tabi’een.
The Tabi’een took it from the Companions of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam and the Companions took it from the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.
There is no way of knowing what the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– called the people to, of the straight path, except by way of what the People of Hadeeth followed.
What shows that the People of Hadeeth are upon the truth is that if you were to research all the books authored by them, from the first to the last, the oldest to the newest, you would find – despite the fact that they are from different countries and time periods with vast distances between their lands, each of them living in their own regions- that in the matter of belief they are on one path, they flow in one direction following that path and they do not diverge from it, nor do they deviate from it. Their hearts are one heart; you do not see any differing in what they narrated nor any divisions or differing in any issue, no matter how small it may be.
Rather, if everything they uttered with their tongues and what they narrated from the Salaf were gathered you would find it as though it had come from one heart and spoken by one tongue. So is there any evidence clearer than this to show the truth?
Allaah Ta’ala said:
<< Do they not then consider the Qur’aan carefully? Had it been from other than Allaah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction. >> [Nisa:82]
Allaah Ta’ala said:
<< And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allaah (i.e. this Qur’aan), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allaah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islaamic Faith)>> [Aali-Imraan: 103]
The reason that the people of Hadeeth are united is because they take their Deen and method of narration from the Book and the Sunnah and so, they inherit unity and harmony.
The people of Bida’ took the Deen from their intellects so they inherited separation and differences.
Indeed conveying and narrating from trustworthy, precise narrators ensures that differences are rare and if there were a difference it would be in a single word or the wording of a narration. This differing does not harm the Deen, not does it belittle it. As for following intellects and desires, ideas and opinions, they rarely bring unity.
We have seen that the Companions of Hadeeth, past and present, are those who travelled for these Aathaar. They sought them and took from their sources, they memorized them and became delighted by them, they called to following these narrations and they rebuked those who opposed them. They had numerous narrations between them such that they became famous due to them, just as a craftsman becomes famous because of his skill and what he produces.
Then we saw a people who became disconnected from their memorization and knowledge and deviated from following the well-known, authentic narrations. They absolved themselves from the companionship of its people and attacked the narrations and their people. These people abandoned the rights due to this knowledge, they ascribed evil examples to it and to the people of hadeeth, giving them the vilest of descriptions. So, they called them Nawasib (haters of the family of the Prophet), Mushabiha (those who compare Allaah to the creation), Hashaweeyah (those who busy themselves with things of no benefit) or Mujjassama (those who ascribe a physical body to Allaah). So we came to know, from the correct proofs and supporting evidences, that the people of hadeeth have more right to it (i.e. the knowledge of hadeeth/narrations) than the rest of the sects.’ [Mukhtasir as-Sawaaiq pg 423-429]
The new opponents of the People of Hadeeth continually repeat the attacks that the communist, laymen and Baaith party (a political party with strong socialist tendencies) use against their opponents from amongst the Muslims and other than them, attacking with such statements as, ‘they are spies,’ ‘working for America,’ ‘ scholars of the royal courts’ or ‘scholars who want meals.’
We ask Allaah for guidance that everyone returns to the truth, turning away from falsehood and departing from the darkness of Bida’.
Written by
Rabee bin Haadee Umayr al-Madkhalee
19/5/1421 AH