٢) باب الاقتداء بسنن رسول الله)
Chapter 2: Following the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet
After you are told that the Qur'an and Sunnah are جوامع الكلم, What should you do? You have to follow them.
The title consists of four statements:
1. باب الاقتداء بسنن رسول الله
What is the relation between this statement and كتاب العتصام بالكتاب و السنة? It is as if Bukhari wants to tell us that the real معتصم is a مقتدي.
Everyone claims they are following the Qur'an and Sunnah. In this chapter he mentions the conditions required for الاقتداء.
2. (و جعلنا للمتقين اماما)
This is mentioned in (25:74) , in the دعاء of the عباد الرحمن.
3. Explaining this statement, Mujahid said "أئمة نقتدي بمن قبلنا و يقتدي بِنَا من بعدنا" "(Make us) a community that follows the righteous people who preceded us, and whom those succeeding may follow" (Fath Al-Bari)
You are asking Allah to make you follow those who came before you, such that those who come after you will follow you. You want to reform yourself and the people around you. In order to achieve this, you should:
- Learn about what the Prophet and his companions did and said.
- Follow their example
- Teach others
How do we distinguish between asking Allah to make us امام للمتقين and seeking fame, leadership, dominance?
According to the statement of Mujahid, when you learn, act, and teach, you'll do so focusing on the people that came before you. You won't have arrogance, seek fame, etc. because your eyes won't be looking at the people you're teaching. What's established in your heart is the love to guide to good. Know that if you are sincere and truthful, Allah will put بركة and compensate you; so as you focused on those before you, Allah will make others who come after focus on you. So it becomes like a chain, beginning from the Prophet:
The Prophet -> The companions -> The Tabi'een -> Tabi'een At-Tabi'een -> etc.
And this is exactly what السلفيه is. It isn't a sect, or restricted to a people. It is a methodology, a Manhaj. Whoever follows the Qur'an, The Sunnah, the way of the companions, is on the way of the Salaf.
But never be ambitious for leadership. In fact, leadership is something you need to run away from.
It is as if you are asking Allah to make people accept you and your teachings, and not to be of the leaders of misguidance. Look at the scholars. They followed the سنة of the Prophet and his companions, this is why their students are following their footsteps now. It's a chain.
Allah described those who are successful with him in (32:24):
"و جعلنا منهم أئمة يهدون بأمرنا لما صبروا و كانوا بائاياتنا يوقنون"
And he describes the losers in (28:41):
"و جعلنا أئمة يدعون إلى النار و يوم القيامة لا ينصرون"
If you look at the deviated sects, and you ask who they are following, their chain ends up with one of their Sheikhs or Imams. It never ends up with the Prophet. This is how you distinguish between truth and falsehood.
4.
Abdullah Ibn Aun is one of the smaller of the تابعين. He tells us how the life of a مقتدي should be:
HADITH: On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, The Prophet said, "None of you will believe until you love for your brother what you love for yourself" (Agreed upon)
He loved this for himself and his brothers.
a) This Sunnah
يتعلموها -> We have to learn the authentic Hadiths
And if you don't understand, then ask.
b) The Qur'an
يتفهموه -> Ibn Abbas said this means تدبر
And if there is something not clear, then ask.
Why didn't he use the same word for both the Qur'an and Sunnah? Because the Sunnah wasn't compiled in one book at that time. They had to put in extra effort, whereas the Qur'an was in their hands. They just needed to make تدبر.
c) يدعوا - To leave the people
If you really want to be للمتقين اماما then leave the people, especially in their worldly affairs. There is no need to interfere into their lives الا من خير. Unless you want to teach them, advise them, etc. then deal with them. Otherwise stay away from them. There's no need to know about their private affairs. Keep people safe from your speech.
If you leave the people you will have a lot more time to focus on learning. But if you sit with them, talk about this and that, and what she said and he said, then your example is lost.
Also, when you teach people, advise them, enjoin good and forbid the evil, then do so and leave. Let them decide if they want to listen or not, and your reward is with Allah. You don't need to follow up on them and see if they're listening and acting upon what you say. This will cause you فتنة.
Many people want to see the impact of their advice on the people. If you really did something for the sake of Allah, then leave them. Your reward is with Allah. This is something that requires a lot of change in oneself.
HADITH: On the authority of Abu Hurairah who said: The Messenger of Allah said, "Part of the perfection of someone’s Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.” (at-Tirmithi)
Also many lecturers talking about religion for hours without referring to the Qur'an and Sunnah. Instead of connecting them to Allah's book and the Sunnah, they cut people off from it.
E.g. Someone may be teaching a religious matter whose both women and men sit mixed in the same hall.
In Islam, Allah and His Messenger emphasized separation between men and women as much as possible to avoid فتنة. And peoples excuse is that it's the 21st century, etc.
When Allah mentioned the story of Musa in Madyan, He drew our attention to certain characteristics: The two women were staying away, waiting until the men had finished.
HADITH: Abu Hurairah reported: The Messenger of Allah said, “The best of the men’s rows (in prayer) is the first row and the worst is the last; but the best of the woman’s row is the last and the worst of their rows is the first. [Muslim].
This is because the last rows are farthest from the men.
If there was no problem in free mixing them the Qur'an and Sunnah would have told us to do it. Many people say they are following the Qur'an and Sunnah, but their behavior doesn't reflect that of the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Hadith 7275:
Hadith 1594:
The second Hadith clarifies to us where this occurred. شيبه embraced Islam after the conquest of Makkah. He was of the family of those entrusted the key of the Ka'bah.
This Hadith is mentioned in the chapter of كسوة الكعبه. Many scholars pondered over the reason behind this.
Perhaps it is because during the time of ignorance, the Arabs would give gold and silver as gifts in the Ka'bah as a magnification for it. They would keep this inside the Ka'bah. Therefore, the covering of the Ka'bah is a kind of honoring the Ka'bah, just as these treasures were. The Prophet used to cover it with cloth as well, but not as fancy as it is nowadays. Perhaps Imam AlBukhari wanted to clarify that its legality in the religion.
It is permissible to divide the cloth of the Ka'bah among the people. They would cut it, sell it, divide the money among the poor. The problem is when people do it seeking barakah.
Q. Why didn't the Prophet distribute it?
A. HADITH: Aishah relates that the Prophet said: “O Aishah! Were your people not close to the Pre-Islamic times of ignorance, I would have had the Ka`bah demolished and would have included in it the portion which had been left, and would have made it at a level with the ground and would have made two doors in it, one towards the east and the other towards the west, and then by doing this it would have been built on the foundations laid by Abraham.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]
The Prophet didn't distribute the gold and silver for the same reason. He was afraid of causing فتنة.
The relation of this to العتصام بالكتاب و السنة: Umar is an example of a مقتدي. He didn't argue, say but or why, we're in new times, etc.
As soon as he was given the evidence he gave up that idea. This is the true مقتدي.
Hadith 7276:
Hudaifah was the secret keeper of the Prophet.
The detailed Hadith is in 6497 (باب الرفع الأمانة - كتاب الرقاق):
الامانه indicates trust, honesty, obedience, duties, everything Allah enjoined, etc.
الامانه is ايمان, which if established in the heart, will make a person trustworthy.
This descended from the heavens, and entered into the roots of the hearts. This was well established. For 13 years in Makkah, the Prophet taught ايمان. THEN, the legislations started to come.
In the beginning the Prophet taught the companions general ايمان, then they learnt the Qur'an, and it increased.
This is how you bring up your kids. You teach them faith generally first, then when they study the Qur'an, the Qur'an will tell them everything in detail.
Relation between this with كتاب العتصام : If you want to be a مقتدي you first have to take care of your Eeman, and then study the Qur'an and Sunnah. Check if it is decreasing or increasing. Don't leave it to go down, until you become like the person who looks good outwardly, but inwardly has nothing.
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