In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Sharh as-Sunnah: Point #3 The Companions are the foundation for our religion

By Shaykh Rabee’ bin Haadee al-Madkhali may Allah preserve him

This is the shaykh’s explanation for the third point in the book entitled “Sharh as-Sunnah” by the great Imaam Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn ‘Alee ibn Khalaf al-Barbahaaree 329 AH.

Imaam al-Barbahaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

3: “The foundation upon which the Jamaa’ah is built is the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with them. They are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, so whoever does not take from them has gone astray and innovated and every innovation is misguidance, and misguidance and its people are in the Fire.”

The foundation is that what Jamaa’ah is built upon and it is (built upon) the Book and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him). The best people who stuck to the Book and the Sunnah were the Companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) in matters of creed, acts of worship, jihaad, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, and in the rest of the affairs in the religion and worldly life. Allah has praised them (in His Book) and informed us that He is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. They were the best nation taken out from mankind enjoining the good, and the head of that was enjoining Tawheed. They (also) forbade evil and at the head of that was forbidding Shirk (polytheism) and Bid’ah (innovations).

Regarding their status, Allah said:

وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ ٱلرَّسُولَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ ٱلۡهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعۡ غَيۡرَ سَبِيلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِۦ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصۡلِهِۦ جَهَنَّمَ‌ۖ وَسَآءَتۡ مَصِيرًا

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination.” [Nisaa: 115]

So they, may Allah be pleased with them, were upon the straight path clinging to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him).

Therefore, whoever does not cling to the path of those believers, after it has been shown clearly to them, in their belief, acts of worship, and the rest of the affairs in the religion, then they have opposed the Messenger (peace be upon him) and have followed a path other than the believers.

Whoever does that then Allah will entrust him to his own soul and misguidance, keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination.

It is upon the Muslims to know the status and degree of the Companions with Allah and with His Messenger (peace be upon him) and to follow their path. Allah made them the standard for the truth just He has mentioned in the verse (above).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيينَ، عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ؛ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ

“Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the rightly Guided Caliphs, those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly with your molar teeth. Beware of newly invented matters (in the religion), for verily every bid’ah (innovation) is misguidance.” [Tirmidhi, Ahmad, Abu Dawud]

And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

افترقت اليهود الى احدى و سبعين فرقة و افترقت النصارى الى اثنتين و سبعين فرقة و ستفترق هذه الامة الى ثلاث و سبعين فرقة كلها في النار الا واحدة

“The Jews broke up into seventy-one sects, the Christians broke up into seventy-two sects, and this nation will break into seventy-three sects, and all of them are in the Fire except one.”

The Companions said, “Who are they O Messenger of Allah?” He responded, “What my Companions and I are upon.” [al-’Iraaqi “al-Ihyaa” 2/884-885, Al-Baghawi “Sharh as-Sunnah” 1/213, and others]

And the most evil of these sects are the Rawaafidh and Khawaarij those who opposed the Companions of Muhammad in their belief and methodology. Rather, they even curse the Companions and the Rawaafidh deem the noble Companions as disbelievers except for a few.

The author said regarding the Companions:

“They are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, so whoever does not take from them has gone astray and innovated and every innovation is misguidance, and misguidance and its people are in the Fire.”

The Companions are the foundational origin for Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. So whoever transverses the Companions’ path and methodology in creed then they are considered to be from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, and those who oppose the Companions in these matters then they are from the people of innovation, misguidance, and from the people in the Fire.

Translated by: Abu Awzaa’ee AbdusSalaam

الفقير الى الله