Tafseer Benefits: The Scholars are Authority Figures

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful…

In a response to a recent exposition of the Almaghrib Institute and their direction, one of our visitors who has (apparently) been influenced by their teachings requested us to reflect on the Verse of the Quran:

يا أيها الذين آمنوا أطيعوا الله وأطيعوا الرسول وأولي الأمر منكم وإن تنازعتم في شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسول إن كنتم تؤمنون بالله واليوم الآخر ذلك خير وأحسن تأويلا
“O you who believe! Obey Allah, obey His Messenger, and (obey) those of you who are in authority. If you differ in anything, refer it back to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and a more suitable outcome.” [4:59]

The confused advisor assumed that -based on his misunderstanding of the Verse- Muslims are required to return the affairs they disagree about back to the Book and the Sunnah, and not to the scholars of Islaam, and that is one more reason to avoid “blindly following” the scholars. (While blind-following was never endorsed or encouraged in any of our writings in the first place!)

This is one of the common effects of the Almaghrib scheme – that people understand any connection to the scholars as “blindly following” them. As a result, people actually believe that removing the scholars from their lives is better and even supported in the Quran!

Response to This Point of Confusion

Yes indeed, we refer back to Allaah and His Messenger (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace). But without the scholars? How could we come to this conclusion?

We do not take one Verse and ignore other Verses! Allaah has Continue reading

Avoiding the Misguided Sects: The Prophetic Solution

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

After warning his Ummah about the splitting and differing that will take place, the Messenger of Allaah (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) clarified that the one single group of the 73 sects that will go to Paradise is known as “the Jamaa’ah”. [1]

This is further detailed in another narration (what means): “What I and my companions are upon.” [2]

These narrations are authentic by way of their numerous supporting chains. [3]

In another crucially important hadeeth, the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) said (what means): “Those of you who live long after me shall witness great differing. So upon you is (to follow) my Sunnah, and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Caliphs, hold tightly to it and bite onto it with your molar teeth. And be warned of newly-invented matters (in the Religion), as every newly-invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.” [4]

Which group today remains firm upon this way? When you look to all the various groups and their foundations, you only find one group today that claims pure adherence to the way of the Prophet and his noble companions. They are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, the people who cling tightly to the way of the Prophet (may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) and his companions. Whether you call them Sunnis, Salafees, Atharees, Ahlul-Hadeeth, Ahlul-Athar, or any other description, they are the only ones whose true allegiance is to the Book and the Sunnah, according to the understanding of the Companions. They are the Jamaa’ah described in the hadeeth. [5]

Is the Jamaa’ah the Majority of the Muslims?

Some people are confused by a common notion that the word “Jamaa’ah” refers to the majority of the Muslims. Based on this Continue reading

Shaykh Ibn Baaz: The Raafidhah Cult (of Iran) are the Most Dangerous of all the Innovators

In the Glorious Name of Allaah, the Ever Compassionate, the All Merciful…

The modern state of Iran is officially an Ithnaa’ashariyyah (Twelver Shiite) state, where 90-95% of the people there are Twelvers, also known as Raafidhah, Imaamiyyah, or Ja’faree Shias.

Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy upon him) identified this specific sect as the most dangerous of all Shia sects. He said:

…The Shiites have many different sects, each one having a variety of deviations. The most dangerous of them is the Khomeinian Raafidhah Twelver Sect (the official religion of Iran), due to the large number of their missionaries and all the major acts of polytheism found in it, like seeking help from the (deceased) Prophetic family members, believing them to have knowledge of the Unseen, especially the twelve imams, as they claim. This is also due to their expelling the majority of the Companions from the Religion and their abusive speech toward them, the likes of Aboo Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them). We ask Allaah for safety from the falsehood they are upon…

Source: His Fatwaa Collection (4/439). (Arabic)

Shaykh Ibn Baaz was also asked about the concept of Ahlus-Sunnah coming together with the Raafidhah Shiites. He replied:

It is not possible for Ahlus-Sunnah to come together with the Raafidhah, because the ‘aqeedah (belief system) is different. The basic belief of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is to worship Allaah alone – the Glorified and Most High – , singling Him out in all acts of worship. No one may be called upon other than Him, not an angel high in status, nor a prophet dispatched (by Allaah Himself). Furthermore, only Allah – the Glorified and Most High – knows the Unseen.

From the belief system of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is Continue reading

Hadeeth Study: Only Allaah Punishes With Fire

In the Perfect Name of Allaah…

Imaam Aboo Daawood (may Allaah have Mercy on him) collected three hadeeths in a chapter of his Sunan called “The Detestable Nature of Burning the Opposing Forces (in Military Confrontation) With Fire.”

The first two hadeeths narrated by Aboo Hamzah al-Aslamee (#2673) and Aboo Hurayrah (#2674) – may Allaah be pleased with them – include the following clear prohibition:

لا يعذب بالنار إلا رب النار

“No one may punish using fire other than the Lord of the Fire (Allaah).”

The third hadeeth narrated by ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood (#2675) – may Allaah be pleased with him – includes Continue reading