The following are some of my notes from a class I was in with Shaykh Saaleh bin Fawzaan Al Fawzaan back in March 18th, 2008 on a Tuesday in Masjid Kanoo (Sa’ad Al-Ghamdi’s Masjid). The notes are partial translation as I could not write that fast.
The Shaykh حفظه الله begins with the بسملة Basmalah and by praising Allaah and sending the Salaah and Salaam upon the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم
To Proceed:
Verily the Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم was send by Allaah with the guidance the the True Religion.
The guidance is: Beneficial Knowledge
The True Religion: is Righteous Actions
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sent for knowledge and action, and he called to Allaah, and he made a correct and True struggle (Jihaad) and he came across harms and he was patient until Allaah manifested the Religion as Allaah says in this Ayah:
أرسل رسوله بالهدى ودين الحق ليظهره على الدين كله ولو كره المشركون
((It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islaam), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikun hate (it).)) (Surah at-Tawbah: 33)
And in the end of his life, he advised his Ummah with an important advice against the deviances in the religion, from that warned his Ummah and his Sahaabah with a stern warning as it comes in the Hadeeth of ‘Irbaadh bin Saariyyah رضي الله عنه:
وعظنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يوما بعد صلاة الغداة موعظة بليغة ذرفت منها العيون ووجلت منها القلوب، فقال رجل: إن هذه موعظة مودع فماذا تعهد إلينا يا رسول الله؟
أوصيكم بتقوى الله عز و جل و السمع و الطاعة و إن تأمر عليكم عبدٌ حبشيٌ، فإنه من يعش منكم فسيرى اختلافا كثيرا ، فعليكم بسنتي و سنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين تمسكوا بها و عضوا عليها بالنواجذ ، و إياكم و محدثات الأمور ، فإن كل محدثة بدعة ، و كل بدعة ضلالة ، و كل ضلالة في النار
((The messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم gave us a warning after the Salaatul Ghadaa a strong warning which causes sadness to the eyes and softens the heart so a man said: This warning sounds a farewell warning so what do you advise us with O Messenger of Allaah? and he said: I advise you to have taqwaa of Allaah and to hear and to obey, even if an Abyssinian slave becomes your leader. Those of you who live long after me will see a lot of differences, so hold fast to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after me. Cling to it tightly and beware of newly-invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance is in the Fire.))
(Related by Aboo Daawood (no. 4607), at-Tirmidhee (no. 2676). The addition: “…and every misguidance is in the Fire.” was narrated by al-Bayhaqee (10/114) and other than him)
This Hadeeth is a very important advise for the Ummah, from those who know about the Fitan (trials) and the Evil and the callers to deviance, those who do not cease to call away from the path of Allaah and actions upon misguidance and deviance, those who desire to deviate the Muslims, from the Jews and the Christians and Mushrikeen and the Mulhids and the Munaafiqeen, all of them will call to and divide against this religion and this is why he advised the Ummah with holding fast to his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Khulafaa’ ar-Raashideen, so that the people are cleared from this differing.
And he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
إني تاركم فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعده ابدا: كتاب الله وسنتي
((I leave behind you something that if you hold on to it then you will never go astray after, The Book of Allaah and My Sunnah))
(Reported by Bukhaaree and Muslim)
And he صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
قد تركتكم على البيضاء ليلها كنهارها لا يزيغ عنها بعدي إلا هالك
((I left you upon a clear white path, its night is like its day, no one deviates from it except one who is destroyed))
(Sunan Ibn Maajah (no. 43 “Ittibaa’ Sunnatul Khulaafaa ar-Raashideen al-Mahdiyyeen))
And like this Hudhayfah bin al Yamaan رضي الله عنه
كان الناس يسألون رسول الله-صلى الله عليه وسلم- عن الخير، وكنت أسأله عن الشر مخافة أن يدركني
((The people used to ask about the good, and I would ask about the evil fearing that it will overtake me))
(Reported by Bukhaaree)
And this has a great understanding, that it is not sufficient to just ask about the good and study the good alone, but it must be asked about the opposite of it.
For if the people learn the Good and they do not learn the opposite of it to warn from it and avoid it, then he will fall into it out of not knowing or thinking that it is good.
So the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم was asked in the long Hadeeth of Hudhayfah bin al Yamaan رضي الله عنه:
فقلت: يا رسول الله، إنا كنا في جاهلية وشر فجاءنا الله بهذا الخير فهل بعد الخير شر؟ قال: نعم. فقلت: فهل بعد هذا الشر من خير؟ قال: نعم وفيه دخن، قال قلت: وما دخنه؟ قال: قوم يستنون بغير سنتي ويهدون بغير هديي تعرف منهم وتنكر، فقلت هل بعد ذلك الخير من شر؟ قال: نعم فتنة عمياء دعاة على أبواب جهنم، من أجابهم إليها قذفوه فيها. فقلت: يا رسول الله، صفهم لنا، قال: نعم، قوم من جلدتنا ويتكلمون بألسنتنا، فقلت: يا رسول الله، وما تأمرني إن أدركت ذلك، قال تلزم جماعة المسلمين وإمامهم قلت فإن لم يكن لهم جماعة ولا إمام؟ قال: فاعتزل تلك الفرق كلها، ولو أن تعض على أصل الشجرة حتى يدركك الموت وأنت على ذلك
((I said: ‘O Prophet of Allaah, verily we used to be in ignorance and evil, then Allaah brought us this good, so after this good will there come evil?’
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘Yes.’
I said: ‘And after this evil, will there come good?’
He said: ‘Yes, but it will be tainted (lit: in it is dakhn).’
I said: ‘And what is dakhn?’
He said: ‘People calling to other than my guidance. You will approve of some of what they say and disapprove of some.’
I said: ‘So, will there be evil after this good?
He said: ‘Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the gates of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation will be thrown into it.’
I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), describe these people to us.’
He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘They will belong to us and speak our language.’
I said: ‘What do you order me to do if this should happen during my life?’
He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘Adhere to the group of Muslims (Jamaa’ah) and their leader.’
I then asked: ‘And if there is no group or leader?
He (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: ‘Keep away from all of the different sects, even if you have to bite upon the root of a tree until you die in that state.’”))
So he mentioned that there will be people who will bring into this deen what is not from it, and this is the Dakhan. And after this will come good, because Allaah will give some good days and bad days to mankind.
Allaah says:
تلك الأيام نداولها بين الناس
((And so are the days (good and not so good), We give to men by turns)) (Surah Aal Imraan: 140)
The innovation and hatred but there will not always be evil alhamdulillaah. But this the Muslims should not despair because the good will come and good will come from the people of Good as the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
لا تزال طائفةٌ من أمتي على الحق ظاهرين لا يضرهم من خذلهم ولا مَن خالفهم حتى تقوم الساعة
((There will never cease to be a group from my ummah manifest upon the Truth, they will not be harmed by those who oppose them or differ with them, until the arrival of the Hour))
(Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh 3/1523 and Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad (5/278) and Abee Daawood in his Sunan (4/420) and others)
He also mentioned that there will be callers to evil and call the people to the doors of the Hell and misguide them, like in our times and you are in the times where this is present, so they say go with the people like we hear now. And these people misguide and call away from the deen and these people will exist as the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, callers to the Fire, they will exist:
أولئك يدعون إلى النار والله يدعو إلى الجنة
((They are the ones who call to the Fire and Allaah calls to the Jannah))(Surah al-Baqarah: 221)
There are people who call to the Fire, the Shaytaan…
Allaah says:
إن الشيطان لكم عدو فاتخذوه عدوا إنما يدعو حزبه ليكون من أصحاب السعير
((Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.)) (Surah Faatir: 6)
So like there are callers to the Good, beside them there are callers to the Evil, and like there are callers to the Jannah there are callers to the fire.
And they do not say to the people: “Come to the Fire”, they say “Come to the good” and like this, but they wear the clothing of good and mislead the people those who have confusion and the likes of this.
So those who follow them will fall into their evil and the fire. And it’s understood that those who disobey them then they are saved from it, so it upon us to warn against them.
So Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه asked to describe them, and he صلى الله عليه وسلم described them as people from us who speak with our language, so then look at the doubt… we would not know. What was his advise? To hold fast to to the Jamaa’ah of the Muslimeen and the Imaam of the Muslimeen, just as was said in the Hadeeth of ‘Irbaadh bin Saariyyah رضي الله عنه to hear and obey the Imaam even if he is a slave, and do not listen to the groups of misguidance and the people who call away from the Imaam and the Jamaa’ah.
Allaah says:
واعتصموا بحبل الله جميعا ولا تفرقوا
((And hold fast to the rope of Allaah and do not differ)) (Surah Aal Imraan)
And he warned us from splitting,
ولا تكونوا من الذين تفرقوا
((And do not be from those who split))
And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم warned us from splitting and differing and disobeying the rulers over us, the Wulaat al Umoor.
من فارق الجماعة فمات فميتته ميتة جاهلية
((Whoever splits from the Jamaa’ah and dies, then his death is a death of Jaahiliyyah))
And this death is a death of Jaahiliyyah because in jaahiliyyah they had no Imaam or leader over them and this is from the aspects of Jaahiliyyah.
So he was asked if a Jamaa’ah was not present then what to do?
Look at Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه, he asked how many questions? He was not sufficed with just one question so he can learn and know. So the reply was to leave all the groups, all of them.
So stick with what the Messenger of Allaah and the Sahaabah were upon and hold fast to it with your molar teeth.
So avoid all of the groups and stick with the Sunnah, and even if you are by yourself.
And this was the advice of the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم that we hold fast to the Quraan and Sunnah and we avoid all the deviant groups, and stick with the Imaam and the Jamaa’ah.
He said:
فاعتزل تلك الفرق كلها ولو أن تعض بأصل الشجرة
((Isolate yourself from all the sects even if you must bite down on the roots of a tree))
(This Hadeeth has been recorded by al-Bukhaaree (13/35) and Muslim (4/514))
ألا و إن من قبلكم من أهل الكتاب افترقوا على ثنتين و سبعين ملة ، و إن هذه الملة ستفترق على ثلاثِ و سبعين : ثنتان و سبعون في النار ، وواحدة في الجنة، و هي الجماعة
((Indeed the people who came before you from the People of the Book split into 72 sects, and indeed this nation will split up into 73 sects: 72 in the fire and one in Jannah, and they are the Jamaa’ah))
(This was reported by Imaam Ahmad and others and al-Haafidh graded it as Hasan)
In another narration there occurs:
كلهم في النار إلا مله واحدة : ما أنا عليه و أصحابي
((All of them in the fire except one way: What I and my Companions are upon))
(And this was narrated by at-Tirmidhee and is graded as Hasan by al-Albaanee in his Saheeh al-Jaami’ 5219)
This is the path of success, like in the statement of Allaah:
و أن هذا صراطي مستقيما فاتّبعوه، و لا تتّبعوا السبل فتفرق بكم عن سبيله ، ذلكم وصاكم به لعلكم تتقون
((And verily this is My Path, so follow it, and do not follow other paths for they will separate you away from His Path))
So there is no salvation except with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah.
This was the advice of Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم and we leave the rest for Questions.
