The Book Al-I’tisam bil-Kitab wal-Sunnah
Holding the Book and Sunnah as Obligatory and Its Commands
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Malik bin Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard this narration that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
تركت فيكم أمرين لن تضلوا ما تمسكتم بهما: كتاب الله وسنة رسوله
“I have left among you two things: the Book of Allah (the Holy Quran) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him). As long as you hold fast to these two, you will never be misguided.”
② Sayyiduna Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إني تارك فيكم ما إن تمسكتم به لن تضلوا بعدي، أحدهما أعظم من الآخر: وهو كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض، وعترتي أهل بيتي، ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا على الحوض، فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما
“I am leaving among you things; if you hold fast to them, you will never be misguided after me. One of them is greater than the other, and that is the Book of Allah, which is like a rope extended from the heaven to the earth, and the other is my family, my Ahl al-Bayt. These two will never separate until they come to me at the Pond (Al-Kawthar). So see how you take succession regarding these two.”
, this narration is transmitted through two weak chains, one of which includes Atiah bin Saad Al-Aufi as narrator who is truthful but makes many mistakes, is a mudallis and narrates from ‘An,
, and the other narration includes Habib bin Abi Thabit who is trustworthy, a jurist, prolific narrator, but also a mudallis and frequently narrates with broken chains,
③ Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reports, I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) addressing his she-camel Qaswa on the day of Arafah during the Farewell Pilgrimage, and I heard him say:
تركت فيكم ما إن أخذتم به لن تضلوا: كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي
“I have left among you something; if you hold fast to it, you will never be misguided: the Book of Allah and my family, my Ahl al-Bayt.”
Following the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
① It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had a gold ring made. When he ﷺ wore it, he would turn the gemstone towards the inside of his palm, so people also started doing the same. Then, when the Prophet ﷺ sat on the pulpit, he took it off and said:
إني كنت ألبس هذا الخاتم وأجعل فصه من داخل
“If I wear this ring, I would turn its gemstone inward.” Then the Prophet ﷺ threw it away.
And the Noble Prophet ﷺ said:
والله لا ألبسه أبدا
“By Allah! I will never wear it again.” So the people also threw away their rings.
② And it is also narrated from him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to wear a gold ring, but when he threw it away, he said:
لا ألبسه أبدا
“I will never wear it.”
So the people also threw away their rings.
Avoiding the Things Allah Has Forbidden
① Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
دعوني ما تركتكم، فإنما هلك من كان قبلكم بسؤالهم واختلافهم على أنبيائهم، فإذا نهيتكم عن شيء فاجتنبوه، وإذا أمرتكم بأمر فأتوا منه ما استطعتم
“Do not ask me about things I do not inform you about; the people before you were destroyed because they asked their Prophets more questions and differed with them. So when I forbid you from something, avoid it, and when I command you to do something, do it according to your ability.”
