Everyone should be characterized by the faith with which the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, were characterized, and which is mentioned in the following verse of the Quran, so that that servant will walk on the straight path. Accordingly, Allah, the Almighty, has said:
فَإِنْ آمَنُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا آمَنتُم بِهِ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوا ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا هُمْ فِي شِقَاقٍ ۖ فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“So if they believe as you have believed, then they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension. And Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”
And the noble saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is:
«اقتدوا باللذين من بعدى من أصحابي، أبى بكر وعمر، واهتدوا بهدي عمار وتمسكوا بعهد ابن مسعود »
“After me, follow my Companions, like Abu Bakr and Umar, and adopt the conduct of Ammar and firmly hold on to what Ibn Mas’ud has narrated.”
Allama Bar Bahari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«فانظر رحمك الله كل من سمعت كلامه من أهل فى شيء منه حتى تسأل وتنظر: هل تكلم به أصحاب زمانك خاصة فلا تدخلن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، أو أحد من العلماء؟ فإن وجدت فيه أثر أعنهم فتمسك به، ولا تجاوزه لشيي ولا تختار عليه شيئا، فتسقطفي النار»
“O reader! May Allah have mercy on you, do not hasten towards every statement you hear, especially from the people of our time, nor try to act upon it until you ask the scholars and reflect whether (this statement) was said by any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, or by any of the true scholars. If you find any evidence or proof regarding it, then firmly adhere to it and do not neglect it or prefer anything else over it.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, says:
“If anyone wants to make someone an ideal and model, then he should make the Companions of Muhammad, peace be upon him, his ideal, because they were the purest hearts of this Ummah in terms of hearts, deeply knowledgeable, free from affectation, the most steadfast in guidance, and of good character. They were the group chosen by Allah for the love of His Prophet, peace be upon him, and preferred for establishing His religion. (Therefore) you should acknowledge their virtue and follow their traces, conduct, and method, for they were on the true guidance and the straight path.”
Imam Bar Bahari, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«وهم أهل السنة والجماعة، فمن لم يأخذ عنهم، فقد ضل وابتدع، وكل بدعة ضلالة، والضلالة وأهلها فى النار»
“The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, are the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. Whoever does not take guidance from them in matters of religion has gone astray, has innovated, and every innovation is misguidance, and both misguidance and the misguided are destined for Hell.”
And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
« إن الله لا ينظر إلى صوركم وأموالكم، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وأعمالكم.»
“Allah does not look at your appearance or wealth, but He looks at your hearts and deeds.”
“Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: When Allah looked at the hearts of His servants, He found the best heart to be that of Muhammad, peace be upon him. So He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then after the heart of Muhammad, peace be upon him, He looked at the hearts of other people and found the hearts of the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to be the best. So He made them the ministers of His Prophet, who fight for His religion. Whatever they consider good is also good with Allah, and whatever they consider bad is also bad with Allah.”
Imam Al-Ajuri, may Allah have mercy on him
, says:
«فكل من رد سنن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وسنن أصحابه، فهو ممن شاقق الرسول وعصاه، وعصى الله عزوجل بتركه قبول السنن، ولو عقل هذا الملحد وأنصف من نفسه، علم أن أحكام الله عز وجل وجميع ما تعبد به خلقه إنما تؤخذ من الكتاب والسنة، وقد أمر الله عز وجل نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يبين لخلقه ما أنزله عليه مما تعبدهم به، فقال جل ذكره: ﴿ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾ (16-النحل:44)
He explained to the entire Ummah all the rulings imposed upon them and explained to them the matters of this world and the Hereafter and all that they must believe in. He did not leave them ignorant and unaware, until he informed them about death and the grave, what the believer meets therein, what the disbeliever meets therein, the matter of resurrection and standing (before Allah), and the states of Paradise and Hell, moment by moment, as known by the people of truth.”
“Whoever rejects the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and his Companions will be among those who oppose and disobey the Messenger of Allah, and by abandoning the Sunnah, he has also disobeyed Allah. If this irreligious person uses reason and judges fairly, he will realize that all the commands of Allah and the worship of His creation are derived only from the Book and the Sunnah. Allah commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him, to explain to His creation the revealed commands of worship, as He said:
وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
(And We sent down to you the Reminder so that you may explain to mankind what was sent down to them and that they might reflect.) Therefore, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, explained to his Ummah all the rulings imposed upon them, and he explained to them the matters of this world and the Hereafter and all that they must believe in. He did not leave them ignorant, but informed them about death and the grave, the fate of the believer and the disbeliever, the resurrection and standing (before Allah), and the states of Paradise and Hell, moment by moment, as known by the people of truth.”
Shaykh al-Islam Imam Ahmad ibn Abdul Halim, known as Ibn Taymiyyah
, states:
«ومن أهل السنة والجماعة مذهب قديم معروف قبل أن يخلق الله أبا حيفة ومالكا والشافعي وأحمد فإنه مذهب الصحابة الذين تلقوه عن نبهم ومن خالف ذلك كان مبتدعا عنداهل السنة والجماعة»
“The Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah is an ancient and well-known school of thought that existed even before Allah created Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on them. It is the school of the Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them. They learned this school from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, and whoever opposes it is considered an innovator by the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«فإنا نعلم بالضرورة أنه لم يكن فى عصر الصحاب رجل واحد اتخذ رجلا منهم»
“We know well that in the era of the Companions, there was no person who adhered to any one of them, meaning who accepted his jurisprudence or followed him.”
Similarly, to think that the solutions to newly arisen problems in the modern era are found in the old jurisprudential collections is also not correct because:
«من زعم أن الدين كله فى الفقه بحيث لا يبقى ورائه شيء فقد عاد عن الصواب»
“Whoever thinks that the entire religion has been encompassed in jurisprudence so that nothing remains is deviated from correct thinking.”
And the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
“The Jews split into seventy-one sects, and the Christians split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in the Fire except one.”
It was asked, “Which one is that?”
He (peace be upon him) said:
«ما أنا عليه وأصحابي»
“The one upon which I and my Companions are.”
The words used in the above narration «ما أنا عليه وأصحابي» explain the methodology of the Salaf upon which the one saved sect and victorious group will act. This will be the group that takes its methodology from the Noble Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. Furthermore, the Prophet, peace be upon him, clearly mentioned those who came immediately after the Companions:
«خير الناس قرني ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم.»
“The best people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.”
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
«أصول السنة عندنا : التمسك بما كان عليه أصحاب الرسول صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم والاقتداء بهم، وترك البدع ، وكل بدعة فهي ضلالة»
“Our principles of the Sunnah are:
(1) To firmly hold on to the path and methodology upon which the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, were, and to follow those noble people.
(2) To abandon innovations and superstitions. And know that every innovation is misguidance.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, states:
«من كان مستنا فليستن بمن قدمات فإن الحي لا تؤمن عليه الفتنة أولئك أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم كانوا أفضل هذه الأمة، أبرها قلوبا ، وأعمقها علما، وأقلها تكلفا اختارهم الله لصحبة نبيه، ولإقامة دينه، فاعرفولهم فضلهم، واتبعوهم على آثارهم، وتمسكوا بما استطعتم من اخلاقهم وسيرهم، فإنهم كانوا على الهدى المستقيم»
“Whoever wants to follow someone, let him follow those who died upon Islam, for the living are not safe from trials. The Companions of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, are the best among the Ummah of Islam. Their hearts are most obedient, their knowledge is profound, and they are free from affectation. Allah chose them for the companionship of His Prophet and for establishing His religion. So acknowledge all their virtues and follow their footsteps, and as much as possible, emulate their character and conduct. Surely, these people were on the path of guidance.”
The First Caliph Without Interruption, Our Master Abu Bakr Siddiq, May Allah Be Pleased With Him:
Let us look at the leader of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, the first person to hold the position of Caliph, Sayyiduna Siddiq Akbar, may Allah be pleased with him, to see how much love and attachment he had for the Sunnah.
Three days after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ, he ordered the gathering and dispatch of the army of Usama, may Allah be pleased with him. Considering the gravity of the situation, a large group of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, presented the demands of the time before the Prophet ﷺ, requesting that the army not be sent. Then Sayyiduna Siddiq Akbar, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
“If dogs and wolves tear me apart, still I will implement it just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered its implementation. I can never reject a decision made by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
He further said:
“Even if no one remains in the settlements except me, still I will implement it.”
Expressing his feelings further, he said:
“If I begin my affairs with anything other than the command issued by the Prophet ﷺ, I would prefer that birds tear me apart.”
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, said in his first sermon after becoming Caliph:
«إن أطعت الله ورسوله فأطيعوني، وإن عصيت الله ورسوله فأقيموني»
“If I obey Allah and the Messenger, then obey me; but if I disobey Allah and the Messenger, then set me right.”
Commander of the Faithful Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him:
«عن سعيد رضى الله عنه قال كان عمر بن الخطاب رضى الله عنه يقول: الدية للعاقلة ولا ترث المرأة من ديةزوجها شيئا، حتى قال له الصحال بن سفيان رضى الله عنه كتب إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن أورث امرأة أشيم الضبايي من ديقزوجها فرجع عمر رضى الله عنه »
“It is narrated from Hazrat Saeed (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyidna Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say that Diyah (blood money) is only for the relatives of the father, therefore the wife does not receive any share from her husband’s Diyah. Dhahak ibn Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Amir al-Mu’minin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me a message in writing that I should give the wife of Ashim Dhababi a share from her husband’s Diyah. Consequently, Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) withdrew from his opinion.”
Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) made a ruling regarding the Diyah of the fingers of the hand: the Diyah of the thumb is fifteen camels, the index and middle fingers are ten camels each, the ring finger is nine camels, and the little finger is six camels. However, when he learned that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had written a letter to the family of Hazm regarding Diyah in which it was stated that all fingers are equal, meaning all have equal Diyah, he withdrew his ruling and acted upon this hadith.
If a man or woman kills a pregnant woman and as a result her child also dies, the killer will be liable for Qisas or Diyah for killing the woman, but what will be the ruling regarding the death of the child in her womb? This issue arose during the time of Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), so he asked the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) in a public assembly. Hamal bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and mentioned an incident from the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), stating that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had ordered giving a slave as compensation for the fetus (unborn child).
When Sayyidna Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him) heard this hadith, he said:
«لو لم نسمع هذا لقضينا بغيره»
“If we had not heard this hadith, we would have made a different ruling.”
Sayyidna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Black Stone, kissed it, and said: “I know that you are a stone and neither can harm nor benefit. If I had not seen the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.”
Syed Na Usman Ghani Razi Allah Anhu :
You were extremely adherent to the Sunnah. Humran bin Aban narrates from Uthman Ghani رضي الله عنه that he asked for water, then performed ablution, rinsed his mouth and sniffed water into his nose, then washed his face three times and washed both his hands three times each, wiped his head, and washed both feet. Then he laughed and said to his companions: Will you not ask me why I laughed? The people said: Commander of the Faithful, what is the reason for your laughter? He said: I saw the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ask for a little water and then perform ablution as I have done, then he smiled and said: Will you not ask me why I laughed? The people said: O Messenger of Allah! What is the reason for your laughter? He صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “When a servant asks for water to perform ablution and then washes his face, Allah forgives the sins that have come from his face. When he washes both his hands, Allah forgives the sins of his hands in this way. When he wipes his head, Allah forgives the sins of his head in this way. And when he washes both his feet, Allah forgives the sins of his feet in this way.”
Syedna Ali Al-Murtaza, may Allah be pleased with him:
Sayyidna Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه said:
«ما كنت لآدع سنة النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم لقول أحد »
“I cannot abandon the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم because of anyone’s statement.”
When he رضي الله عنه stoned a woman on Friday, he said: “Indeed, I have stoned her according to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم.”
Once Sayyidna Ali رضي الله عنه was about to mount a horse, he placed his foot in the stirrup saying بسم الله, and when he reached the back of the horse, he said الحمدلله. Then he recited this verse:
لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ ﴿١٣﴾ وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ ﴿١٤﴾
Then he said الحمد لله three times and الله اكبر three times. After that, he recited this supplication:
سُبحانك إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْلِي، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ
Then he laughed. People asked the reason for his laughter, he said, “Once the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم mounted with the same restrictions and then laughed at the end. When I asked him the reason for laughing, he said that when a person prays this supplication with knowledge and certainty, Allah becomes pleased with him.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood رضي الله عنه :
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood رضي الله عنه: “Allah has cursed those who tattoo and those who get tattooed, those who pluck facial hair and those who have it plucked, those who widen their teeth for beauty, and those who alter the creation of Allah.” Then this news reached a woman from Bani Asad named Umm Ya’qub, who used to recite the Quran. She once came to Sayyiduna Abdullah رضي الله عنه and said: “I have heard that you have cursed those who tattoo and get tattooed, those who pluck facial hair and have it plucked, those who widen their teeth, and those who alter the creation of Allah.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah رضي الله عنه said: “Why should I not curse what the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم has cursed? And this is indeed in the Book of Allah.” The woman said: “I have read as much of the Quran as I could, but I did not find this.” Sayyiduna Abdullah رضي الله عنه said: “If you had read, you would have found it.” Allah Almighty says:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا
“Hold firmly to what the Messenger gives you, and refrain from what he forbids you.”
The woman said: “Some of these things are also done by your wife.” Sayyiduna Abdullah رضي الله عنه said: “Go and see for yourself.” She went to his wife but found nothing, then returned and said: “I did not see any of these things in her.” Sayyiduna Abdullah رضي الله عنه said: “If she did such things, we would not associate with her.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنه :
Imam Ibn Shahab Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Salim bin Abdullah told him that he heard a man from the land of Sham asking Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, about Hajj Tamattu. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, replied that it is permissible. The man from Sham said: Your honorable father forbade it. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: If my father forbade something but the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, performed it, should my father’s command be followed or the command of the Messenger of Allah? The man replied that the command of the Messenger of Allah should be followed. Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Then know that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, performed Hajj Tamattu.
Honorable Ibrahim Nakha’i, may Allah have mercy on him (who was the teacher of Imam Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him), says:
«لو بلغنى عنهم أنهم لم يجاوزوا بالوضوء صفرا ما جاوزتهم به، وكفى على قوم وزرا أن تخالف أعمالهم أعمال بنيتهم»
“If I receive from the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, that they performed ablution with no more than one fingernail’s length of water, I will not go beyond their practice. (That is, I will perform ablution with the amount of water equal to one fingernail) And it is sufficient sin for a people that their deeds oppose the deeds of their Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.”
Sayyiduna Arabadh bin Sariyah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
«وعليكم بسنتي وسنة الخلفاء الراشدين المهديين من بعدى تمسكوا بها وعضوا عليها بالنواجذ وإياكم ومحدثات الأمور»
“It is obligatory upon you to follow my Sunnah and way, and after me, the Sunnah and way of my rightly guided Caliphs (the four Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali, may Allah be pleased with them) is obligatory. Hold firmly to them as you would hold your upper teeth, and beware of innovating in the religion.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, says that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
«إن الإسلام بدأ غريبا، وسيعود غريبا كما بدأ وهويأرزبين المسجدين كما تأرز الحية فى جحرها»
“Islam was strange at first, and it will soon become strange again as it was at first. It will be between two mosques, like a snake that coils in its hole.”
Allama Khateeb Baghdadi, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated from Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, that he was with his companions. Then someone said: Tell us only from the Noble Quran. He said: Come closer to me. So the person came closer. He said: Look, if you and your companions rely only on the Noble Quran, will you find in the Quran that you and your companions pray four rak’ahs of Dhuhr and four rak’ahs of Asr and three rak’ahs of Maghrib as Sunnah prayers? If you and your companions rely only on the Noble Quran, will you find in the Quran that you and your companions perform Tawaf of the House of Allah and seven circuits of Safa and Marwah? Then he said: O people! Take from us, meaning the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. If you do not do this, you will surely be misguided.
Honorable Ayub Sakhtiyani, may Allah have mercy on him, says: If you narrate a Hadith to a person and he says, leave the Hadith and explain from the Noble Quran, then know that such a person is himself misguided and leads others astray.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him):
One day Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) met Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, “Please open your chest where the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kissed, I will kiss there as well.” So he opened his chest and he kissed there.
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه said:
«ما من أحد إلا يؤخذ من علمه ويترك إلا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم»
“The knowledge of every person can be accepted or rejected except that of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, whose every word is obligatory.”
Some people discussed with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه regarding the Hajj al-Tamattu’, and he approved it in the light of the statement of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Then people said: Abu Bakr and Umar رضي الله عنهما used to forbid it. So he said:
«يؤشك أن تنزل عليكم حجارة من السماء أقول لكم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتقولون قال أبو بكر وعمر»
“It is feared that stones may start raining down on you from the sky. I say that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said this, and you say Abu Bakr and Umar said so.”
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنه says:
«أراهم سيهلكون، أقول: قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم ويقولون: قال أبو بكر وعمر»
“I see that they will be destroyed soon. I say that this is the command of Allah and His Messenger, and they say that this is the command of Abu Bakr and Umar.”
Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash’ari رضي الله عنه:
When Sayyiduna Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the inheritance of a daughter, granddaughter, and sister, he said: The daughter gets half and the sister gets half. Go and ask Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him), he will confirm my statement. Then Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked, and he was told about Sayyiduna Abu Musa’s (may Allah be pleased with him) statement, to which he replied: I will decide on this matter as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did: The daughter gets half, the granddaughter gets one-sixth, and thus two-thirds are completed; what remains is for the sister. Then Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said: As long as this scholar is among you, do not ask me about such matters.
The Companions’ (may Allah be pleased with them) Rejection of Actions Contrary to the Sunnah:
The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) were true lovers of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). This is why they paid special attention to following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in every aspect of their lives, and if they saw anyone acting against the Sunnah, they would immediately and sternly reject it. The following blessed ahadith bear witness to this.
In Sahih Bukhari it is stated:
«عن عمران بن حصين قال: قال النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم الحياء لا يأتى إلا بخير فقال بشير بن كعب: مكتوب فى الحكمة إن من الحياء وقارا ، وإن من الحياء سكينة، فقال له عمران: أحدثك عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتحدثني عن صحيفتك»
Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Modesty will bring nothing but good.” Bashir bin Ka’b heard this and said: “In the book of wisdom it is written that sometimes modesty is dignity and calmness.” Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I am narrating to you the Hadith of the Prophet, and you are contradicting it with your own writing.”
Imam Muslim (may Allah have mercy on him) also narrated this with these words:
«عن أبى قتادة قال: كنا عند عمران بن حصين فى رهط منا وفينا بشير بن كعب، فحدثنا عمران يومئذ قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: الحياء خير كله أو قال: الحياء كله خير فقال بشير بن كعب: إنا لتجد فى بعض الكتب أو الحكمة أن منهسكينة ووقار الله ومنه ضعف الخ»
Abu Qatada said that we were with some people of our tribe at the house of Imran bin Husain, and Bashir bin Ka’b was also there. He said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Modesty is nothing but good.” Bashir bin Ka’b said: “In some books or wisdom, it is mentioned that modesty sometimes appears as dignity and sometimes as weakness.” Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) became so angry that his eyes turned red and said: “I am narrating the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and you are objecting to it.”
Imran bin Husain repeated the Hadith of the Prophet, and Bashir bin Ka’b also repeated his statement. Imran became angry, and we tried to excuse him by saying that he is one of us and there is no defect in his faith.
«عن عروة بن الزبير أنه أتى ابن عباس فقال: يا ابن عباس طالما أضللت الناس قال: وما ذاك يا عروة قال: الرجل يخرج مخرجا بحج أو عمرة فإذا طاف بالبيت زعمت أنه قد حل فقد كان أبو بكر وعمرينهيان عن ذلك، فقال أهما ويحك آثر عندك أم ما فى كتاب الله وما سن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مني ومنك قال ابن أبى مليكة: فخصمه عروة.»
Urwah bin Zubair came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: “Ibn Abbas! You have misled people greatly.” Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Urwah, what is the matter?” Urwah said: “A person sets out for Hajj or Umrah, and after performing Tawaf, you say that he has exited the Ihram. This means that after Tawaf and Sa’i, if he is in the state of Ihram for Hajj or Umrah, he has exited Ihram and become Mutamatti’. And if he only tied the Ihram for Umrah, then in any case he has exited Ihram.” Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) forbade this. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Between me and you, who is better, Abu Bakr and Umar or that which is in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger?” Urwah bin Zubair accepted the argument without further dispute.
Saeed bin Jubair (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) performed Hajj al-Tamattu’. Urwah bin Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) heard this and said: “Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar forbade Tamattu’.” Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I fear that people will be destroyed! I say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said so, and others say that Abu Bakr and Umar forbade it.”
Hafiz Ibn al-Qayyim, after narrating this, said: “May Allah have mercy on Ibn Abbas and be pleased with him. If he saw the people of this era, what would he say? When it is said in front of them that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, they contradict the Hadith of the Prophet with the statements of people who are far inferior to the Companions.”
Imam Darimi narrated from Ibn Abbas with an authentic chain, saying:
«ألا تخافون أن تعذبوا أو يخسف بكم أن تقولوا قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقال فلان.»
“Do you not fear that punishment may descend upon you or that you may be swallowed up? On one hand, you say that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, and then you say on the other hand that so-and-so said this.”
«عن سالم بن عبد الله أنه سمع رجلا من أهل الشام وهو يسأل عبد الله بن عمر عن التمتع بالعمرة إلى الحج، فقال عبد الله بن عمر: هي حلال، فقال الشامي: إن أباك قد نهى عنها ، فقال عبد الله بن عمر: أرأيت إن كان أبى نهى عنها و صنعها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم»
Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) telling a Syrian about Hajj al-Tamattu’. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar said it was permissible. The Syrian said that your father forbade it. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar said: “Tell me, if my father forbade it but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did it, then whose command should be followed? The person said: The command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) should be followed. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed Hajj al-Tamattu’.”
In the narration of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) it is stated:
«كان عبد الله بن عمر يفتي بالذي أنزل الله عز وجل من الرحصة بالتمتع، وسن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فيه، فيقول ناس لابن عمر: كيف تخالف أباك وقد نهى عن ذلك؟ فيقول لهم عبد الله: ويلكم ألا تتقون الله أن عمر نهى عن ذلك فيبتغي فيه الخير يلتمس به تمام العمرة فلم تحرمون ذلك وقد احله الله وعمل به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أفرسول الله أحق أن تتبعوا سنته ۚ إن عمر لم يقل لكم: إن العمرة فى أشهر الحج حرام ولكنه قال: إن أتم العمرة ان تفرد وها من أشهر الحج»
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to issue fatwas according to Allah’s permission regarding Hajj al-Tamattu’, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) also made it Sunnah. Some people said to Sayyiduna Ibn Umar: “Why do you oppose your father? He forbade Tamattu’.” Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar replied: “Woe to you! Do you not fear Allah? Indeed, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade Tamattu’ with good intention; he wanted people to perform Umrah separately. But when Allah has made it permissible and the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself did it, then tell me, whose Sunnah is more deserving of following, the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) or the Sunnah of Umar? Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) did not say that Umrah is forbidden in the months of Hajj, rather he said that complete Umrah is to be performed in months other than the months of Hajj.”
Imam Bukhari and Muslim narrated:
«عن عبد الله بن مغفل أنه رأى رجلا يخذف فقال له: لا تخذف كان رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نهى عن الخذف أو كان يكره الخذف وقال: إنه لا يصاد به صيد، ولا ينكى به عدو ولكنها قد تكسر السن وتفقأ العين، ثم رآه بعد ذلك يخذف فقال: له أحدثك عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه نهى عن الخذف أو كره الخذف وأنت تخذف لا أكلمك أبدا»
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mughaffal (may Allah be pleased with him) saw a man throwing pebbles between his fingers. He said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade throwing pebbles like this (khadhf) or did not like it, and said: “You cannot hunt with it nor wound an enemy, but it can break teeth or cause an eye to burst.” After that, he saw the man still throwing pebbles, so he said: “I am narrating to you the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he forbade khadhf, and you are throwing pebbles. I will not speak to you.” In Sahih Muslim’s narration it says: “I will never speak to you.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) writes:
“In this Hadith, it is permissible to cut off conversation with one who opposes the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). And the Hadith which forbids not speaking for more than three days is because of leaving someone due to personal desire, not for the sake of religion.”
In Sahih Muslim it is narrated that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
«لا تمنعوا نسآتكم المساجد إذا استأذنكم إليها قال فقال بلال بن عبد الله و الله لنمنعهن، قال: فأقبل عليه عبد الله فسبه سبا سينا ما سمعته سبه مثله قط، وقال: أخبرك عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وتقول والله لتمنعهن»
“Do not prevent Allah’s servants from going to the mosques for prayer.” Upon this, his son Bilal said: “We will prevent them strictly.” When Bilal came, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) severely rebuked him and said words of admonition that he had never heard from him before, and said: “I am telling you the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and you say that you will prevent them strictly.”
In the narrations of Tabarani and Al-Jami’ li Ibn Abdul Barr, it is mentioned that several times he was called لَعَنَكَ اللهُ, he began to cry and angrily left the gathering.
Ibn Khuzaymah mentioned a chapter in his Sahih:
باب كراهية معارضة خبر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم بالقياس والراى والدليل على ان امر النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم يجب قبوله اذا علم المرء به وإن لم يدرك ذلك عقله ورأيه.
Meaning: “The explanation of the dislike of comparing the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) with personal opinion and reasoning,” and the proof that when a person becomes aware of the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him), it is obligatory to accept it, even if his intellect and opinion do not understand or accept it.”
Then he narrated the Hadith:
«عن سالم بن عبد الله عن أبيه قال: قال النبى صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم إذا استيقظ أحدكم من منامه فلا يدخل يدة فى الإناء حتى يغسلها ثلاث مرات فإنه لا يدرى أين باتت يده أو أين طافت يده، فقال لمرجل أرأيت إن كان حوضا قال: فحصبه ابن عمر وقال: أخبرك عن رسول الله صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم وتقول أرأيت حوضا»
Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar narrated from his noble father Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When any of you wakes up from sleep, he should not put his hand into a vessel three times without washing it, because he does not know where his hand was during sleep or where it touched.” Someone asked: “What if there is a water basin?” Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar threw a pebble at him and said: “I am narrating to you the Hadith of the Prophet, and you contradict it by saying what to do if there is a basin?”
Principles and Guidelines of the Companions of the Prophet (May Allah be pleased with them):
The jurisprudence of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, was based on the principles and rules derived from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the sayings of the Companions, consultation, and analogy.
Maimoon bin Mehran, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that when a matter was presented to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, if its solution was found in the Book of Allah, he would decide accordingly. If not, he would look for it in the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. If the solution was found there, he would decide accordingly. If not, he would ask the people if anyone knew of any ruling or decision of the Prophet ﷺ regarding that matter. Sometimes, someone would know a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ and would inform him, and he would decide according to it. If no decision was found, he would gather the senior Companions and consult them. If they reached a consensus on a matter, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq would issue the ruling accordingly.
Amir Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to Qadi Shurayh that if a matter is found in the Book of Allah, then decide according to it. If it is not found in the Book of Allah, then look into the Sunnah of the Messenger and give a ruling. If it is not found in the Book and Sunnah, and no one before you has ruled on it, then you have the discretion to decide according to your own opinion and ijtihad or to refrain. In my view, refraining would be better.
Abdur Rahman bin Yazid says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: There was a time when we were neither qualified for judiciary nor for issuing fatwas, nor did we issue fatwas. Then Allah, by His will, brought us to the position you see now. So whoever is presented with a matter should decide it from the Book of Allah. If the matter is not found in the Book of Allah, then decide in the light of the rulings of the Prophet ﷺ. If it is not found in either, then perform ijtihad. Do not use the excuse that I am afraid, I am afraid. The halal is clear and the haram is clear. Between halal and haram, there are some unclear matters; where there is doubt, avoid it.
Al-Qama, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that someone asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, that a man married a woman without specifying the dowry, and he died before consummation. What do you say about the dowry of that woman? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud said: I am speaking from my ijtihad; if it is correct, it is from Allah, and if it is wrong, it is from me. My opinion is that her dowry should be taken like the dowry of a similar woman, neither less nor more. That woman has the ‘iddah of death and will also inherit from the deceased. Muqil bin Sinan Ashja’i said after hearing this: I testify that the ruling given by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding Burua’ bint Washiq is the same ruling you have given.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever gives a fatwa without knowledge, the sin of that fatwa is upon the one who gave it.
Abdullah bin Abi Yazid says that when Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked about a matter, if he found it in the Qur’an, he would answer from it. If not, he would answer from the hadith of the Messenger ﷺ. If not found there, he would answer from the fatwas and sayings of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them. Otherwise, he would answer according to his own ijtihad.
