Mishkat al-Masabih

Fiqh al-Hadith
➊ Saying «اما بعد» before the speech (and after the prescribed sermon) is Sunnah.
➋ Just as the Messenger’s sayings are called hadith, calling the Book of Allah (the Qur’an) “hadith” is established from both the Qur’an and the Sunnah. For example, see: Surah Az-Zumar, verse: 23.
➌ In the court of Allah, every kind of innovation (bid‘ah) is misguidance, falsehood, and rejected.
➍ If an act is established from the Sunnah but is not practiced among the people, and then this established act is revived, then linguistically it can be called a bid‘ah, and this is the meaning of the statement of Sayyiduna ‘Umar radi Allahu anhu, «نعم البدعة هذه» “This is a good innovation.” [صحيح بخاري : 2010]
But if an act has no basis at all in the Book, Sunnah, or the legal evidences, then to call it a “good innovation” (bid‘ah hasanah) is incorrect. There is no such thing as “good innovation” in the Shari‘ah.
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma said:
“Every innovation is misguidance, even if (some) people consider it good.” [السنة للمروزي : 82 وسنده صحيح]
➎ It is narrated from Sayyidah ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«من وقر صاحب بدعة فقد أعان عليٰ هدم الإسلام»
“Whoever honors an innovator (mubtadi‘), he has helped in the destruction of Islam.” [الشريعة للآجري ص962 ح 2040 وسنده صحيح]
Abu’l-Fadl ‘Abbas ibn Yusuf ash-Shakli, who is maqbul ar-riwayah, is the narrator. See: [تاريخ الاسلام فى للذهبي 479/23] and [الوافي بالوفيات 373/16]
➏ The famous Tabi‘i Sa‘id ibn Jubayr rahimahullah saw one of his students sitting with an innovator and said:
“Never sit with him.” [سنن الدارمي : 398 و سنده صحيح]
➐ Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Umar radi Allahu anhuma did not reply to the greeting (salam) of an innovator. [سنن الدارمي : 399 وسنده حسن، وقال الترمذي 2152 : حسن صحیح غريب]
➑ An innovator said to Imam Ayyub ibn Abi Tamimah as-Sakhtiyani rahimahullah, “I want to ask you something,” so he replied, “Not even half a word,” and turned his face away from that person. [سنن الدارمي : 404 وسنده صحيح، الشريعة الآجري ص963 ح2046 وسنده صحيح]
➒ The famous trustworthy Imam Zaydah ibn Qudamah rahimahullah used to teach hadith only to Ahl al-Sunnah. He said:
«نحدث أهل السنة»
“We narrate hadiths (only) to Ahl al-Sunnah.” [تاريخ ابي زرعة الدمشقي : 1208، وسنده صحيح]
➓ In a hadith it is mentioned that the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will split into seventy-three [73] sects, of which only one will be destined for Paradise and all the rest will be in Hell. This has been narrated by the following Companions:
① ‘Awf ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابن ماجه : 3992 وسنده حسن]
② Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابي داود : 4597 وسنده حسن]
③ Abu Umamah radi Allahu anhu [المعجم الكبير للطبراني 8؍321 ح8035 وسنده حسن، السنن الكبريٰ للبيهقي 8؍188، وسنده حسن]
In the last narration, the saved sect (firqatun-najiyah) is described as “the great majority” (as-sawad al-a‘zam), and in the hadith of Sayyiduna Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu, the word «الجماعة» is used. By all of these is meant the group of the Companions, the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the Followers of the Followers (Atba‘ at-Tabi‘in), and this is the as-sawad al-a‘zam. Also see: [كتاب الشريعة الآجري ص14، 15، دوسرا نسخه ص17]
↰ After the best generations have passed, in the worst generations, some innovators claiming themselves to be the “great majority” (sawad a‘zam) is just as wrong as a rightly guided Muslim living in a region where the majority are misguided, and the majority consider themselves to be upon the truth in opposition to him.
↰ In the hadith narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah radi Allahu anhu, it is mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«وتفترق أمتي عليٰ ثلاث وسبعين فرقة»
“And my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects.” [سنن الترمذي : 2640 وقال : ”حديث حسن صحيح“ وسنده حسن وصححه ابن حبان : 1834، والحاكم 1؍128، عليٰ شرط مسلم ووافقه الذهبي !]
↰ All three or four of these narrations, in their meaning, are sahih li ghayrihi (authentic due to supporting chains), and some scholars have even declared the hadith of seventy-three sects to be mutawatir (mass-transmitted). See: [نظم المتناثر من الحديث المتواتر للكتاني ص57 ح18]
↰ After mentioning some narrations about sects, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Ajurri rahimahullah (d. 360 AH) said:
«رحم الله عبدا حذر هٰذه الفرق وجانب البدع واتبع ولم يبتدع ولزم الأثر وطلب الطريق المستقيم واستعان بمولاه الكريم»
“May Allah have mercy on the servant who warned against these sects and kept away from innovations, who followed (the Sunnah) and did not follow innovations, who adhered to the traditions (athar), sought the straight path, and sought help from his Noble Master (Allah).” [الشريعة ص18، دوسرا نسخه ص20 قبل ح30]

Commentary:

➊
The primary purpose of the sermon is to warn against mistakes and to caution about their evil consequences; therefore, it is necessary in the sermon to point out the errors of the people according to the circumstances and to guide them towards the correct path.

➋
It is also correct, according to the subject matter, to adopt an emotional tone in the sermon.

➌
The summary of the Straight Path (Sirat al-Mustaqim) is adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

➍
During the sermon, gesturing with the forefinger is Sunnah, and it is permissible to use appropriate gestures to help explain a point.

➎
In the clarification regarding the nearness of the Hour, there is an indication that Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the last Prophet. Just as there is no finger between the middle finger and the index finger, likewise, after the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and before the Hour, no one will be sent as a Prophet. However, the descent of ‘Isa (alayhis salam) from the heavens does not contradict the finality of the Prophethood of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), because he was granted Prophethood previously, and now he will act according to the Shari‘ah of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

➏
In the nearness of the Hour, there is a lesson for the members of the Ummah that they should not become so engrossed in the world that they forget the Hour; rather, they should prepare for the Hereafter with greater attention.

➐
It is not correct to divide innovation (bid‘ah) into “good” and “bad”; rather, one should avoid every innovation.

➑
The inheritance of the deceased should be distributed among the heirs according to the principles stated in the Qur’an and Hadith; the authorities do not have the right to alter this, rather it is their duty to ensure that every heir receives his prescribed share.

➒
It is the responsibility of the Islamic government to provide for the destitute and those without heirs. Similarly, if a person dies in such a state that he has a debt but has not left enough wealth to pay it off, then it is the duty of the Islamic government to pay his debt from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal) and to fulfill the legitimate expenses of his survivors.