Importance of Following the Messenger ﷺ in Light of the Sayings of the Salaf
This excerpt is taken from the book "Eid Milad al-Nabi ﷺ ki Shari Hukoomat" authored by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amrpuri.
❀ Dialogue Between ‘Urwah ibn Zubair and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما)
أضللت الناس... [full Arabic narration retained]
“(‘Urwah said
You have misled the people. Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) asked: What is the matter? He replied: You order people to perform ‘Umrah during the ten days of Dhul-Hijjah, whereas there is no ‘Umrah in these days. Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) said: Why do you not ask your mother (Asma bint Abi Bakr رضي الله عنها) about this? ‘Urwah replied: Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما) did not do this. Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) said: By Allah! This is what has ruined you. I fear Allah’s punishment may descend upon you. I narrate to you from the Prophet ﷺ, and you oppose me with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما)? ‘Urwah said: By Allah! They both knew and followed the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ better than you.”(الفقیہ والمتفقہ للخطیب: 1/145، وسندہ صحیح)
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (رحمه الله) said:
“…Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were indeed as ‘Urwah described, but it is not permissible for anyone to abandon a Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to follow them.”
❀ The Issue of ‘Umrah in Dhul-Hijjah
The prevention of ‘Umrah in Dhul-Hijjah by Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما) is not established. Not performing a certain act does not mean they deemed it impermissible. Even if they did not perform it, this cannot be termed opposition, but rather due to lack of knowledge, as the Companions’ general approach was to submit fully when they heard a hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
❀ Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) said:
عجبا لترك الناس... [full Arabic narration retained]
“Strange it is! People abandoned the Talbiyah and started saying Takbir. Indeed, Takbir is good, but Satan comes to a person from the path of sin, and when he is saved from that, Satan comes to him from the door of piety, so that he abandons Sunnah and adopts innovation.”
(مسند اسحاق بن راهویہ: 482، وسندہ صحیح)
❀ Sayings of the Salaf on Following the Messenger ﷺ
✔ Ibn Jurayj (رحمه الله):
“…I heard this from ‘Ata, even if I did not explicitly say: I heard.”
(التاریخ الکبیر لابن ابی خیثمہ: 241/2، 247، وسندہ صحیح)
✔ Imam Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah (رحمه الله, d. 198H):
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the greatest scale (criterion). Everything must be measured against his character, conduct, and guidance. Whatever accords with it is truth, and whatever opposes it is falsehood.”
(الجامع لأخلاق الراوی للخطیب: 8، وسندہ صحیح)
✔ Imam al-Awza‘i (رحمه الله, d. 157H):
“O Abu Muhammad! When a hadith of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reaches you, think nothing else, say nothing else, for Muhammad ﷺ was only a conveyer from his Lord.”
(الفقیہ والمتفقہ للخطیب: 149/1، وسندہ حسن)
He further said:
“Adhere firmly to the Sunnah. Stop where the Salaf stopped. Say what they said. Abstain from what they abstained. Follow their path, for what sufficed them is sufficient for you.”
(حلية الأولياء: 143/6، وسندہ صحیح)
✔ Imam ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (رحمه الله, d. 101H):
“No one’s opinion holds weight when the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is present.”
(التاریخ الکبیر لابن ابی خیثمہ: 9335، وسندہ صحیح)
✔ Imam Malik ibn Anas (رحمه الله, d. 179H):
“…Eloquent speakers come to us, hoping that by their eloquence we would reject what Jibreel brought to the Prophet ﷺ.”
(شرف أصحاب الحدیث للخطیب: 1، وسندہ صحیح)
✔ Imam al-Shafi‘i (رحمه الله, d. 204H):
“…Whatever opposes the command of the Prophet ﷺ is invalid. No opinion or analogy can stand against it, for Allah has cut off all excuses with the statement of His Messenger ﷺ.”
(الأم: 193/2، السنن الكبرى للبیہقی: 241/9)
✔ Imam al-Nawawi (رحمه الله, d. 676H):
“When a hadith of the Prophet ﷺ is established, it should not be abandoned due to the non-practice of some, many, or even all people.”
(شرح صحیح مسلم: 186/4)
✔ Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله, d. 728H):
“…Whoever rejects Qur’an and Sunnah with his opinion dislikes anything that contradicts his words, wishes that such verses were never revealed and that such hadiths never existed. If it were possible, he would erase them from the Qur’an.”
(درء تعارض العقل والنقل: 217/5)
He also said:
“Happiness and guidance lie in following the Messenger ﷺ, while misguidance and misery lie in opposing him. Every good in existence originates from the Messenger ﷺ, while every evil stems from opposing him or ignorance of what he brought. The success of humanity, in both worldly and afterlife matters, lies in following the Messenger ﷺ.”
(مجموع الفتاوی: 93/19)
✔ Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله, d. 751H):
“…Whoever weighs scholars’ statements against the texts, rejecting whatever contradicts them, has not disrespected scholars. Rather, he has truly followed them, for they all instructed this. Real following of scholars is acting upon their advice to put the text above their words… Blind imitation is to accept without proof; whereas the path of the Salaf is to use their knowledge to reach the Messenger ﷺ.”
(الروح: 364)
❀ Key Lessons
① The Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ is the ultimate criterion for truth.
② No opinion, analogy, or practice of anyone can override the Sunnah.
③ The Salaf unanimously emphasized adherence to Sunnah and rejection of innovations.
④ True respect for scholars lies in following their advice to give precedence to the texts.
⑤ The path of success in this world and the Hereafter is following the Messenger ﷺ.
