The Way to Salvation is Found in Holding to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah

Shaykh Rabee' ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee

From a tele-link (1424-07-09) with TROID

[ Part One ] 

In the Name of Allaah, Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem…


Verily the praise is for Allaah, we praise Him, seek His Assistance and Forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our own selves, and from the evil (outcomes) of our deeds. Whomever Allaah guides, there is no one to lead him astray; and whomever Allaah has left astray, there is no one who can guide him. And I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah alone without any partners, and I further testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

"O you who believe! Fear Allaah with the true fear He deserves, and do not die except as Muslims." [1]

"O Mankind! Fear your Lord, the One who created you from a single soul, and then created from that soul its mate, and then sent forth from the two of them multitudes of men and women. And fear Allaah the One through whom you seek (your mutual rights), and (take care of) the ties of kinship, for verily Allaah is a Watcher over you."[2]

"O you who believe! Fear Allaah and speak a word that is straight to the point. As a result, He will correct your actions and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger has indeed succeeded with a great victory." [3]

To proceed: Then verily the finest speech is the Speech of Allaah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam. And the worst affairs are the newly invented matters (in the Religion). For verily every newly invented matter (in the Religion) is an innovation; and every innovation is misguidance; and every kind of misguidance is in the Fire.


I welcome all of my children, brothers, and loved ones, to this good, blessed opportunity, that which we ask Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, to bring benefit from, and that He makes us and all of you from those who listen to the statements (of Truth) and follow the finest of them.


In this introduction you have heard the statement of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam:

"Verily the finest speech is the Speech of Allaah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. And the worst affairs are the newly invented matters (in the Religion). For verily every newly invented matter (in the Religion) is an innovation; and every innovation is misguidance." [4]

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, used to repeat this address often. It is from his jawaami' al-kalim (short, concise speech that carries extensive meanings), sallallaah 'alayhe wa sallam. It contains an incitement to hold fast to the Book of Allaah, since it is the best speech, an incitement to hold fast to the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, since it is the best guidance, and a caution against innovation, since it is the worst of all affairs.


So due to the importance of these blessed, all-inclusive, prophetic words, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, used to repeat it often so that his Companions that were listening would comprehend them and carry them to those who would come after them, following them in righteousness, so that these words would be understood by everyone that Allaah wants good for.


Based on this, I urge you to hold fast to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam; and I warn you against the newly invented matters, innovation and misguidance, as they are from the most evil of all affairs, and only with Allaah is the refuge. While, on the other hand, holding fast to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah is the best of all affairs. And this is a great principle, one guaranteed by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam. It is a principle that was adopted by the Salaf, one that they called to, and one that they used to refute all of those who held positions contrary to what is found in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam.


And Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, says:

"And cling to the Rope of Allaah all together, and do not be divided." [5]

So when the entire Ummah comes together upon the Book of Allaah, they will rejoice in this life and in the Hereafter. And this took place amongst the best of generations, those whose goodness had been attested to by Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam. For Allaah has attested to the goodness of the first generation, and furthermore He has attested to the goodness of those who followed them in righteousness from the generations that followed.


For verily those who succeeded from the second and third generations, were the best of all the generations. Why? Because they clung to the Rope of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and held to it ever so firmly. They called to it and spread it to the furthest of lands, and thus Allaah guided the nations by way of them.


This goodness of theirs that Allaah has attested to is found in His Statement:

"The early ones, the first ones, from the Muhaajireen (those who migrated to Al-Madeenah) and the Ansaar (the residents of Al-Madeenah who received the Prophet and the Companions), and those who follow them in righteousness, Allaah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. And for them He has prepared gardens with rivers flowing underneath." [6]

So Allaah has praised the early ones from the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, and He has also praised those who follow them in righteousness. And it was the case that the majority of the second and third generations were upon the manhaj of the Companions, the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, and they followed them in righteousness, and thus deserve this praise.


And the Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam, said:

"The best of the people are my generation, then those who come after them, and then those who come after them." [7]

This is because they held firm to the Book of their Lord, that which is the best of all speech, and to the guidance of their Prophet, His Sunnah, that which is the best guidance...


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FOOTNOTES (Abul-'Abbaas)
[1] Soorah Aali 'Imraan (3):102
[2] Soorah An-Nisaa' (4):1
[3] Soorah Al-Ahzaab (33):70-71
[4] Refer to the book, Khutbah Al-Haajah, by Imaam Muhammad Naasir Ad-Deen Al-Albaanee for the various wordings and routes of this hadeeth.
[5] Soorah Aali 'Imraan (3):103
[6] Soorah At-Tawbah (9):100
[7] An authentic hadeeth collected by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree (#2652) and Imaam Muslim (#6419) on the authority of 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, may Allaah be pleased with him.