By Ustadh Abdus Shakur Brooks
The same group that is telling you not to follow the understanding of the book and the sunnah according to the four Imāms of the salaf (Abū Hanīfah, Mālik, Shāfi’ī & Ahmad), are insisting that you follow their understanding. Its “taqleed” either way. Now you do the comparison, and see who is worthy of trusting your deen to?
Imām Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said:
“Whoever claims that taqleed is not correct, or that no one is to be followed in religious matters, then he is a fāsiq (open sinner) according to Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ. And verily he only intends [by such claim] the destruction of knowledge and the Sunnah…”
[Tabaqāt al-Hanābilah, by the famous Hanbalī jurist, Ibn Abī Ya’la al-Fara]
Splendid Pearls 
Sir/madam, Can you plz explain how these wahabis, barelwis, deobandis, salafis, etc, etc differ from each other and why every group calls kaffir to other group? Its all so mind-boggling. why cannot matters of differences be adjusted when Quran is one and we know hadiths from authentic resources? where the trouble lies?
As-Salāmu ‘Alaikum,
I don;t think that can be summarised in one post, or a few posts even! Please see the link below:
Who are the Ahlus Sunnah
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/misc/ahlsunna.htm
I hope that helps.
Was-Salām
Wa-Alaikum Salam,That’s an excellent article, lucid and cogent. Thank you VERY much for sharing it. Its written therein that even the saved sect may enter hell fire for wrongdoings; So having enmity towards other groups and deeming them as ‘infernal material’, will not be an evil deed? I know this path of Ahl Al-Sunnah is the path of truth and righteousness but how can one save oneself from such arrogance, especially one’s heart from those grudges?
Second, bit confusing thing written there, is “Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullah) said that greeting a man of bid’ah meant loving him” and Shaykh Abdal Qadir al-Jilani said “A Muslim must prevent the multiplication of the men of bid’ah and keep away from them, and should not greet them”. A good friend of mine is shia, now should i revoke the friendship because I belong to the saved sect and she to the worst perhaps? will that ‘pride’ not make me sinful? If Prophet Pbuh was so lenient to stand for the funeral of a Jew, then why can’t we greet other Muslims (Because I think their imaan on oneness of Allah and Prophet pbuh being the last messenger, makes them Muslim despite their wrong beliefs in other matters)?
And third thing, Very sorry for nagging you. Jazak’Allah Khair immensely.
As-Salāmu ‘Alaikum,
1) I don’t know. Imām Ghazzāli Rahimahullah said: “To think that you are better than a dog, is arrogance.”
2) I don’t know. Allāh knows best.
Not a problem sister, I’m honoured to have been of service to you 🙂
Wa iyyaki
Wa alaikum As Salam,
Ok. Thanks a lot. I am honored to have a gracious response and your kindness encourages me to ask just two more questions. :))
1: who is the most eligible Muslim spiritual teacher in the world today, who should be/can be followed?
2: As shia people say “Ya Ali madad”, I have seen many sunnis say “ya pir, ya this, ya that”. What is the teaching of Sunni Islam regarding this? Is it allowed to call other than Allah for help in trouble?
Your Ramadan post is great, VERY enlightening. May God bless you with the best and accept your efforts. Amen. 🙂
“Questioning is the cure to ignorance”, is what they say 🙂
1) I don’t know, ask Allāh (Subhānahū wa Ta’ālā) and He will guide you to one, InshāAllāh.
2) I don’t know much about that Ya Khadija, I haven’t looked into it properly. However, you may find this useful:
Glad you found it beneficial, alhamdulillāh 🙂
Lol, ok Ya splendid Pearls, Thanks a million for your time, help and beneficial links. 🙂
Actually the saying of Prophet pbuh, “Allah shall raise for this Ummah at the head of every century a man who shall revive for it its religion”, makes me inquisitive. Perhaps that pious someone is somewhere because he must be somewhere in this age of hair-splitting discussions and perennial quarrels over tinniest matters or maybe my lifespan wouldn’t meet the existence of that sanctified soul. Yes I should make dua which I did in fact, but it possibly lacked sincerity.
Well, Ramadan Mubarak to you in advance. Have a superbly blessed Ramadan of great spiritual ascendance, Amen; and please make dua for me 🙂
Wassalam.
You’re welcome.
In explanation to that hadīth (“Allah shall raise for this Ummah…”), al-Hāfidh ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalānī said in Fathul Bārī and Tawāliyut-Tasīs:
“Some scholars have taken this hadīth to refer to more than a single person, and it is possible from the wording of the hadīth which we have quoted since the hadīth indicates that the revival indicated is general for all the people of that time. And this was very possible with regard to ’Umar ibn ‘Abd al-’Azīz and then ash-Shāfi’ī. But as for those who came after that, then they had others to share with them.”
“And it (i.e., taking the hadīth to refer to more than one person) is allowable since those qualities requiring revival are not restricted to one type of good, and it is not essential that all of the qualities of good come together in a single person unless that is claimed for ’Umar ibn ‘Abd al-’Azīz since he was the one in charge of the affairs at the end of the first century, and he possessed all the qualities of good and had precedence in them. Therefore, Ahmad said that they took the hadīth to mean him (‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz). But as for those who came after him, then ash-Shāfi’ī even though he had excellent qualities, yet he was not in charge of military expeditions… so upon this anyone having part of these qualities at the end of the century is referred to, whether a number of people or not.”
As for you saying, “in this age of hair-splitting discussions and perennial quarrels over tinniest matter…”
– The Prophet ﷺ said: “A part of the excellence of a man’s Islām is his leaving alone what does not concern him.”
Just learn your Fardhul ‘Ayn (obligatory knowledge of ‘Aqīdah, Fiqh and Tasawwuf), implement them and leave the rest to scholars.
http://seekersguidance.org/courses
I hope that helps 🙂 May you have a blessed Ramadān.
Was-Salām
Ok, right. yes i read that 11th century had two people who revived the faith; Imam Haddad and Ahmed Sirhindi.
Ahmed sirhindi is also called the ”Mujaddid (the one who revives the faith) of second millennium”? what does that mean? Because hadith mentions only century, not millennium. Though his works like re-establishing the authority of Quran and Sunnah against King Akbar’s Deen-ILahi wherein they had even altered the kalima as “Muhammad is prophet of Allah”, was substituted with “Akbar is Caliph of Allah” and his contending against that pantheistic theory of Whadatul-wujud of Ibn-ul-Arabi, are the things due to which Islam is alive in Asia today. But then millennium?
That’s a very good advice. 🙂 Just in order to know the beliefs of other ‘groups’, i come across very contentious texts. Don’t want to be a scholar, lol, just want to know but i will stop it.
This site offers courses, will see insha’Allah. Thanks a lot!
– I don’t know anything about that to be honest.
– Alhamdulillah! If we learn the ‘truth’, then it’ll be easy for us to recognise ‘falsehood’.
– Yeah, really beneficial.
You’re welcome 🙂
So a very precise summation of the whole issue in that latest post, really Good one. Jazak’Allah kahir. 🙂
Wa Iyyaki 🙂