HASTEN TOWARDS THE SUNNAH: A STORY OF A SOCCER PUNDIT

Allah says in one of the verses of the Qur'an: "and in your persons, don't (you have eyes to) perceive" [Q51:21]. Yesterday, I was with my brother, Olabisi Mohammed and it was great moment as I shared with him audios of explanation of Usul Sunnah of Imam Ahmad رحمه الله by Ustadh Abu Nasir حفظه الله. I have never met someone who loved football like him in my life. When I was much younger than this, I used to be with him and he would record all foreign games carrying his video about on his shoulder. He was a well known pundit (on Kwara TV) in this area of sport and we used to strive to watch football matches anywhere for fun at a time when suppotership of foreign clubs hadn't grown so much madness like this in the country. 

But alhamduliLlah, he had to sacrifice his excessive love for football for sunnah, and he hardly watch football these days. Everything in life has sacrifice. The sacrifice of an Ahlus sunnah is to leave frivolous things in order to succeed in this life and the hereafter. Anyone who wants to be a real Ahlus Sunnah must be ready to sacrifice a lot of things. An Ahlus Sunnah would mind the kind of friends he moves with, the kind of events or gatherings he attend, the kind of clothes he wears, what he says and everything about him is full of restriction. 

The brother told me yesterday, that many of the people who fight or reject the call to Sunnah today do so because they don't like restrictions. Everyone wants to do what he likes. Whereas, Islaam itself is a prison for an ideal Muslim. Islaam is Sunnah, Sunnah is Islaam. One of the salaf said: the life of a true Muslim is within the prison of the Qur'an and Sunnah. He doesn't go beyond it. And it is that prison that many Muslims don't want to enter which makes them to reject the Sunnah and the way of the righteous predecessors. 

Brothers and Sisters in Islaam, to be steadfast upon Sunnah, we just need to start from somewhere. It is a gradual process that begins with cleansing of the heart with legislated adhkaar, devotion to salaat and attending of gathering of knowledge. No one can be a real Ahlus Sunnah except he loves knowledge and gatherings of the people of Sunnah. I love him for Allaah's sake, and I am always happy to associate with him because he loves knowledge. It is not in my habit to have close relationship with people who don't like or seek knowledge. I do this in compliance with the advice of Al-Imaam Shaafi'ee رحمه الله when he said

“Whoever does not love knowledge then there is no good in him. So there should not be any acquaintance between you and him, and nor any friendship.”[Muqqadimatul-Majmoo’ Sharhil-Muhadhdhab, (vol.1, pg.42).]

I was impressed as I heard this brother reciting many adhkaar without holding his Hisnu Muslim. Every Sunnah is very important, no matter how small it looks. What hinder some people from the Sunnah is that they would have to keep their beards and cut their trousers. But I boldy submit that it doesn't start from there. Keeping the beards and wearing of nisfu saq is part of Sunnah, but it is not the most important aspects of it. It is sinful not to keep the beards or to be dragging trousers on the floor. It is sinful for sisters not to wear the proper hijab (niqab). But it is more disastrous not to understand the foundations of Islaam that would keep one away from bid'ah and shirk. Anyone who doesn't understand the foundations of Islaam as documented in the books of scholars with daleel from the Qur'an and Sunnah would fall into bid'ah and shirk without knowing. And ignorance would not be an excuse on the Day of Judgment.

The rate at which death strike youths these days shows that the worst thing to do this time is to keep postponing one's dedication to the sunnah and the way of the salaf saalih. 

May Allah guide us aright.

6th August, 2017